[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H590-H591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY FOR THE 104TH 
                                CONGRESS

  (Mr. HYDE asked and was given permission to extend his remarks at 
this point in the Record and to include extraneous matter.)

[[Page H591]]

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a) of rule XI of the 
Rules of the House, I submit for publication in the Congressional 
Record, the Rules of Procedure for the 104th Congress adopted by the 
House Committee on the Judiciary on January 5, 1995.
  U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Rules of 
    Procedure, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Adopted January 5, 1995


                                 rule i

       The Rules of the House of Representatives are the rules of 
     the Committee on the Judiciary and its subcommittees with the 
     following specific additions thereto.


                      rule ii. committee meetings

       (a) The regular meeting day of the Committee on the 
     Judiciary for the conduct of its business shall be on Tuesday 
     of each week while the House is in session.
       (b) Alternative meeting dates and additional meetings may 
     be called by the Chairman and a regular meeting of the 
     Committee may be dispensed with when, in the judgment of the 
     Chairman, there is no need therefor.
       (c) At least 24 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and 
     legal holidays when the House is not in session) before each 
     scheduled Committee or subcommittee meeting, each Member of 
     the Committee or subcommittee shall be furnished a list of 
     the bill(s) and subject(s) to be considered and/or acted upon 
     at the meeting. Bills or subjects not listed shall be subject 
     to a point of order unless their consideration is agreed to 
     by a two-thirds vote of the Committee or subcommittee.
       (d) The Chairman, with such notice to the ranking Minority 
     Member as is practicable, may call and convene, as he 
     considers necessary, additional meetings of the Committee for 
     the consideration of any bill or resolution pending before 
     the Committee or for the conduct of other Committee business. 
     The Committee shall meet for such purpose pursuant to that 
     call of the Chairman.
       (e) Committee and subcommittee meetings for the transaction 
     of business shall be open to the public except when the 
     Committee or subcommittee determines by majority vote to 
     close the meeting because disclosure of matters to be 
     considered would endanger national security, would compromise 
     sensitive law enforcement information, or would tend to 
     defame, degrade or incriminate any person or otherwise would 
     violate any law or rule of the House.
       (f) Every motion made to the Committee and entertained by 
     the Chairman shall be reduced to writing upon demand of any 
     Member, and a copy made available to each Member present.
       (g) For purposes of taking any action at a meeting of the 
     full Committee or any subcommittee thereof, other than taking 
     testimony or receiving evidence, a quorum shall be 
     constituted by the presence of not less than one-third of the 
     Members of the Committee or subcommittee, except that a full 
     majority of the Members of the Committee or subcommittee 
     shall constitute a quorum for purposes of reporting a measure 
     or recommendation from the Committee or subcommittee, closing 
     a meeting to the public, or authorizing the issuance of a 
     subpoena.
       (h) A complete transcript shall be made of any full 
     Committee meetings, or any portion thereof, upon the request 
     of any Member of the Committee made before the close of 
     business of the preceding day, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, 
     and legal holidays when the House is not in session.


                           rule iii. hearings

       (a) The Committee or any subcommittee shall make public 
     announcement of the date, place and subject matter of any 
     hearing to be conducted by it on any measure or matter at 
     least one week before the commencement of that hearing, 
     unless the Committee or subcommittee before which such 
     hearing is scheduled determines that there is good cause to 
     begin such hearing at an earlier date, in which event it 
     shall make public announcement at the earliest possible date.
       (b) Committee and subcommittee hearings shall be open to 
     the public except when the Committee or subcommittee 
     determines by majority vote to close the meeting because 
     disclosure of matters to be considered would endanger 
     national security, would compromise sensitive law enforcement 
     information, or would tend to defame, degrade or incriminate 
     any person or otherwise would violate any law or rule of the 
     House.
       (c) For purposes of taking testimony and receiving evidence 
     before the Committee or any subcommittee, a quorum shall be 
     constituted by the presence of two Members.
       (d) In the course of any hearing each Member shall be 
     allowed five minutes for the interrogation of a witness until 
     such time as each Member who so desires has had an 
     opportunity to question the witness.


                         rule iv. broadcasting

       Any meeting or hearing of the Committee or any of its 
     subcommittees that is open to the public shall be open to 
     coverage by television, radio, and still photography in 
     accordance with the provisions of clause 3 of House rule XI.


                     rule v. standing subcommittees

       (a) The full Committee shall have jurisdiction over the 
     following subject matters: antitrust, tort liability issues, 
     including medical malpractice and product liability, and such 
     other legislative or oversight matters as determined by the 
     Chairman.
       (b) There shall be five standing subcommittees of the 
     Committee on the Judiciary, with jurisdictions as follows:
       (1) Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property: 
     copyright, patent and trademark law, administration of U.S. 
     courts, Federal Rules of Evidence, Civil and Appellate 
     Procedure, judicial ethics, other appropriate matters as 
     referred by the Chairman, and relevant oversight.
       (2) Subcommittee on the Constitution: constitutional 
     amendments, constitutional rights, federal civil rights laws, 
     ethics in government, other appropriate matters as referred 
     by the Chairman, and relevant oversight.
       (3) Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law: 
     bankruptcy and commercial law, bankruptcy judgeships, 
     administrative law, state taxation affecting interstate 
     commerce, interstate compacts, other appropriate matters as 
     referred by the Chairman, and relevant oversight.
       (4) Subcommittee on Crime: Federal Criminal Code, drug 
     enforcement, sentencing, parole and pardons, Federal Rules of 
     Criminal Procedure, prisons, other appropriate matters as 
     referred by the Chairman, and relevant oversight.
       (5) Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims: immigration and 
     naturalization, admission of refugees, treaties, conventions 
     and international agreements, claims against the United 
     States, federal charters of incorporation private immigration 
     and claims bills, other appropriate matters as referred by 
     the Chairman, and relevant oversight.
       (c) The Chairman of the Committee and the ranking Minority 
     Member thereof shall be ex officio Members, but not voting 
     Members, of each subcommittee to which such Chairman or 
     ranking Minority has not been assigned by resolution of the 
     Committee. Ex officio Members shall not be counted as present 
     for purposes of constituting a quorum at any hearing or 
     meeting of such subcommittee.


              rule vi. powers and duties of subcommittees

       Each subcommittee is authorized to meet, hold hearings, 
     receive evidence, and report to the full Committee on all 
     matters referred to it or under its jurisdiction. 
     Subcommittee chairman shall set dates for hearings and 
     meetings of their respective subcommittees after consultation 
     with the Chairman and other subcommittee chairmen with a view 
     toward avoiding simultaneous scheduling of full Committee and 
     subcommittee meetings or hearings whenever possible.


                   rule vii. non-legislative reports

       No report of the Committee or subcommittee which does not 
     accompany a measure or matter for consideration by the House 
     shall be published unless all Members of the Committee or 
     subcommittee issuing the report shall have been apprised of 
     such report and given the opportunity to give notice of 
     intention to file supplemental, additional, or dissenting 
     views as part of the report. In no case shall the time in 
     which to file such views be less than three calendar days 
     (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays when the 
     House is not in session).


                      rule viii. committee records

       The records of the Committee at the National Archives and 
     Records Administration shall be made available for public use 
     according to the Rules of the House. The Chairman shall 
     notify the ranking Minority Member of any decision to 
     withhold a record otherwise available, and the matter shall 
     be presented to the Committee for a determination on the 
     written request of any Member of the Committee.
     

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