[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 10 (Thursday, January 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S904-S905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, in accordance with rule XXVI, 
paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby submit for 
publication in the Congressional Record, the rules of the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  The rules follow:

     Rules of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

       Rule 1. The Standing Rules of the Senate as supplemented by 
     these rules, are adopted as the rules of the Committee and 
     its Subcommittees.


                       meetings of the committee

       Rule 2. (a) The Committee shall meet on the third Wednesday 
     of each month while the Congress is in session for the 
     purpose of conducting business, unless, for the convenience 
     of Members, the Chairman shall set some other day for a 
     meeting. Additional meetings may be called by the Chairman as 
     he may deem necessary.
       (b) Business meetings of any Subcommittee may be called by 
     the Chairman of such Subcommittee, Provided, That no 
     Subcommittee meeting or hearing other than a field hearing, 
     shall be scheduled or held concurrently with a full Committee 
     meeting or hearing, unless a majority of the Committee 
     concurs in such concurrent meeting or hearing.


                       open hearings and meetings

       Rule 3. (a) Hearings and business meetings of the Committee 
     or any Subcommittee shall be open to the public except when 
     the Committee or such Subcommittee by majority vote orders a 
     closed hearing or meeting.
       (b) A transcript shall be kept of each hearing of the 
     Committee or any Subcommittee.
       (c) A transcript shall be kept of each business meeting of 
     the Committee or any Subcommittee unless a majority of the 
     Committee or the Subcommittee involved agrees that some other 
     form of permanent record is preferable.


                           hearing procedure

       Rule 4. (a) Public notice shall be given of the date, 
     place, and subject matter of any hearing to be held by the 
     Committee or any Subcommittee at least one week in advance of 
     such hearing unless the Chairman of the full Committee or the 
     Subcommittee involved determines that the hearing is non-
     controversial or that special circumstances require expedited 
     procedures and a majority of the Committee or the 
     Subcommittee involved concurs. In no case shall a hearing be 
     conducted with less than twenty-four hours notice.
       (b) Each witness who is to appear before the Committee or 
     any Subcommittee shall file with the Committee or 
     Subcommittee, at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing, a 
     written statement of his or her testimony in as many copies 
     as the Chairman of the Committee or Subcommittee prescribes.
       (c) Each member shall be limited to five minutes in the 
     questioning of any witness until such time as all Members who 
     so desire have had an opportunity to question the witness.
       (d) The Chairman and the ranking Minority Member or the 
     ranking Majority and Minority Members present at the hearing 
     may each appoint one Committee staff member to question each 
     witness. Such staff member may question the witness only 
     after all Members present have completed their questioning of 
     the witness or at such other time as the Chairman and the 
     ranking Majority and Minority Members present may agree.


                        business meeting agenda

       Rule 5. (a) A legislative measure or subject shall be 
     included on the agenda of the next following business meeting 
     of the full Committee or any Subcommittee if a written 
     request for such inclusion has been filed with the Chairman 
     of the Committee or Subcommittee at least one week prior to 
     such meeting. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to 
     limit the authority of the Chairman of the Committee or 
     Subcommittee to include legislative measures or subjects on 
     the Committee or Subcommittee agenda in the absence of such 
     request.
       (b) The agenda for any business meeting of the Committee or 
     any Subcommittee shall be provided to each Member and made 
     available to the public at least three days prior to such 
     meeting, and no new items may be added after the agenda is so 
     published except by the approval of a majority of the Members 
     of the Committee or Subcommittee. The Staff Director shall 
     promptly notify absent Members of any action taken by the 
     Committee or any Subcommittee on matters not included on the 
     published agenda.


                                quorums

       Rule 6. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and 
     (d), seven Members shall constitute a quorum for the conduct 
     of business of the Committee.
       (b) No measure or matter shall be ordered reported from the 
     Committee unless eleven Members of the Committee are actually 
     present at the time such action is taken.
       (c) Except as provided in subsection (d), one-third of the 
     Subcommittee Members shall constitute a quorum for the 
     conduct of business of any Subcommittee.
       (d) One Member shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of 
     conducting a hearing or taking testimony on any measure or 
     matter before the Committee or any Subcommittee.


                                 voting

       Rule 7. (a) A rollcall of the Members shall be taken upon 
     the request on any Member. Any Member who does not vote on 
     any rollcall at the time the roll is called, may vote (in 
     person or by proxy) on that rollcall at any later time during 
     the same business meeting.
       (b) Proxy voting shall be permitted on all matters, except 
     that proxies may not be counted for the purpose of 
     determining the presence of a quorum. Unless further limited, 
     a proxy shall be exercised only upon the date for which it is 
     given and upon the items published in the agenda for that 
     date.
       (c) Each Committee report shall set forth the vote on the 
     motion to report the measure or matter involved. Unless the 
     Committee directs otherwise, the report will not set

[[Page S905]]

     out any votes on amendments offered during Committee 
     consideration. Any Member who did not vote on any rollcall 
     shall have the opportunity to have his position recorded in 
     the appropriate Committee record or Committee report.
       (d) The Committee vote to report a measure to the Senate 
     shall also authorize the staff of the Committee to make 
     necessary technical and clerical corrections in the measure.


                             Subcommittees

       Rule 8. (a) The number of Members assigned to each 
     Subcommittee and the division between Majority and Minority 
     Members shall be fixed by the Chairman in consultation with 
     the ranking Minority Member.
       (b) Assignment of Members to Subcommittees shall, insofar 
     as possible, reflect the preferences of the Members. No 
     Member will receive assignment to a second Subcommittee 
     until, in order of seniority, all Members of the Committee 
     have chosen assignments to one Subcommittee, and no Member 
     shall receive assignment to a third Subcommittee until, in 
     order of seniority, all Members have chosen assignments to 
     two Subcommittees.
       (c) Any Member of the Committee may sit with any 
     Subcommittee during its hearings and business meetings but 
     shall not have the authority to vote on any matters before 
     the Subcommittee unless he is a Member of such Subcommittee.


                sworn testimony and financial statements

       Rule 9, Witnesses in Committee or Subcommittee hearings may 
     be required to give testimony under oath whenever the 
     Chairman or ranking Minority Member of the Committee or 
     Subcommittee deems such to be necessary. At any hearing to 
     confirm a Presidential nomination, the testimony of the 
     nominee and at the request of any Member, any other witness 
     shall be under oath. Every nominee shall submit a statement 
     of his financial interests, including those of his spouse, 
     his minor children, and other members of his immediate 
     household, on a form approved by the Committee, which shall 
     be sworn to by the nominee as to its completeness and 
     accuracy. A statement of every nominee's financial interest 
     shall be made public on a form approved by the Committee, 
     unless the Committee in executive session determines that 
     special circumstances require a full or partial exception to 
     this rule. Members of the Committee are urged to make public 
     a statement of their financial interests in the form required 
     in the case of Presidential nominees under this rule.


                         confidential testimony

       Rule 10. No confidential testimony taken by or confidential 
     material presented to the Committee or any Subcommittee, or 
     any report of the proceedings of a closed Committee or 
     Subcommittee hearing on business meeting, shall be made 
     public, in whole or in part or by way of summary, unless 
     authorized by a majority of the Members of the Committee at a 
     business meeting called for the purpose of making such a 
     determination.


                         defamatory statements

       Rule 11. Any person whose name is mentioned or who is 
     specifically identified in, or who believes that testimony or 
     other evidence presented at, an open Committee or 
     Subcommittee hearing tends to defame him or otherwise 
     adversely affect his reputation may file with the Committee 
     for its consideration and action a sworn statement of facts 
     relevant to such testimony or evidence.


                  broadcasting of hearings or meetings

       Rule 12. Any meeting or hearing by the Committee or any 
     Subcommittee which is open to the public may be covered in 
     whole or in part by television broadcast, radio broadcast, or 
     still photography. Photographers and reporters using 
     mechanical recording, filming, or broadcasting devices shall 
     position their equipment so as not to interfere with the 
     seating, vision, and hearing of Members and staff on the dais 
     or with the orderly process of the meeting or hearing.


                           amending the rules

       Rule 13. These rules may be amended only by vote of a 
     majority of all the Members of the Committee in a business 
     meeting of the Committee: Provided, That no vote may be taken 
     on any proposed amendment unless such amendment is reproduced 
     in full in the Committee agenda for such meeting at least 
     three days in advance of such meeting.

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