[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 19 (Thursday, February 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1414-S1415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS

 Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, Senate Standing Rule XXVI 
requires each committee to adopt rules to govern the procedures of the 
committee and to publish those rules in the Congressional Record not 
later than March 1 of the first year of each Congress. On January 8, 
1997, the Committee on Indian Affairs held a business meeting during 
which the members of the committee unanimously adopted rules to govern 
the procedures of the committee. Consistent with Standing Rule XXVI, 
today I am submitting for printing in the Congressional Record a copy 
of the rules of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
  The rules follow:

                Rules of the Committee on Indian Affairs


                            committee rules

       Rule 1. The Standing Rules of the Senate, Senate Resolution 
     4, and the provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act 
     of 1946, as amended by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 
     1970, to the extent the provisions of such Acts are 
     applicable to the Committee on Indian Affairs and 
     supplemented by these rules, are adopted as the rules of the 
     Committee.


                       meetings of the committee

       Rule 2. The Committee shall meet on the first Tuesday of 
     each month while the Congress is in session for the purpose 
     of conducting business, unless, for the convenience of the 
     Members, the Chairman shall set some other day for a meeting. 
     Additional meetings may be called by the Chairman as he may 
     deem necessary.


                       open hearings and meetings

       Rule 3. Hearings and business meetings of the Committee 
     shall be open to the public except when the Committee by a 
     majority vote orders a closed hearing or meeting.


                           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 
     at least one week in advance of such hearing unless the 
     Chairman of the Committee determines that the hearing is 
     noncontroversial or that special circumstances require 
     expedited procedures and a majority of the Committee involved 
     concurs. In no case shall a hearing be conducted with less 
     than 24 hours notice.
       (b). Each witness who is to appear before the Committee 
     shall file with the Committee, at least 48 hours in advance 
     of the hearing, an original and 50 copies of his or her 
     written testimony.
       (c). Each Member shall be limited to five (5) minutes in 
     questioning of any witness until such time as all Members who 
     so desire have had an opportunity to question the witness 
     unless the Committee shall decide otherwise.
       (d). The Chairman and Vice Chairman 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 all Vice Chairman or the 
     Ranking Majority and Minority Members present may agree.


                        business meeting agenda

       Rule 5(a). A legislative measure or subject shall be 
     included in the agenda of the next following business meeting 
     of the Committee if a written request by a Member for such 
     inclusion have been filed with the Chairman of the Committee 
     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 to include legislative measures or subjects on 
     the Committee agenda in the absence of such request.
       (b). Notice of, and the agenda for, any business meeting of 
     the Committee shall be provided to each Member and made 
     available to the public at least two days prior to such 
     meeting, and no new items may be added after the agenda is 
     published except by the approval of a majority of the Members 
     of the Committee. The Clerk shall promptly notify absent 
     Members of any action taken by the Committee on matters not 
     included in the published agenda.


                                quorums

       Rule 6(a). Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), 
     eight (8) Members shall constitute a quorum for the conduct 
     of business of the Committee. Consistent with Senate rules, a 
     quorum is presumed to be present unless the absence of a 
     quorum is noted by a Member.
       (b). A measure may be ordered reported from the Committee 
     unless an objection is made by a Member, in which case a 
     recorded vote of the Members shall be required.
       (c). One Member shall constitute a quorum for the purpose 
     of conducting a hearing or taking testimony on any measure 
     before the Committee.


                                 voting

       Rule 7(a). A recorded vote of the Members shall be taken 
     upon the request of any Member.
       (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 on the date for which it is 
     given and upon the terms published in the agenda for that 
     date.


                SWORN TESTIMONY AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

       Rule 8. Witnesses in committee hearings may be required to 
     give testimony under oath whenever the Chairman or vice 
     chairman of the Committee deems it 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 
     financial statement,

[[Page S1415]]

     on forms to be perfected by the Committee, which shall be 
     sworn to by the nominee as to its completeness and accuracy. 
     All such statements shall be made public 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 complete disclosure of their financial interests on forms 
     to be perfected by the Committee in the manner required in 
     the case of Presidential nominees.


                         CONFIDENTIAL TESTIMONY

       Rule 9. No confidential testimony taken by, or confidential 
     material presented to the Committee or any report of the 
     proceedings of a closed Committee hearing or business meeting 
     shall be made public in whole or in part 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 10. 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 hearing tends 
     to defame him or her or otherwise adversely affect his or her 
     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 11. Any meeting or hearing by the Committee which is 
     open to the public may be covered in whole or in part by 
     television, 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 sight, vision, and 
     hearing of Members and staff on the dais or with the orderly 
     process of the meeting or hearing.


                           AMENDING THE RULES

       Rule 12. These rules may be amended only by a 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 
     seven (7) days in advance of such meeting.

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