[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 19 (Thursday, February 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1416-S1417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RULES OF PROCEDURE--U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I report to the Senate the rules 
adopted by the Committee on the Judiciary as provided for in rule 26.2 
of the Standing Rules of the Senate. These rules were unanimously 
adopted by the committee in open session on January 23, 1997, and I ask 
that they be printed in the Record.
  The rules follow:

                       Committee on the Judiciary


                              Jurisdiction

                 Rule XXV, Standing Rules of the Senate

       1. The following standing committees shall be appointed at 
     the commencement of each Congress, and shall continue and 
     have the power to act until their successors are appointed, 
     with leave to report by bill or otherwise on matters within 
     their respective jurisdictions:

                           *   *   *   *   *

       (1) Committee on the Judiciary, to which committee shall be 
     referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, 
     memorials, and other matters relating to the following 
     subjects:
       1. Apportionment of Representatives.
       2. Bankruptcy, mutiny, espionage, and counterfeiting.
       3. Civil liberties.
       4. Constitutional amendments.
       5. Federal courts and judges.
       6. Government information.
       7. Holidays and celebrations.
       8. Immigration and naturalization.
       9. Interstate compacts generally.
       10. Judicial proceedings, civil and criminal, generally.
       11. Local courts in the territories and possessions.
       12. Measures relating to claims against the United States.
       13. National penitentiaries.
       14. Patent Office.
       15. Patents, copyrights, and trademarks.
       16. Protection of trade and commerce against unlawful 
     restraints and monopolies.
       17. Revision and codification of the statutes of the United 
     States.
       18. States and territorial boundary lines.


                           Rules of Procedure

             139 Cong. Rec. S1645 (daily ed. Feb. 16, 1993)

     I. Meetings of the Committee
       1. Meetings may be called by the Chairman as he may deem 
     necessary on three days notice or in the alternative with the 
     consent of the Ranking Minority Member or pursuant to the 
     provision of the Standing Rules of the Senate, as amended.
       2. Each witness who is to appear before the Committee or 
     any Subcommittee shall file with the Committee, at least 48 
     hours in advance of the hearing, a written statement of his 
     testimony in as many copies as the Chairman of the Committee 
     or Subcommittee prescribes.
       3. On the request of any Member, a nomination or bill on 
     the agenda of the Committee will be held over until the next 
     meeting of the Committee or for one week, whichever occurs 
     later.
     II. Quorums
       1. Ten Members shall constitute a quorum of the Committee 
     when reporting a bill or nomination; provided that proxies 
     shall not be counted in making a quorum.
       2. For the purpose of taking sworn testimony, a quorum of 
     the Committee and each Subcommittee thereof, now or hereafter 
     appointed, shall consist of one Senator.
     III. Proxies
       When a record vote is taken in the Committee on any bill, 
     resolution, amendment, or any other question, a quorum being 
     present, a Member who is unable to attend the meeting may 
     submit his vote by proxy, in writing or by telephone, or 
     through personal instructions. A proxy must be specific with 
     respect to the matters it addresses.
     IV. Bringing a Matter to a Vote
       The Chairman shall entertain a non-debatable motion to 
     bring a matter before the Committee to a vote. If there is 
     objection to bring the matter to a vote without further 
     debate, a rollcall vote of the Committee shall be taken, and 
     debate shall be terminated if the motion to bring the matter 
     to a vote without further debate passes with ten votes in the 
     affirmative, one of which must be cast by the minority.
     V. Subcommittees
       1. Any Member of the Committee may sit with any 
     Subcommittee during its hearings or any other meeting, but 
     shall not have the authority to vote on any matter before the 
     Subcommittee unless he is a Member of such Subcommittee.
       2. Subcommittees shall be considered de novo whenever there 
     is a change in the Subcommittee chairmanship and seniority on 
     the particular Subcommittee shall not necessarily apply.
       3. Except for matters retained at the full Committee, 
     matters shall be referred to the appropriate Subcommittee or 
     Subcommittees by the chairman, except as agreed by a majority 
     vote of the Committee or by the agreement of the Chairman and 
     the Ranking Minority Member.
     VI. Attendance Rules
       1. Official attendance at all Committee markups and 
     executive sessions of the Committee shall be kept by the 
     Committee Clerk. Official attendance at all Subcommittee 
     markups and executive sessions shall be kept by the 
     Subcommittee Clerk.
       2. Official attendance at all hearings shall be kept, 
     provided that Senators are notified by the Committee Chairman 
     and ranking

[[Page S1417]]

     Member, in the case of Committee hearings, and by the 
     Subcommittee Chairman and ranking Member, in the case of 
     Subcommittee hearings, 48 hours in advance of the hearing 
     that attendance will be taken; otherwise, no attendance will 
     be taken. Attendance at all hearings is encouraged.

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