[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3462-S3463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AMENDMENTS TO THE COMMITTEE RULES OF PROCEDURE IN THE CONGRESSIONAL 
                                 RECORD

 Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, Senator Reid joins 
me to ask that changes to the Rules of Procedure for the Select 
Committee on Ethics, which were adopted February 23, 1978, and amended 
by the full committee on March 18, 1997, be printed in the 
Congressional Record. The material follows:

       Rule 9, Procedures for Handling Committee Sensitive and 
     Classified Materials, and Rule 14, Procedures for Waivers, of 
     the Supplementary Procedural Rules are amended as follows:
       Rule 9:
       (c) Procedures for Handling Committee Sensitive and 
     Classified Documents:
       (1) Committee Sensitive documents and materials shall be 
     stored in the Committee's offices, with appropriate 
     safeguards for maintaining the security of such documents or 
     materials. Classified documents and materials shall be 
     further segregated in the Committee's offices in secure 
     filing safes. Removal from the Committee's offices of such 
     documents or materials is prohibited, except as necessary for 
     use in, or preparation for, interviews or Committee meetings, 
     including the taking of testimony, or as otherwise 
     specifically approved by the staff director or by outside 
     counsel designated by the Chairman and Vice Chairman.
       (2) Each member of the Committee shall have access to all 
     materials in the Committee's possession. The staffs of 
     members shall not have access to Committee Sensitive or 
     classified documents and materials without the specific 
     approval in each instance of the Chairman and Vice Chairman, 
     acting jointly. Members of the Committee may examine such 
     materials in the Committee's offices. If necessary, requested 
     materials may be hand-delivered by a member of the Committee 
     staff to a member of the Committee, or to a staff person 
     specifically designated by the member, for the member's or 
     designated staff person's examination. A member of the 
     Committee who has possession of Committee Sensitive documents 
     or materials shall take appropriate safeguards for 
     maintaining the security of such documents or materials in 
     the possession of the member or his or her designated staff 
     person.
       (3) Committee Sensitive documents that are provided to a 
     Member of the Senate in connection with a complaint that has 
     been filed against the Member shall be hand-delivered to the 
     Member or to the Member's Chief

[[Page S3463]]

     of Staff or Administrative Assistant. Committee Sensitive 
     documents that are provided to a Member of the Senate who is 
     the subject of a preliminary inquiry, an initial review, or 
     an investigation, shall be hand delivered to the Member or to 
     his or her specifically designated representative.
       (4) Any Member of the Senate who is not a member of the 
     Committee and who seeks access to any Committee Sensitive or 
     classified documents or materials, other than documents or 
     materials which are matters of public record, shall request 
     access in writing. The Committee shall decide by majority 
     vote whether to make documents or materials available. If 
     access is granted, the Member shall not disclose the 
     information except as authorized by the Committee.
       (5) Whenever the Committee makes Committee Sensitive or 
     classified documents or materials available to any Member of 
     the Senate who is not a member of the Committee, or to a 
     staff person of a Committee member in response to a specific 
     request to the Chairman and Vice Chairman, a written record 
     shall be made identifying the Member of the Senate requesting 
     such documents or materials and describing what was made 
     available and to whom.
       Rule 14:
       (c) Ruling: The Committee shall rule on a waiver request by 
     recorded vote, with a majority of those voting affirming the 
     decision. With respect to an individual's request for a 
     waiver in connection with the acceptance or reporting the 
     value of gifts on the occasion of the individual's marriage, 
     however, the Chairman and the Vice Chairman, acting jointly, 
     may rule on the waiver request.

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