[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2044-S2045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION

 Mr. McCONNELL. 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 February 25, 
1999, the Committee on Rules and Administration held a business meeting 
during which the members of the committee unanimously adopted the 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 Rules and Administration.
  The rules follow:

 Rules of Procedure of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration


                   title i--meetings of the committee

       1. The regular meeting dates of the committee shall be the 
     second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, at 9:30 a.m., in 
     room SR-301, Russell Senate Office Building. Additional 
     meetings may be called by the chairman as he may deem 
     necessary or pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 3 of 
     rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
       2. Meetings of the committee, including meetings to conduct 
     hearings, shall be open to the public, except that a meeting 
     or series of meetings by the committee on the same subject 
     for a period or no more than 14 calendar days may be closed 
     to the public on a motion made and seconded to go into closed 
     session to discuss only whether the matters enumerated in 
     subparagraphs (A) through (F) would require the meeting to be 
     closed followed immediately by a recorded vote in open 
     session by a majority of the members of the committee when it 
     is determined that the matters to be discussed or the 
     testimony to be taken at such meeting or meetings--
       (A) will disclose matters necessary to be kept secret in 
     the interests of national defense or the confidential conduct 
     of the foreign relations of the United States;
       (B) will relate solely to matters of the committee staff 
     personnel or internal staff management or procedure;
       (C) will tend to charge an individual with crime or 
     misconduct, to disgrace or injure the professional standing 
     of an individual, or otherwise to expose an individual to 
     public contempt or obloquy, or will represent a clearly 
     unwarranted invasion of the privacy of an individual;
       (D) will disclose the identity of any informer or law 
     enforcement agent or will disclose any information relating 
     to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense 
     that is required to be kept secret in the interests of 
     effective law enforcement;
       (E) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets 
     or financial or commercial information pertaining 
     specifically to a given person if--
       (1) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept 
     confidential by Government officers and employees; or
       (2) the information has been obtained by the Government on 
     a confidential basis, other than through an application by 
     such person for a specific Government financial or other 
     benefit, and is required to be kept secret in order to 
     prevent undue injury to the competitive position of such 
     person; or
       (F) may divulge matters required to be kept confidential 
     under other provisions of law or Government regulations. 
     (Paragraph 5(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules.)
       3. Written notices of committee meetings will normally be 
     sent by the committee's staff director to all members of the 
     committee at least 3 days in advance. In addition, the 
     committee staff will telephone reminders of committee 
     meetings to all members of the committee or to the 
     appropriate staff assistants in their offices.
       4. A copy of the committee's intended agenda enumerating 
     separate items of legislative business and committee business 
     will normally be sent to all members of the committee by the 
     staff director at least 1 day in advance of all meetings. 
     This does not preclude any member of the committee from 
     raising appropriate non-agenda topics.
       5. Any witness who is to appear before the committee in any 
     hearing shall file with the clerk of the committee at least 3 
     business days before the date of his or her appearance, a 
     written statement of his or her proposed testimony and an 
     executive summary thereof, in such form as the chairman may 
     direct, unless the chairman and the ranking minority member 
     waive such requirement for good cause.


                           title ii--quorums

       1. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(1) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, 9 members of the committee shall constitute a 
     quorum for the reporting of legislative measures.
       2. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(1) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, 6 members shall constitute a quorum for the 
     transaction of business, including action on amendments to 
     measures prior to voting to report the measure to the Senate.
       3. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(2) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, 4 members of the committee shall constitute a 
     quorum for the purpose of taking testimony under oath and 2 
     members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the 
     purpose of taking testimony not under oath; provided, 
     however, that in either instance once a quorum is 
     established, any one member can continue to take such 
     testimony.
       4. Under no circumstances may proxies be considered for the 
     establishment of a quorum.


                           title iii--voting

       1. Voting in the committee on any issue will normally be by 
     voice vote.
       2. If a third of the members present so demand, a record 
     vote will be taken on any question by rollcall.
       3. The results of rollcall votes taken in any meeting upon 
     any measure, or any amendment thereto, shall be stated in the 
     committee report on that measure unless previously announced 
     by the committee, and such report or announcement shall 
     include a tabulation of the votes cast in favor of and the 
     votes cast in opposition to each such measure and amendment 
     by each member of the committee. (Paragraph 7(b) and (c) of 
     rule XXVI of the Standing Rules.)
       4. Proxy voting shall be allowed on all measures and 
     matters before the committee. However, the vote of the 
     committee to report a measure or matter shall require the 
     concurrence of a majority of the members of the committee who 
     are physically present at the time of the vote. Proxies will 
     be allowed in such cases solely for the purpose of recording 
     a member's position on the question and then only in those 
     instances when the absentee committee member has been 
     informed of the question and has affirmatively requested that 
     he be recorded. (Paragraph 7(a)(3) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules.)

[[Page S2045]]

        title iv--delegation of authority to committee chairman

       1. The chairman is authorized to sign himself or by 
     delegation all necessary vouchers and routine papers for 
     which the committee's approval is required and to decide in 
     the committee's behalf all routine business.
       2. The chairman is authorized to engage commercial 
     reporters for the preparation of transcripts of committee 
     meetings and hearings.
       3. The chairman is authorized to issue, in behalf of the 
     committee, regulations normally promulgated by the committee 
     at the beginning of each session.


  title v--delegation of authority to committee chairman and ranking 
                            minority member

       The chairman and ranking minority member, acting jointly, 
     are authorized to approve on behalf of the committee any rule 
     or regulation for which the committee's approval is required, 
     provided advance notice of their intention to do so is given 
     to members of the committee.

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