    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2025)]
    [Senate]
    [Pages S1391-S1392]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                MORNING BUSINESS

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        U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES RULES OF
                                   PROCEDURE

      Mr. LEE. Mr. President, in accordance with rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of
    the Standing Rules of the Senate, I submit the rules governing the
    procedure of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for
    publication in the Congressional Record.
      I ask unanimous consent that they be printed in the Record.
      There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
    the Record, as follows:

         Rules of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

                                 GENERAL RULES

           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 Thursday
         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 or she may deem necessary.
           (b) Hearings of any Subcommittee may be called by the
         Chairman of such Subcommittee, provided that no Subcommittee
         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
         hearing.

                           OPEN HEARINGS AND MEETINGS

           Rule 3. (a) All hearings and business meetings of the
         Committee and all the hearings of any of its Subcommittees
         shall be open to the public unless the Committee or
         Subcommittee involved, by majority vote of all the Members of
         the Committee or such Subcommittee, orders the hearing or
         meeting to be closed in accordance with paragraph 5(b) of
         rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
           (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 unless a majority of all the Members of the
         Committee agrees that some other form of permanent record is
         preferable.

                               HEARING PROCEDURES

           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 all the Members of the Committee
         or the Subcommittee involved concurs. In no case shall a
         hearing be conducted with less than twenty-four hours'
         notice. Any document or report that is the subject of a
         hearing shall be provided to every Member of the Committee or
         Subcommittee involved at least 72 hours before the hearing
         unless the Chairman and Ranking Member determine otherwise.
           (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) No staff member may question a witness at a hearing.

                          BUSINESS MEETING PROCEDURES

           Rule 5. (a) A legislative measure, nomination, or other
         matter shall be included on the agenda of the next following
         business meeting of the full Committee if a written request
         by a Member of the Committee for such inclusion has 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 a legislative measure, nomination, or
         other matter on the Committee agenda in the absence of such
         request.
           (b) The agenda for any business meeting of the Committee
         shall be provided to each Member and made available to the
         public at

    [[Page S1392]]

         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 all the Members of the Committee on
         matters not included on the public agenda. The Staff Director
         shall promptly notify absent Members of any action taken by
         the Committee on matters not included on the published
         agenda.
           (c) As warranted, the Chairman, in consultation with the
         Ranking Member, may impose a filing deadline for first degree
         amendments for any legislative business meeting of the
         Committee.

                                    QUORUMS

           Rule 6. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c),
         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 11 Members of the Committee are actually
         present at the time such action is taken.
           (c) 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 roll call of the Members shall be taken upon
         the request of any Member. Any Member who does not vote on
         any roll call at the time the roll is called, may vote (in
         person or by proxy) on that roll call 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 out any
         votes on amendments offered during Committee consideration.
         Any Member who did not vote on any roll call shall have the
         opportunity to have his or her 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 but shall not have the
         authority to vote on any matters before the Subcommittee
         unless he or she is a Member of such Subcommittee.

                                  NOMINATIONS

           Rule 9. 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 the financial disclosure report filed
         pursuant to title I of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
         Such report is made available to the public.

                                 INVESTIGATIONS

           Rule 10. (a) Neither the Committee nor any of its
         Subcommittees may undertake an investigation unless
         specifically authorized by the Chairman and the Ranking
         Minority Member or a majority of all the Members of the
         Committee.
           (b) A witness called to testify in an investigation shall
         be informed of the matter or matters under investigation,
         given a copy of these rules, given the opportunity to make a
         brief and relevant oral statement before or after
         questioning, and be permitted to have counsel of his or her
         choosing present during his or her testimony at any public or
         closed hearing, or at any unsworn interview, to advise the
         witness of his or her legal rights.
           (c) For purposes of this rule, the term ``investigation''
         shall not include a review or study undertaken pursuant to
         paragraph 8 of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate
         or a preliminary inquiry, undertaken at the direction of the
         Chairman or the Ranking Member, intended to determine whether
         there is substantial credible evidence that would warrant an
         investigation.

                                SWORN TESTIMONY

           Rule 11. 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. If one or more
         witnesses at a hearing are required to testify under oath,
         all witnesses at such hearing shall be required to testify
         under oath.

                                   SUBPOENAS

           Rule 12. The Chairman shall have authority to issue
         subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses or the production
         of memoranda, documents, records, or other materials (1) with
         the agreement of the Ranking Minority Member, (2) when
         authorized by a majority of all the Members of the Committee,
         or (3) when within the scope of an investigation authorized
         under Rule 10(a).

                             CONFIDENTIAL TESTIMONY

           Rule 13. No confidential testimony taken by or any report
         of the proceedings of a closed Committee or Subcommittee
         meeting shall be made public, in whole or in part or by way
         of summary, unless authorized by a majority of all the
         Members of the Committee at a business meeting called for the
         purpose of making such a determination.

                             DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS

           Rule 14. 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 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 15. 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 web, 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
         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 16. 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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