[House Report 104-713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                            Rept. 104-713
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 2d Session                                                      Part 2
_______________________________________________________________________


 
             UNITED STATES-PUERTO RICO POLITICAL STATUS ACT

                                _______
                                

 September 18, 1996.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


   Mr. Solomon, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 3024]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Rules, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 
3024) to provide a process leading to full self-government for 
Puerto Rico, having considered the same, report thereon with an 
amendment and recommend that the amendment be adopted.
  The amendment is as follows:
  Amend section 6 to read as follows:

SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION.

  (a) In General.--The majority leader of the House of 
Representatives (or his designee) and the majority leader of 
the Senate (or his designee) shall each introduce legislation 
(by request) providing for the transition plan under section 
4(b) and the implementation recommendation under section 4(c) 
not later than 5 legislative days after the date of receipt by 
Congress of the submission by the President under that section, 
as the case may be.
  (b) Referral.--The legislation shall be referred on the date 
of introduction to the appropriate committee or committees in 
accordance with rules of the respective Houses. The legislation 
shall be reported not later than the 120th calendar day after 
the date of its introduction. If any such committee fails to 
report the bill within that period, that committee shall be 
automatically discharged from consideration of the legislation, 
and the legislation shall be placed on the appropriate 
calendar.
  (c) Consideration.--
          (1) After the 14th legislative day after the date on 
        which the last committee of the House of 
        Representatives or the Senate, as the case may be, has 
        reported or been discharged from further consideration 
        of such legislation, it is in order after the 
        legislation has been on the calendar for 14 legislative 
        days for any Member of that House in favor of the 
        legislation to move to proceed to the consideration of 
        the legislation (after consultation with the presiding 
        officer of that House as to scheduling) to move to 
        proceed to its consideration at any time after the 
        third legislative day on which the Member announces to 
        the respective House concerned the Member's intention 
        to do so. All points of order against the motion to 
        proceed and against consideration of that motion are 
        waived. The motion is highly privileged in the House of 
        Representatives and is privileged in the Senate and is 
        not debatable. The motion is not subject to amendment, 
        or to a motion to postpone, or to a motion to proceed 
        to the consideration of other business. A motion to 
        reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or 
        disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to 
        proceed to the consideration of the legislation is 
        agreed to, the respective House shall immediately 
        proceed to consideration of the legislation without 
        intervening motion (except one motion to adjourn), 
        order, or other business.
          (2)(A) In the House of Representatives, during 
        consideration of the legislation in the Committee of 
        the Whole, the first reading of the legislation shall 
        be dispensed with. General debate shall be confined to 
        the legislation, and shall not exceed 4 hours equally 
        divided and controlled by a proponent and an opponent 
        of the legislation. After general debate, the 
        legislation shall be considered as read for amendment 
        under the five-minute rule. Consideration of the 
        legislation for amendment shall not exceed 4 hours 
        excluding time for recorded votes and quorum calls. At 
        the conclusion of the bill for amendment, the Committee 
        shall rise and report the bill to the House with such 
        amendments as may have been adopted. The previous 
        question shall be considered as ordered on the 
        legislation and amendments thereto to final passage 
        without intervening motion, except one motion to 
        recommit with or without instructions. A motion to 
        reconsider the vote on passage of the legislation shall 
        not be in order.
          (B) In the Senate, debate on the legislation, and all 
        amendments thereto and debatable motions and appeals in 
        connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than 
        25 hours. The time shall be equally divided between, 
        and controlled by, the majority leader and the minority 
        leader or their designees. No amendment that is not 
        germane to the provisions of such legislation shall be 
        received. A motion to further limit debate is not 
        debatable.
          (3) Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating 
        to the application of the rules of the Senate or the 
        House of Representatives, as the case may be, to the 
        procedure relating to the legislation described in 
        subsection (a) shall be decided without debate.
  (d) Consideration by Other House.--(1) If, before the passage 
by one House of the legislation described in subsection (a) 
that was introduced in that House, that House receives from the 
other House the legislation described in subsection (a)--
          (A) the legislation of the other House shall not be 
        referred to a committee and may not be considered in 
        the House that receives it otherwise than on final 
        passage under subparagraph (B)(ii) or (iii); and
          (B)(i) the procedure in the House that receives such 
        legislation with respect to such legislation that was 
        introduced in that House shall be the same as if no 
        legislation had been received from the other House; but
          (ii) in the case of legislation received from the 
        other House that is identical to the legislation as 
        engrossed by the receiving House, the vote on final 
        passage shall be on the legislation of the other House; 
        or
          (iii) after passage of the legislation, the 
        legislation of the other House shall be considered as 
        amended with the text of the legislation just passed 
        and shall be considered as passed, and that House shall 
        be considered to have insisted on its amendment and 
        requested a conference with the other House.
    (2) Upon disposition of the legislation described in 
subsection (a) that is received by one House from the other 
House, it shall no longer be in order to consider such 
legislation that was introduced in the receiving House.
  (e) Upon receiving from the other House a message in which 
that House insists upon its amendment to the legislation and 
requests a conference with the House of Representatives or the 
Senate, as the case may be, on the disagreeing votes thereon, 
the House receiving the request shall be considered to have 
disagreed to the amendment of the other House and agreed to the 
conference requested by that House.
  (f) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term 
``legislative day'' means a day on which the House of 
Representatives or the Senate, as appropriate, is in session.
  (g) Exercise of Rulemaking Power.--The provisions of this 
section are enacted by the Congress--
          (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the 
        Senate and the House of Representatives and, as such, 
        shall be considered as part of the rules of each House 
        and shall supersede other rules only to the extent that 
        they are inconsistent therewith; and
          (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right 
        of either House to change the rules (so far as they 
        relate to the procedures of that House) at any time, in 
        the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case 
        of any other rule of that House.

                       PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

    The purpose of H.R. 3024, the United States-Puerto Rico 
Political Status Act, is to provide a congressionally 
recognized process for the people of Puerto Rico to make a 
determination with respect to certain options for achieving 
full self-government.

                       SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

    H.R. 3024 requires a referendum to be held by December 31, 
1998, on Puerto Rico's path to self-government either through 
U.S. statehood or through sovereign independence or free 
association. It requires the President to submit to the 
Congress for approval legislation for: (1) a transition plan of 
at least ten years which leads to full self-government for 
Puerto Rico; and (2) a recommendation for the implementation of 
such self-government consistent with Puerto Rico's approval. It 
sets forth specified requirements with respect to the 
referendum and congressional procedures for consideration of 
legislation.

                        COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    H.R. 3024 was introduced by Rep. Don Young, Chairman of the 
Committee on Resources, on March 6, 1996. It was referred to 
the Committee on Resources and in addition to the Committee on 
Rules for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker.
    On June 12, 1996, the Subcommittee on Native American and 
Insular Affairs of the Committee on Resources met to mark-up 
3024. The Subcommittee ordered reported the legislation with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute, and forwarded the bill 
to the Committee on Resources. On June 26, 1996, the Committee 
on Resources met to mark-up H.R. 3024. The Committee favorably 
reported H.R. 3024, as amended, to the full House of 
Representatives.
    On July 26, 1996, upon the filing of the report of the 
Committee on Resources, the referral granted to the Committee 
on Rules was limited to a period not to exceed September 18, 
1996. H.R. 3024 was referred to the Committee on Rules because 
the Committee has jurisdiction over Section 6 of the 
legislation (Congressional Procedures for Consideration of 
Legislation), and the matters contained in Section 6 are solely 
within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules.
    On Tuesday, September 17, 1996, the Committee on Rules held 
a hearing on H.R. 3024 and received testimony from the Hon. Don 
Young (AK), the Hon. Carlos Romero-Barcelo (PR), the Hon. Dan 
Burton (IN), the Hon. Luis Gutierrez (IL), the Hon Toby Roth 
(WI), the Hon. Nydia Velazquez (NY), and the Hon. Jose Serrano 
(NY). Written testimony was submitted from the Hon. George 
Miller (CA), the Hon. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (AS) and the Hon. 
Dana Rohrabacher (CA).
    On Wednesday, September 18, 1996, the Committee met to 
mark-up H.R. 3024. The Committee ordered reported H.R. 3024 by 
a nonrecord vote. During the mark-up, one amendment was agreed 
to.

                     BACKGROUND ON THE LEGISLATION

    The report of the Committee on Resources (H. Rept. 104-713, 
Part 1) discusses the political history of Puerto Rico and to 
some extent previous efforts to define the island's political 
status. While reference to the report of the Committee on 
Resources does not imply that the Committee on Rules endorses 
the positions taken in that report, it does recognize that the 
matters discussed at length in that report constitute matters 
within the jurisdiction of that committee and hence outside the 
scope of the Rules Committee.
    However, on the issue of political status, it should be 
noted that Puerto Rico has held three plebiscites. In 1952, 
when Puerto Rico approved a local constitution and the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was formed, a plebiscite was held 
in which the commonwealth received 76.5% and statehood received 
23.5%, with many independence supporters boycotting the 
election. The 1967 plebiscite found 60.41% supporting 
commonwealth, 38.99% supporting statehood and 0.6% supporting 
independence. After continued Congressional inaction on the 
status issue, the island held a locally governed plebiscite in 
1993 in which 48.4% supported commonwealth, 46.2% supported 
statehood and 4.4% supported independence.
    Over the years numerous pieces of legislation have been 
introduced in Congress to provide the people of Puerto Rico a 
fair process of self-determination to deal with the issue of 
status. The most notable legislative initiative in recent 
history in the House was H.R. 4765, the Puerto Rico Self-
Determination Act, introduced during the 101st Congress. The 
bill sponsored by Delegate Ron de Lugo of the Virgin Islands 
was considered and approved by both the Committee on Interior 
and Insular Affairs and the Committee on Rules. In an effort to 
pass this legislation in the closing days of the 101st Congress 
a coalition among Puerto Rico's political parties was formed to 
support the legislation resulting in its passage by the House 
under suspension of the rules in October of 1990.
    In the Senate, S. 712, the Puerto Rico Status Referendum 
Act was introduced by Senator Bennett Johnston in the 101st 
Congress which called for a referendum in 1991, comprehensively 
defined the three status options, and was self-implementing. 
However, the concept of self-implementing legislation met with 
opposition in the House. In response, the Committee on Interior 
and Insular Affairs and the Committee on Rules included 
expedited procedures in H.R. 4765 to provide the people of 
Puerto Rico a commitment that Congress would vote on the 
results of their referendum. The Subcommittee on Rules of the 
House held a hearing and markup of the bill late in 1990, 
incorporating these expedited procedures. While neither S. 712 
or H.R. 4765 became law, the expedited procedures contained in 
H.R. 4765 are identical to those contained in H.R. 3024 as 
introduced.
    However, upon further review, the Committee on Rules finds 
those procedures to be inconsistent with the stated goals of 
the legislation. Consequently, the committee has amended H.R. 
3024 with a new Section 6, which more clearly reaches the 
stated goal and rationale behind including the expedited 
procedures in the bill, as well as being consistent with the 
rules of the House governing normal procedure.

                      analysis of the legislation

    Section 1 of H.R. 3024, as introduced, designates the bill 
as the ``United States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act'' and 
contains the Table of Contents.
    Section 2 of H.R. 3024 contains the findings of Congress 
with respect to Puerto Rico's political status and self-
determination.
    Section 3 of H.R. 3024 contains a statement of policy 
respecting the current level of self-government in Puerto Rico, 
the desire of the United States and Puerto Rico to enable the 
people of the territory to achieve full self-government, and 
the commitment of the United States to encouraging the mutual 
development and implementation of procedures to determine the 
political status of Puerto Rico.
    Section 4 of H.R. 3024 provides for a referendum, to be 
held no later than December 31, 1998, on the political status 
of the island, in which voters could indicate their preference 
for independence, free association, or statehood status. Only 
under the statehood option would U.S. citizenship for Puerto 
Ricans be guaranteed. This section also provides for the 
President to submit to Congress, within 180 days of receipt of 
the results of the referendum, a legislative transition plan of 
a minimum of 10 years that would lead to full self-government 
for Puerto Rico. Not later than 180 days after enactment of 
transition legislation providing for the political status 
option that voters chose in the 1998 referendum, another 
referendum would be held in which voters could indicate their 
approval of the transition plan. Approval must be by a majority 
of valid votes cast. On receiving the results of the 
referendum, the President is required to announce the date of 
implementation of full self-government for Puerto Rico.
    Section 5 of H.R. 3024 provides the legal framework for the 
conduct of referenda. The laws of both Puerto Rico (including 
those dealing with voter eligibility) and the United States 
with respect to the election of the Resident Commissioner shall 
apply to the referenda. If the Puerto Rican electorate fails to 
approve of a fully self-governing option, the President, in 
consultation with Puerto Rican leaders and other interested 
parties, may make recommendations to Congress within 180 days 
of receipt of the results of the referendum. Puerto Rico would 
remain an unincorporated territory of the United States if the 
vote is inconclusive.
    Section 6 of H.R. 3024 was amended by the Rules Committee. 
This section, as amended, specifies the expedited procedures in 
the House of Representatives and the Senate for the 
consideration of legislation introduced to implement a 
transition plan specified in Section 4(b) and an implementation 
plan specified to Section 4(c) of H.R. 3024.
    Subsection (a) of Section 6, as proposed to be amended, 
requires the majority leaders in both the House of 
Representatives and the Senate to introduce legislation to 
implement the transition plan and implementation plan, as the 
case may be, no later than 5 legislative days after the 
President submits such legislation to Congress.
    Subsection (b) of Section 6 requires such legislation to be 
immediately referred to the committee or committees of 
jurisdiction. If the committee or committees to which such 
legislation is referred fail to report the legislation within 
120 calendar days of session after its introduction, the 
committee or committees would be automatically discharged from 
further consideration of the legislation, and the legislation 
would automatically be placed on the appropriate legislative 
calendar.
    Subsection (c) of Section 6 makes in order, as a highly 
privileged matter in the House and a privileged matter in the 
Senate, a motion to proceed to the consideration of the 
legislation qualified under these expedited procedures. The 
motion must be made by a Member favoring the legislation, but 
not until: (1) the legislation has been on the calendar for 14 
legislative days; (2) the Member consults with the presiding 
officer of the respective House as to scheduling; and (3) after 
the third legislative day after the Member gives notice to the 
respective House. All points of order against the motion and 
against consideration of the motion would be waived. If the 
motion to proceed to the consideration of the legislation is 
agreed to, the House of Representatives or the Senate, as the 
case may be, shall proceed to its immediate consideration 
without intervening motion (except one motion to adjourn) or 
other business.
    Subsection (c) of Section 6 further stipulates that in the 
House of Representatives, the legislation would be considered 
in the Committee of the Whole and would be debatable for four 
hours equally divided between a proponent and an opponent. The 
legislation would be subject to a four hour amendment process 
(excluding recorded votes and quorum calls). After the 
committee rises, the previous question would be considered as 
ordered to final passage without intervening motion, except one 
motion to recommit with or without instructions. In the Senate, 
the legislation, including debate on all amendments, motions 
and appeals, would be considered for not more than 25 hours, 
equally divided between the majority leader and the minority 
leader or their designees. Only germane amendments would be in 
order and a motion to limit further debate would not debatable.
    Subsection (d) of Section 6 provides that, if one House 
receives the legislation as passed by the other House, the 
legislation would be held at the desk and not be referred to a 
committee. If the legislation received from the other House is 
identical to the legislation engrossed by the receiving House, 
the vote on final passage would be on the legislation of the 
other House. If the legislation is not identical, the vote on 
final passage would be on the legislation of the receiving 
House, and the text of the legislation passed by the other 
House would be amended with the text of the legislation passed 
by the receiving House and returned to the other House, as 
amended, with a request for a conference between the two 
Houses.
    Subsection (e) of Section 6 outlines procedures in the 
event that one House receives a request for a conference from 
the other House. After three legislative days following the 
receipt of such a request, it would be in order for any Member 
to move to disagree to the amendment of the other House and 
agree to the conference.
    Subsection (f) of Section 6 defines the term ``legislative 
day'' in both the House and the Senate to mean a day on which 
such House is in session.
    Subsection (g) of Section 6 provides that the provisions of 
Section 6 of H.R. 3024 are enacted as an exercise of the 
constitutional rulemaking authority of the House and the Senate 
with full recognition of the right of either House to change 
its rules at anytime.
    Section 7 provides Federal funding for conducting the 
referenda and voter education that would be made to the State 
Elections Commission of Puerto Rico. Fifty percent of the funds 
are earmarked for the cost of the referendum and the other 50 
percent are earmarked for voter education expenses.

             matters required under the rules of the house

Committee vote

    Clause 2(l)(2)(B) of House rule XI requires that the 
results of each rollcall vote on an amendment or motion to 
report, together with the names of those voting for and 
against, be printed in the report. During consideration of H.R. 
3024, no rollcall votes were taken.

Committee cost estimate

    Clause 2(l)(3)(B) of rule XI requires each committee report 
that accompanies a measure providing new budget authority, new 
spending authority, or new credit authority or changing 
revenues or tax expenditures to contain a cost estimate, as 
required by section 308(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, as amended and, when practicable with respect to 
estimates of new budget authority, a comparison of the total 
estimated funding level for the relevant program (or programs) 
to the appropriate levels under current law.
    Clause 7(a) of rule XIII requires committees to include 
their own cost estimates in certain committee reports, which 
include, when practicable, a comparison of the total estimated 
funding level for the relevant program (or programs) with the 
appropriate levels under current law.
    The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared 
by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, pursuant to 
section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

Congressional Budget Office estimates

    Clause 2(l)(3)(C) of rule XI requires each Committee to 
include a cost estimate prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office, pursuant to section 403 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, if the cost estimate is 
timely submitted. The following is the CBO cost estimate as 
required:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                Washington, DC, September 18, 1996.
Hon. Gerald B.H. Solomon,
Chairman, Committee on Rules,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed H.R. 3024, the United States-Puerto Rico Political 
Status Act, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Rules 
on September 18, 1996. CBO estimates that H.R. 3024 would 
result in no significant cost to the federal government. 
Enacting H.R. 3024 would not affect direct spending or 
receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    Bill Purpose.--H.R. 3024 would establish a process for 
determining and implementing a permanent political status for 
Puerto Rico. The process would include three states:
    (1) Puerto Rico would hold a referendum by December 31, 
1998, whereby voters would choose between a separate 
sovereignty from the United States--resulting in either 
independence or free association--and statehood.
    (2) Within 180 days after the referendum, the President 
would submit legislation to the Congress that provides for a 
transition period of at least 10 years. In a second referendum, 
voters would then approve or disapprove the enacted transition 
plan.
    (3) At least two years prior to the end of the transition 
period, the President would submit legislation to the Congress 
to implement the selected form of self-government. A third 
referendum would then be held to approve or disapprove the 
enacted plan.
    The bill would help fund the referenda by earmarking 
existing federal excise taxes on foreign rum. Under current 
law, the federal government collects and then transfers these 
taxes to the government of Puerto Rico. Under H.R. 3024, the 
President could elect to make some or all of the funds 
available to the Puerto Rico State Election Commission as 
grants for conducting the referenda and voter education.
    Federal Budgetary Impact.--We estimate that H.R. 3024 would 
result in no significant cost to the federal government. Some 
minor costs could be incurred to formulate and approve the 
subsequent legislation required by the bill if the voters of 
Puerto Rico select self-government. Other than such minor 
costs, H.R. 3024 would only reallocate, upon request by the 
President, a portion of funds derived from federal excise taxes 
already paid to the government of Puerto Rico. The total amount 
of those funds would not change.
    A change in the political status of Puerto Rico could have 
a significant budgetary impact on the federal government. The 
potential impact could include changes in spending on federal 
assistance programs, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
and Medicaid, plus changes in receipts from federal income 
taxes, which residents of Puerto Rico currently do not pay. Any 
such changes, however, would be contingent on the outcome of 
the referenda and future actions of the Congress and the 
President. It is unlikely that any change could occur before 
fiscal year 2010. Because the potential budgetary impact of a 
change in Puerto Rico's status would depend on future 
legislation, enacting H.R. 3024 would have no direct budgetary 
impact (other than the minor discretionary costs cited above).
    Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments.--H.R. 3024 
contains intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-4), but the direct 
cost of these mandates would not exceed the $50 million 
threshold established by that act. This bill would require the 
Puerto Rican government to hold a referendum no later than 
December 31, 1998. This bill would then require a second 
referendum in fiscal year 2000 and, possibly, another about 10 
years later.
    CBO estimates that the government of Puerto Rico would 
incur costs of $5 million to $10 million for each referendum 
required by H.R. 3024. Given the timetable established by the 
bill, we expect that one referendum would be held in fiscal 
year 1999 and a second in fiscal year 2000. This estimate is 
based on the cost of recent elections in Puerto Rico. It 
includes the cost of voter education as well as the cost of 
holding elections.
    Should the process established by this bill result in a 
change in the political status of Puerto Rico, this would have 
a significant fiscal impact on the government of that island. 
Any such change would be the result of future legislation.
    Private-Sector Mandates.--This bill would impose no new 
private-sector mandates as defined in Public Law 104-4.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are John R. 
Righter (for federal costs) and Majorie Miller (for the state 
and local impact).
            Sincerely,
                                              James L. Blum
                                   (For June E. O'Neill, Director).

Inflation impact statement

    Clause 2(l)(4) of rule XI requires each committee report on 
a bill or joint resolution of a public character to include an 
analytical statement describing what impact enactment of the 
measure would have on prices and costs in the operation of the 
national economy. The Committee has determined that H.R. 3024 
has no inflationary impact on the nation's economy.

Oversight findings

    Clause 2(l)(3)(A) of rule XI requires each committee report 
to contain oversight findings and recommendations required 
pursuant to clause 2(b)(1) of rule X. The Committee has no 
oversight findings.

Oversight findings and recommendations of the Committee on Government 
        Reform and Oversight

    Clause 2(l)(3)(D) of rule XI requires each committee report 
to contain a summary of the oversight findings and 
recommendations made by the Government Reform and Oversight 
Committee pursuant to clause 4(c)(2) of rule X, whenever such 
findings have been timely submitted. The Committee on Rules has 
received no such findings or recommendations from the Committee 
on Government Reform and Oversight.

Changes in existing law made by the bill, as reported

    Clause 3 of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the report of each committee on a bill 
or joint resolution to contain a comparative print relating to 
that measure showing changes in existing law. This rule does 
not apply to H.R. 3024 because the bill, as amended, does not 
repeal or amend existing law.

Changes in the Rules of the House of Representatives made by the bill, 
        as reported

    Clause 4(d) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires reports from the Committee on Rules to 
contain a comparative print indicating changes in the Rules of 
the House of Representatives made by the bill or resolution. 
This rule does not apply to H.R. 3024 because the bill does not 
directly amend the rules of the House.

Views of committee members

    Clause 2(l)(5) of rule XI requires each committee to afford 
a three day opportunity for members of the committee to file 
additional, minority, or dissenting views and to indicate the 
views in its report. Although neither requirement applies to 
the Committee, the Committee always makes the maximum effort to 
provide its members with such an opportunity. With regard to 
H.R. 3024, no views were submitted.