    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 105th Congress]
    [105th Congress]
    [House Document 104-272]
    [House And Congressional Offices]
    [Pages 885-891]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 885]]

                                  HOUSE OFFICES

    <> Members may send through the mails, under their frank,
    certain documents and materials as provided by 39 U.S.C. 3210 et seq.,
    subject to the limitations prescribed in rule XLVI, supra. The House
    Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards, composed of six Members
    of the House, provides advice in connection with the mailing of franked
    mail (P.L. 93-191, Sec. 5).

    <> Rooms in the
    office buildings of the House of Representatives are assigned to Members
    pursuant to the law of May 28, 1908 (40 U.S.C. 177-184) and pursuant to
    regulations of the House Office Building Commission (see regulations
    promulgated October 7, 1996). The commission also issues regulations
    governing the House office buildings, House garages, and the capitol
    power plant (see regulations promulgated December, 1995). The commission
    is composed of the Speaker and two Members of the House (traditionally
    the Majority and Minority Leaders) (40 U.S.C. 175).

    <> The preparation,
    utilization, and distribution (to committees and members) of reports by
    the General Accounting Office, and its authority to assign its employees
    to duty with congressional committees, are regulated by the Legislative
    Reorganization Act of 1970, sections 231-236 (84 Stat. 1140; 31 U.S.C.
    1172-1176).

    <> The Office of Compliance was
    established by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-1,
    Sec. 301; 2 U.S.C. 1381). The office is composed of five individuals
    appointed jointly by the Speaker, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and
    the Minority Leaders of the House and the Senate. The office has
    regulatory, enforcement, and educational responsibilities under the Act.
    The office replaced the Review Panel of the Office of Fair Employment
    Practices at the beginning of the 105th Congress (see Sec. 946b, supra).
    However, the review panel was reconstituted in the same form as at the
    end of the 104th Congress to provide for the completion of ongoing
    proceedings in the 105th Congress (Feb. 25, 1997, p. ----).

    <> The organization of
    the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress and its
    responsibilities to assist Members and committees were provided in the

    [[Page 886]]

    Legislative Reorganization Acts of 1946 and 1970 (60 Stat. 836; 84 Stat.
    1140; 2 U.S.C. 166).

    <> The Office of the Legislative
    Counsel of the House of Representatives evolved from a single
    Legislative Drafting Service established for the Congress by the Act of
    February 24, 1919 (40 Stat. 1057, 1141). The currently applicable
    provisions of law setting forth the purpose and functions of the Office
    and providing for its administration are contained in title V of the
    Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-510; 2 U.S.C 281 et
    seq.) as amended by the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1972 (P.L.
    92-51). As stated in section 502 of such title V, the purpose of the
    Office is to advise and assist the House of Representatives, and its
    committees and Members, in the achievement of a clear, faithful, and
    coherent expression of legislative policies.

    <> The Congressional
    Budget Office was established by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2
    U.S.C. 601). The office is headed by a director, who is appointed by the
    Speaker and the President pro tempore. Section 202 of the Act (2 U.S.C.
    602) outlines the functions of the office, which include providing
    assistance to the House and Senate Committees on the Budget and
    Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance in the discharge of
    matters within their jurisdiction and to other committees to assist them
    in complying with the provisions of the Act.

    <> The Office of the Law Revision
    Counsel, to develop a codification of the laws of the United States, was
    authorized in the 93d Congress by the Committee Reform Amendments of
    1974 (sec. 205, H. Res. 988, Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34470, made permanent law
    by P.L. 93-544 (2 U.S.C. 285)).

    <> The Office of Technology
    Assessment, to assist the Congress in indicating the beneficial and
    adverse impacts of the application of technology, was authorized by the
    Technology Assessment Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 472 et seq.). The office
    received funding for 1996 to conduct an orderly shutdown (tit. I, P.L.
    104-53) and received no funding for 1997 (P.L. 104-197).

    <> A Parliamentarian has
    been appointed by the Speaker in every Congress since 1927. In the 95th
    Congress the House formally and permanently established an Office of the
    Parliamentarian to be managed, supervised, and administered by a non-
    partisan Parliamentarian appointed by the Speaker (H. Res. 502, Apr. 20,
    1977, p. 11415, made permanent law by sec. 115 of P.L. 95-94; see 2
    U.S.C. 287 et seq.). The compilation and preparation of the precedents
    of the House of Representatives were authorized in the 93d Congress by
    the Committee Reform Amendments of 1974 (sec. 208, H. Res. 988, Oct. 8,
    1974, p. 34470, made permanent law by P.L. 93-554, 2 U.S.C. 28a),

    [[Page 887]]

    and the printing and distribution of the precedents were authorized by
    Public Law 94-551 (2 U.S.C. 28b-e). See also 2 U.S.C. 28, 29.

    <> At its organization the
    104th Congress established an office to assist the Speaker in the
    management of legislative activity on the floor of the House (Sec.
    223(b), H. Res. 6, 104th Cong., Jan. 4, 1995, p. ----, enacted into
    permanent law by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996 (P.L.
    104-53, Sec. 103)).

    <> In the 105th Congress
    the House established a Corrections Calendar Office to assist the
    Speaker in his management of the Calendar (H. Res. 7, 105th Cong., Jan.
    7, 1997, p. ----).

    <> The House Recording Studio
    was established by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1957 (2
    U.S.C. 123b) and provides Members with audio and video recording
    services. The studio is under the direction and control of the Committee
    on the House Recording Studio, which consists of three members appointed
    by the Speaker.

    [[Page 889]]

                                   __________

                         EARLY ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE

     [from the committee reform amendments of 1974, made permanent law in 2
                                   __________

                                   u.s.c. 29a]

    Sec. 997. December caucuses.

      (a)(1) The  majority leader or
    minority leader of the House of Representatives after consultation with
    the Speaker may at any time during any even-numbered year call a caucus
    or conference, to begin on or after the first day of December and
    conclude on or before the twentieth day of December in such year and to
    be attended by all incumbent Members of his or her political party who
    have been reelected to the ensuing Congress and all other Members-elect
    of such party, for the purpose of taking all steps necessary to achieve
    the prompt organization of the Members and Members-elect of such party
    for the ensuing Congress.

      (2) If the majority leader or minority leader calls an organizational
    caucus or conference under paragraph (1), he or she shall file with the
    Clerk of the House a written notice designating the date upon which the
    caucus or conference is to convene. As soon as possible after the
    election of Members to the ensuing Congress, the Clerk shall furnish
    each Member-elect of the party involved with appropriate written
    notification of the caucus or conference.

      (3) If a vacancy occurs in the office of majority leader or minority
    leader during any even-numbered year (and has not been filled), the
    chairman of the caucus or conference of the party involved for the
    current Congress may call an organizational caucus or conference under
    paragraph (1) by filing written notice thereof as provided by paragraph
    (2).

    [[Page 890]]

    of residence in the district which he or she represents and Washington,
    District of Columbia, for the purpose of attending such caucus or
    conference. Payment shall be made through the issuance of a
    transportation request form to each such Member-elect or incumbent Member
    by the Finance Office of the House before such caucus or conference.

      (b)(1)(A) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected
    to the ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under
    subsection (a), and each incumbent Member reelected to the ensuing
    Congress who attends any such caucus or conference convening after the
    adjournment sine die of the Congress in the year involved, shall be paid
    for one round trip between his or her place

      (B) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the
    ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under
    subsection (a) shall in addition be reimbursed on a per diem or other
    basis for expenses incurred in connection with his or her attendance at
    such caucus or conference for a period not to exceed the shorter of the
    following--

              (i) the period beginning with the day before the designated

            date upon which such caucus or conference is to convene and

            ending with the day after the date of the final adjournment of

            such caucus or conference; or

              (ii) fourteen days.

      (2) Payments and reimbursements to Members-elect under paragraph (1)
    shall be made as provided (with respect to Members) in the regulations
    prescribed by the Committee on House Oversight with respect to travel
    and other expenses of committees and Members. Reimbursements shall be
    paid on special voucher forms prescribed by the Committee on House
    Oversight.

      (c) The contingent fund of the House is made available to carry out
    the purposes of this section.

      [from h. res. 10, 94th congress, made permanent law in 2 u.s.c. 29a]

    [[Page 891]]

      Resolved, That (a) each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member
    reelected to the ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference
    called under section 202(a) of House Resolution 988, 93d Congress, and
    each incumbent Member reelected to the ensuing Congress who attends any
    such caucus or conference convening after the adjournment sine die of
    the Congress in the year involved, shall be entitled to designate one
    staff person to be paid for one round trip between that person's place
    of residence, provided such place of residence is in the district which
    the Member-elect or incumbent Member represents, and Washington,
    District of Columbia, for the purpose of accompanying that Member-elect
    or incumbent Member to such caucus or conference.

      (b) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the
    ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under such
    section 202(a) shall be entitled to designate one staff person who shall
    in addition be reimbursed on a per diem or other basis for expenses
    incurred in accompanying the Member-elect at the time of such caucus or
    conference for a period not to exceed the shorter of the following--

              (i) the period beginning with the day before the designated

            date upon which such caucus or conference is to convene and

            ending with the day after the date of the final adjournment of

            such caucus or conference; or

              (ii) fourteen days.

      Sec. 2. (a) Payments and reimbursements to staff persons under the
    first section of this resolution shall be made as provided (with respect
    to staff) in the regulations prescribed by the Committee on House
    Oversight with respect to travel and other expenses of staff.
    Reimbursements shall be paid on special voucher forms prescribed by the
    Committee on House Oversight.

      (b) Additional funds, if any, for staff allowances and office space
    for use by Members-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to
    the ensuing Congress) shall be authorized by the Committee on House
    Oversight.

      In the 104th Congress the House adopted a resolution providing for the
    convening of an organizational caucus or conference for the 105th
    Congress on or after November 15, 1996 (H. Res. 551, Sept. 28, 1996, p.
    ----).