[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. 
----).