    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 106th Congress]
    [106th Congress]
    [House Document 105-358]
    [Rules of the House of Representatives]
    [Pages 370-372]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                        Rule V.--BROADCASTING THE HOUSE

    Sec. 684. Broadcasting of House proceedings.

      1.  The Speaker
    shall administer a system subject to his direction and control for
    closed-circuit viewing of floor proceedings of the House in the offices
    of all Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and committees and
    in such other places in the Capitol and the House Office Buildings as he
    considers appropriate. Such system may include other telecommunications
    functions as the Speaker considers appropriate. Any such
    telecommunications shall be subject to rules and regulations issued by
    the Speaker.

    [[Page 371]]

    such broadcasts and recordings to news media, for the storage of audio
    and video recordings of the proceedings, and for the closed-captioning
    of the proceedings for hearing-impaired persons.
      2. (a) The Speaker shall administer a system subject to his direction
    and control for complete and unedited audio and visual broadcasting and
    recording of the proceedings of the House. The Speaker shall provide for
    the distribution of

      (b) All television and radio broadcasting stations, networks,
    services, and systems (including cable systems) that are accredited to
    the House Radio and Television Correspondents' Galleries, and all radio
    and television correspondents who are so accredited, shall be provided
    access to the live coverage of the House.

      (c) Coverage made available under this clause, including any recording
    thereof--

          (1) may not be used for any political purpose;

          (2) may not be used in any commercial advertisement; and

          (3) may not be broadcast with commercial sponsorship except as
    part of a bona fide news program or public affairs documentary program.

      3. The Speaker may delegate any of his responsibilities under this
    rule to such legislative entity as he considers appropriate.

      Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this
    provision was found in former clause 9 of rule I (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6,
    1999, p. ----). It was adopted initially in the 96th Congress (H. Res.
    5, Jan. 15, 1979, p. 7). The requirement that the televised broadcasts
    of the proceedings of the House be closed captioned for hearing-impaired
    individuals was added in the 101st Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 3, 1989, p.
    72). The authority of the Speaker to make rules governing
    telecommunications functions within the House was added in the 102d
    Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 3, 1991, p. 39).

    [[Page 372]]

    proceedings, of a test authorized by the Speaker under his general
    control over the Hall of the House for the audiovisual broadcast of
    House proceedings within the Capitol and House Office Buildings (H. Res.
    404, Mar. 15, 1977, p. 7608). The resolution directed the Committee on
    Rules to report to the House at the earliest practicable date its
    findings and recommendations, including whether such coverage should be
    made available to the public. The committee reported and the House
    adopted another resolution that: (1) authorized the Speaker to establish
    a closed-circuit system for in-House broadcasting of House proceedings;
    (2) directed the Committee on Rules to study methods for providing
    complete audio and visual broadcasting of House proceedings and to
    report to the House thereon; and (3) directed the Speaker after receipt
    of the committee's report to establish a system subject to his direction
    and control for audio and visual broadcast and recording of House
    proceedings and to provide for distribution and access to the news media
    (H. Res. 866, Oct. 27, 1977, pp. 35425-37). The Speaker, after receipt
    of that report (H. Rept. 95-881, Feb. 15, 1978), directed implementation
    of full audio coverage, with distribution to the media, on June 8, 1978
    (p. 16746). Public Law 95-391 (Legislative Branch Appropriations Act,
    1979) contained the following proviso in section 306 relating to the
    broadcasting of House proceedings: ``No funds in this bill may be used
    to implement a system for televising and broadcasting the proceedings of
    the House pursuant to House Resolution 866, Ninety-Fifth Congress, under
    which the TV cameras in the Chamber purchased by the House are
    controlled and operated by persons not in the employ of the House.''
      In the 95th Congress the House considered as a question of the
    privileges of the House and adopted a resolution directing the Committee
    on Rules to investigate the impact on the safety, dignity, and integrity
    of House

      Pursuant to his authority under this rule, the Speaker directed the
    Clerk in the 98th Congress to immediately implement periodic wide-angle
    television coverage of all ``special-order'' speeches at the end of
    legislative business (with captions at the bottom of the screen
    indicating that legislative business has been completed) (May 10, 1984,
    p. 11894) but not during ``interim'' special orders (Dec. 19, 1985, p.
    38106). However, in the 103d and 104th Congresses, the Speaker
    prohibited wide-angle coverage but continued the caption at the bottom
    of the screen not only during special-order speeches but also during
    morning-hour debates (Speaker Foley, Feb. 11, 1994, p. 2244; Speaker
    Gingrich, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 551). In the 99th Congress, the House adopted
    a resolution, raised as a question of the privileges of the House,
    authorizing and directing the Speaker to provide for the audio and
    visual broadcast coverage of the Chamber while Members are voting (H.
    Res. 150, Apr. 30, 1985, p. 9821). Although paragraph (a) requires
    complete and unedited broadcast coverage of House proceedings, the House
    held (by tabling an appeal of a ruling of the Chair) that it does not
    require in-House microphone amplification of disorderly conduct by a
    Member following expiration of his recognition for debate (Mar. 16,
    1988, p. 4081).