    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 111th Congress]
    [111st Congress]
    [House Document 110-162]
    [House And Congressional Offices]
    [Pages 1001-1005]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1001]]

                         HOUSE AND CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES

                                   __________

    Sec. 1113. House Commission on Congressional
    Mailing Standards.

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

    Sec. 1114. House Office Building
    Commission.

      Rooms in the  House Office Buildings are assigned pursuant to the Act of
    May 28, 1908 (2 U.S.C. 2004-2011) and pursuant to regulations of the
    House Office Building Commission (see regulations promulgated Oct. 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) (2 U.S.C. 2001).

    Sec. 1115. Government Accountability
    Office.

      The preparation,  utilization, and distribution (to committees and Members) of
    reports by the Government Accountability Office, and its authority to
    assign its employees to duty with congressional committees, are
    regulated by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, Sec. Sec. 231-
    236 (84 Stat. 1140; 31 U.S.C. 711-720). This office was formerly known
    as the General Accounting Office (31 U.S.C. 702 note).

    [[Page 1002]]

    Sec. 1116. Office of Compliance.

      The Office  of Compliance
    was established by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (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. 1101, 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. 2439).

    Sec. 1117. Congressional Research
    Service.

      The organization  of the Congressional Research Service of the Library of
    Congress and its responsibilities to assist Members and committees were
    provided in the Legislative Reorganization Acts of 1946 and 1970 (60
    Stat. 836; 84 Stat. 1140; 2 U.S.C. 166).

    Sec. 1118. Legislative Counsel.

      The Office of  the
    Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives evolved from a
    Legislative Drafting Service established for the Congress by the Act of
    February 24, 1919 (40 Stat. 1057, 1141). The provisions of law setting
    forth the purpose and functions of the current 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) as amended by the
    Legislative Branch Appropriations 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, and its committees and Members, in the achievement of
    a clear, faithful, and coherent expression of legislative policies.

    Sec. 1119. Congressional Budget
    Office.

      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.

    Sec. 1120. Law Revision Counsel.

      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)).

    Sec. 1121. Technology Assessment.

      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). The office received
    funding for 1996 to conduct an orderly shutdown (tit. I, P.L. 104-53)
    and has not received funding since then.

    [[Page 1003]]

    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), 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.

    Sec. 1122. Office of the
    Parliamentarian.

      A Parliamentarian  has been appointed by the Speaker in every Congress
    since 1927. Before 1927 the ``Clerk at the Speaker's Table'' performed
    the function of the Parliamentarian. In the 95th Congress the House
    formally and permanently established an Office of the Parliamentarian to
    be managed, supervised, and administered by a nonpartisan
    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).
    The compilation and preparation of the precedents of the House of
    Representatives were authorized

    Sec. 1123. Office of Floor
    Assistants.

      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. 469,
    enacted into permanent law by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act,
    1996 (sec. 103, P.L. 104-53)).

    Sec. 1124. Office of Interparliamentary
    Affairs.

      This office  is responsible for responding to inquiries from, and
    coordinating visits with, foreign legislative bodies; providing
    assistance to delegations of Members on official visits to foreign
    nations; coordinating the activities and responsibilities of the House
    in connection with participation in various interparliamentary exchanges
    and organizations; and enabling the House to host meetings with senior
    government officials and other dignitaries in order to discuss matters
    relevant to United States relations with other nations (2 U.S.C. 130-2).

    Sec. 1125. House Recording Studio.

      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 (2 U.S.C. 123b(c)).

    Sec. 1125a. United States Capitol Preservation
    Commission.

      The United  States Capitol Preservation Commission was established in
    1988 (2 U.S.C. 2081) to provide improvements in, preservation of, and
    acquisitions for the Capitol and to provide works of fine art and other
    property for display in the Capitol. In the 106th Congress the
    Commission was given responsibility for the planning, engineering,
    design, and construction of the Capitol Visitor Center (sec. 310,
    Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000). Membership on the
    Commission consists of the Speaker, the President pro tempore (co-
    chairs), the chair and vice chair of the Joint Committee on the Library,
    the chairs and ranking minority members of the Committee on Rules and
    Administration and the Committee on House Administration, the Majority
    and Minority Leaders of the House and Senate, three Members of the
    Senate, and three Members of the House.

    [[Page 1004]]

    Attorney General to notify the General Counsel of various decisions and
    policies (2 U.S.C. 130f(b)).

    Sec. 1125b. Office of General Counsel.

      The General  Counsel
    appointed under clause 8 of rule II is authorized by law to appear in
    any proceeding before a State or Federal court (except the United States
    Supreme Court) without compliance with admission requirements of such
    court (2 U.S.C. 130f(a)). Furthermore, the law requires the

    Sec. 1125c. Office of Emergency Planning,
    Preparedness, and Operations.

      This office  is responsible for mitigation and
    preparedness operations, crisis management and response, resource
    services, and recovery operations (2 U.S.C. 130i). The Speaker, in
    consultation with the Minority Leader, provides policy direction for,
    and oversight of, the office. The Speaker may request the head of any
    Federal department or agency to detail to the office, on a reimbursable
    basis, any of the personnel of the department or agency. The day-to-day
    operations of the office are carried out by the director, under the
    supervision of a House of Representatives Continuity of Operations
    Board, comprising the Clerk, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chief
    Administrative Officer. The Clerk chairs the board.

    Sec. 1125d. Office of Attending Physician.

      This office  was
    established in the 70th Congress when the House requested the Secretary
    of the Navy to detail a medical officer to be in attendance at the Hall
    of the House during sessions of the House (H. Res. 253, Dec. 5, 1928, p.
    101). Currently, the office provides primary care and emergency,
    environmental, and occupational health services in direct support of
    Members of Congress and the Supreme Court, staff, pages, visiting
    dignitaries, and tourists (Office of Attending Physician in the U.S.
    Congress, CRS, Dec. 12, 2001).

    Sec. 1125e. Office of Architect of the
    Capitol.

      This office  , which dates from 1793, operates and maintains the buildings
    and grounds of the Capitol complex. For a detailed explanation of the
    current duties and statutory evolution of the office, see Architect of
    the Capitol: Appointment, Duties, and Operations, CRS, March 17, 2005.
    Section 6701 of Public Law 110-28 established within the office a Chief
    Executive Officer for Visitor Services with responsibility for the
    operation and management of the Capitol Visitor Center.

    Sec. 1125f. House Democracy Assistance
    Commission.

      Established  for the 109th (H. Res. 135, Mar. 14, 2005, p. _), 110th
    (H. Res. 24, Jan. 30, 2007, p. _) and 111th Congresses (sec. 4(b), H.
    Res. 5, Jan. 6, 2009, p. _), the commission provides advice and
    consultation to selected countries. The commission consists of 20
    Members appointed by the Speaker and Minority Leader.

    [[Page 1005]]

    Sec. 1125g. Tom Lantos Human Rights
    Commission.

      Established  for the 110th (H. Res. 1451, Sept. 24, 2008, p. _) and
    111th Congresses with modifications to its authority (sec. 4(c), H. Res.
    5, Jan. 6, 2009, p. _), the commission promotes internationally
    recognized human rights. Any Member may join the commission, which is
    lead by co-chairs appointed by the Speaker and Minority Leader,
    respectively.

    Sec. 1125h. Office of Congressional Ethics.

      Established  for
    the 110th (H. Res. 895, Mar. 11, 2008, p. _) and 111th Congresses with a
    modification on its authority to engage consultants (sec. 4(d), H. Res.
    5, Jan. 6, 2009, p. _), the office investigates ``self-initiated''
    alleged ethics violations and reports its recommendations to the
    Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.