[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 118th Congress]
[118th Congress]
[House Document 117-161]
[House And Congressional Offices]
[Pages 1055-1058]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 1055]]


                     EARLY ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE


                               __________


                             [2 U.S.C. 29a]

  (a) Caucus or conference for incumbent Members reelected to and 
Members-elect of ensuing Congress; time and procedure for calling



Sec. 1126. Organizing caucuses.

  (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 of 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).

  (b) Payment and reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses for 
Members attending caucus or conference; exceptions; regulations 
governing payments and reimbursements; reimbursement vouchers

  (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) of this section, 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 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) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the 
ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under 
subsection (a) of this section 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.


  (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 Administration 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 Administration.

  (c) Availability of applicable accounts of House


  The applicable accounts of the House of Representatives are made 
available to carry out the purposes of this section.

  (d) Orientation programs for new Members


  With the approval of the majority leader (in the case of a Member or 
Member-elect of the majority party) or the minority leader (in the case 
of a Member or Member-elect of the minority party), subsections (b) and 
(c) of this section shall apply with respect to the attendance of a 
Member or Member-elect at a program conducted by the Committee on House 
Administration for the orientation of new Members in the same manner as 
such provisions apply to the attendance of the Member or Member-elect at 
the organizational caucus or conference.

  These provisions were originated by a resolution of the 93d Congress 
(sec. 202, H. Res. 988, Oct. 8, 1974), which was enacted into permanent 
law (effective Jan. 2, 1975) shortly thereafter (P.L. 93-554, Dec. 27, 
1974, 88 Stat. 1777). Amendments were effected in the 104th Congress 
(sec. 202, P.L. 104-186, Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1725), when the House 
renamed the committee concerned and converted references to its 
``contingent fund'' to ``applicable accounts of the House.'' Further 
amendments were effected at the end of the 108th Congress (to apply 
beginning in the One Hundred Tenth Congress) to permit organizational 
activity to be scheduled for any period after the general election and 
before the onset of the new Congress and to include orientation programs 
(sec. 107, div. G, P.L. 108-447, Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3176).


  Under the former form of the statute, contemplating organizational 
activity in the month of December, the House occasionally adopted 
resolutions allowing earlier convening of an organizational caucus or 
conference (e.g., H. Res. 666, 106th Cong., Nov. 3, 2000, p. 25993; 
Precedents (Wickham), ch. 3, Sec. Sec. 2.1, 2.2).


                             [2 U.S.C. 5343]

  Staff expenses for House Members attending organizational caucus or 
conference

  (a) In general


  Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the 
ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under 
section 29a(a) of this title, 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) Per diem expenses of staff person


  Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the 
ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under such 
section 29a(a) of this title 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.

  (c) Orientation programs for new Members


[[Page 1058]]

Members in the same manner as such provisions apply to the attendance of
the Member or Member-elect at the organizational caucus or conference.

  With the approval of the majority leader (in the case of a Member or 
Member-elect of the majority party) or the minority leader (in the case 
of a Member or Member-elect of the minority party), subsections (a) and 
(b) of this section shall apply with respect to the attendance of a 
Member or Member-elect at a program conducted by the Committee on House 
Administration for the orientation of new 


  These provisions were originated by a resolution of the 94th Congress 
(H. Res. 10, Jan. 14, 1975), which was then enacted into permanent law 
(sec. 201, P.L. 94-59, July 25, 1975, 89 Stat. 282). Amendments were 
effected at the end of the 108th Congress (to apply with respect to the 
One Hundred Tenth Congress and each succeeding Congress) to conform to 
the permissible scheduling of organizational activity for any period 
after the general election and before the onset of the new Congress and 
to include orientation programs (sec. 107, div. G, P.L. 108-447, Dec. 8, 
2004, 118 Stat. 3176).


                             [2 U.S.C. 5344]

  Payments and reimbursements for certain House staff expenses


  (a) Payments and reimbursements to staff persons under section 5343 of 
this title shall be made as provided (with respect to staff) in the 
regulations prescribed by the Committee on House Administration with 
respect to travel and other expenses of staff. Reimbursements shall be 
paid on special voucher forms prescribed by the Committee on House 
Administration.


  (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 
Administration.



  These provisions were originated by a resolution of the 94th Congress 
(H. Res. 10, Jan. 14, 1975), which was then enacted into permanent law 
(sec. 201, P.L. 94-59, July 25, 1975, 89 Stat. 282). Amendments were 
effected in the 104th Congress (sec. 202, P.L. 104-186, Aug. 20, 1996, 
110 Stat. 1725), when the House renamed the committee concerned as the 
Committee on House Oversight. (The committee has since been returned to 
its earlier name.)