[Pages S1701-S1702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     JOINT COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS ON THE LIBRARY RULES OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
rules of procedure for the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library 
for the 119th Congress be printed in the Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       119th Congress Joint Committee of Congress on the Library


 Rules of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library for the 119th 
                                Congress

     Rule 1.--Meetings of the Committee
       (a) Regular meetings may be called by the Chair, with the 
     concurrence of the Vice Chair, as may be deemed necessary or 
     pursuant to the provision of paragraph 3 of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules of the Senate.
       (b) Meetings of the committee, including meetings to 
     conduct hearings, shall be open to the public, except that a 
     meeting or series of meetings by the committee on the same 
     subject for a period of no more than 14 calendar days may be 
     closed to the public on a motion made and seconded to go into 
     closed session to discuss only whether the matters enumerated 
     in subparagraphs (A) through (F) would require the meeting to 
     be closed followed immediately by a recorded vote in open 
     session by a majority of the members of the committee when it 
     is determined that the matters to be discussed or the 
     testimony to be taken at such meeting or meetings--
       (1) will disclose matters necessary to be kept secret in 
     the interests of national defense or the confidential conduct 
     of the foreign relations of the United States;
       (2) will relate solely to matters of the committee staff 
     personnel or internal staff management or procedures;
       (3) will tend to charge an individual with crime or 
     misconduct, to disgrace or injure the professional standing 
     of an individual, or otherwise to expose an individual to 
     public contempt or obloquy, or will represent a clearly 
     unwarranted invasion of privacy of an individual;
       (4) will disclose the identity of any informer or law 
     enforcement agent or will disclose any information relating 
     to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense 
     that is required to be kept secret in the interest of 
     effective law enforcement;
       (5) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets 
     or financial or commercial information pertaining 
     specifically to a given person if--
       (i) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept 
     confidential by Government officers and employees; or
       (ii) the information has been obtained by the Government on 
     a confidential basis, other than through an application by 
     such person for a specific Government financial or other 
     benefit, and is required to be kept secret in order to 
     prevent undue injury to the benefit, and is required to be 
     kept secret in order to prevent undue injury to the 
     competitive position of such person; or
       (6) may divulge matters required to kept confidential under 
     the provisions of law or Government regulation. (Paragraph 
     5(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.)
       (c) Written notices of committee meetings will normally be 
     sent by the committee's staff director to all members at 
     least three days in advance. In addition, the committee staff 
     will email or telephone reminders of committee meetings to 
     all members of the committee or to the appropriate staff 
     assistants in their offices.
       (d) A copy of the committee's intended agenda enumerating 
     separate items of committee business will normally be sent to 
     all members of the committee by the staff director at least 
     one day in advance of all meetings. This does not preclude 
     any member of the committee from raising appropriate non-
     agenda topics.
       (e) Any witness who is to appear before the committee in 
     any hearing shall file with the clerk of the committee at 
     least three business days before the date of their 
     appearance, a written statement of their proposed testimony 
     and an executive summary thereof, in such form as the Chair 
     may direct, unless the Chair waived such a requirement for 
     good cause.
     Rule 2.--Quorums
       (a) Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(1) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, four members of the committee shall 
     constitute a quorum.
       (b) Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(2) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, two members of the committee shall constitute 
     a quorum for the purpose of taking testimony; provided, 
     however, once a quorum is established, any one member can 
     continue to take such testimony.
       (c) Under no circumstance may proxies be considered for the 
     establishment of a quorum.
     Rule 3.--Voting
       (a) Voting in the committee on any issue will normally be 
     by voice vote.
       (b) If a third of the members present so demand, a recorded 
     vote will be taken on any question by roll call.
       (c) The results of roll call votes taken in any meeting 
     upon a measure, or any amendment thereto, shall be stated in 
     the committee report on that measure unless previously 
     announced by the committee, and such report or announcement 
     shall include a tabulation of the votes cast in favor and the 
     votes cast in opposition to each measure and amendment by 
     each member of the committee. (Paragraph 7(b) and (c) of rule 
     XXVI of the Standing Rules.)

[[Page S1702]]

  

     Rule 4.--Delegation and Authority to the Chair and Vice Chair
       (a) The Chair and Vice Chair are authorized to sign all 
     necessary vouchers and routine papers for which the 
     committee's approval is required and to decide on the 
     committee's behalf on all routine business.
       (b) The Chair is authorized to engage commercial reporters 
     for the preparation of transcripts of committee meetings and 
     hearings.
       (c) The Chair is authorized to issue, on behalf of the 
     committee, regulations normally promulgated by the committee 
     at the beginning of each session.

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