February 13, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 28 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
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PUBLICATION OF COMMITTEE RULES; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 28
(House of Representatives - February 13, 2019)
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[Pages H1572-H1576] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PUBLICATION OF COMMITTEE RULES RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE 116TH CONGRESS U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, February 13, 2019. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Madam Speaker: Pursuant to Rule XI, Clause 2(a)(2) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, I respectfully submit the rules of the 116th Congress for the Committee on Natural Resources for publication in the Congressional Record. The Committee adopted these rules by voice vote, with a quorum being present, at our organizational meeting on Wednesday, January 30th, 2019. Sincerely, Raul M. Grijalva, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources. Rule 1. Rules of the House; Vice Chairs (a) Applicability of House Rules. (1) The Rules of the House of Representatives, so far as they are applicable, are the rules of the Committee on Natural Resources (hereinafter in these rules referred to as the ``Committee'') and its Subcommittees. (2) Each Subcommittee is part of the Committee and is subject to the authority, direction and rules of the Committee. References in these rules to ``Committee'' and ``Chair'' shall apply to each Subcommittee and its Chair wherever applicable. (3) House Rule XI is incorporated and made a part of the rules of the Committee to the extent applicable. (b) Vice Chair.--Unless inconsistent with other rules, the Chair shall designate a Vice Chair of the Committee and appoint Vice Chairs of the Subcommittees. If the Chair of the Committee or Subcommittee is not present at any meeting of the Committee or Subcommittee, as the case may be, the Vice Chair shall preside. If the Vice Chair is not present, the Ranking Member of the Majority party on the Committee or Subcommittee who is present, or the Chair's designee, shall preside at that meeting. Rule 2. Meetings in General (a) Scheduled Meetings.--The Committee shall meet at 10 a.m. the first Wednesday of each month when the House is in session if so noticed by the Chair under Committee Rule 3(a). The Committee shall also meet at the call of the Chair subject to advance notice to all Members of the Committee. Special meetings shall be called and convened by the Chair as provided in clause 2(c)(1) of House Rule XI. Any Committee meeting or hearing that conflicts with a party caucus, conference, or similar party meeting shall be rescheduled at the discretion of the Chair, in consultation with the Ranking Minority Member. The Committee may not sit during a joint session of the House and Senate or during a recess when a joint meeting of the House and Senate is in progress. (b) Open Meetings.--Each meeting for the transaction of business, including the markup of legislation, and each hearing of the Committee or a Subcommittee shall be open to the public, except as provided by clause 2(g) and clause 2(k) of House Rule XI. (c) Broadcasting.--Whenever a meeting for the transaction of business, including the markup of legislation, or a hearing is open to the public, that meeting or hearing shall be open to coverage by television, radio, and still photography in accordance with clauses 2(a)(1) and 4 of House Rule XI. The provisions of clause 4(f) of House Rule XI are specifically made part of these rules by reference. To the maximum extent practicable, the Committee shall provide audio and visual coverage of each hearing or meeting for the transaction of business in a manner that allows the public to easily listen to and view the proceedings, and maintain the recordings of such coverage in a manner that is easily accessible to the public. Operation and use of any Committee internet broadcast system shall be fair, and nonpartisan, and in accordance with clause 4(b) of House Rule XI and all other applicable rules of the Committee and the House. (d) Oversight Plan.--No later than March 1 of the first session of each Congress, the Committee shall prepare and submit its oversight plan for that Congress in accordance with clause 2(d) of House Rule X. Rule 3. Meeting and Hearing Procedures in General (a) Notice and Information for Members and the Public. (1) The Chair shall publicly announce the date, place and subject matter of a Committee hearing or meeting in accordance with clause 2(g)(3) of House Rule XI. (2) A hearing or meeting may begin sooner if the Chair, with the concurrence of the Ranking Minority Member, determines that there is good cause to begin the meeting or hearing sooner, or if the Committee so determines by majority vote. In these cases, the Chair shall publicly announce the meeting or hearing at the earliest possible time. The Committee shall promptly notify the Daily Digest Clerk of the Congressional Record and shall promptly make publicly available in electronic form the appropriate information as soon as possible after the public announcement is made. (3) To the extent practicable, a background memorandum prepared by the Majority staff summarizing the major provisions of any bill being considered by the Committee, including the need for the bill and its effect on current law, will be available for the Members of the Committee and the public no later than 48 hours before the meeting. (b) Public Availability of Markup Text.--At least 24 hours prior to the markup of any legislation (or at the time of an announcement under paragraph (a)(2) above made within 24 hours before such meeting), the Chair shall cause the text of such legislation to be made publicly available in electronic form. (c) Meetings and Hearings to Begin Promptly.--Each meeting or hearing of the Committee shall begin promptly at the time stipulated in the public announcement of the meeting or hearing. (d) Addressing the Committee.--A Committee Member may address the Committee or a Subcommittee on any bill, motion, or other matter under consideration or may question a witness at a hearing only when recognized by the Chair for that purpose. The time a Member may address the Committee or Subcommittee for any purpose or to question a witness shall be limited to five minutes, except as provided in Committee Rule 4(f). Members shall limit remarks to the subject matter under consideration. (e) Quorums. (1) A majority of the Members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for the reporting of any measure or recommendation, the authorizing of a subpoena, the closing of any meeting or hearing to the public under clause 2(g)(1), clause 2(g)(2)(A) and clause 2(k)(5)(B) of House Rule XI, and the releasing of executive session materials under clause 2(k)(7) of House Rule X. Testimony and evidence may be received at any hearing at which there are at least two Members of the Committee present. For the purpose of transacting all other business of the Committee, one-third of the Members shall constitute a quorum. (2) When a call of the roll is required to ascertain the presence of a quorum, the offices of all Members shall be notified and the Members shall have not less than 15 minutes to prove their attendance. The Chair shall have the discretion to waive this requirement when a quorum is actually present or whenever a quorum is secured and may direct the relevant Committee staff to note the names of all Members present within the 15-minute period. (f) Participation of Members in Committee and Subcommittees.--Any Member of the Committee may sit with any Subcommittee during any meeting or hearing, and by unanimous consent of the Members of the Subcommittee, may participate in such meeting or hearing. However, a Member who is not a Member of the Subcommittee may not vote on any matter before the Subcommittee, be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum, or raise points of order. (g) Proxies.--No vote in the Committee or its Subcommittees may be cast by proxy. (h) Record Votes.--Record votes shall be ordered on the demand of one-fifth of the Members present, or by any Member in the apparent absence of a quorum. (i) Postponed Record Votes. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Chair may, after consultation with the Ranking Minority Member, postpone further proceedings when a record vote is ordered on the question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment. The Chair shall resume proceedings on a postponed request at any time after reasonable notice, but no later than the next meeting day. (2) Notwithstanding any intervening order for the previous question, when proceedings resume on a postponed question under paragraph (1), an underlying proposition shall remain subject to further debate or amendment to the same extent as when the question was postponed. (3) This rule shall apply to Subcommittee proceedings. (j) Privileged Motions.--A motion to recess from day to day, a motion to recess subject to the call of the Chair (within 24 hours), and a motion to dispense with the first reading (in full) of a bill or resolution if printed copies are available, are nondebatable motions of high privilege. (k) Layover and Copy of Bill.--No measure or recommendation reported by a Subcommittee shall be considered by the Committee until two calendar days from the time of Subcommittee action. No bill shall be considered by the Committee unless a copy has been delivered to the office of each Member of the Committee requesting a copy. [[Page H1573]] These requirements may be waived by a majority vote of the Committee at the time of consideration of the measure or recommendation. (1) Access to Dais and Conference Room.--Access to the hearing rooms' daises (and to the conference rooms adjacent to the Committee hearing rooms) shall be limited to Members of Congress and employees of the Committee during a meeting or hearing of the Committee, except that Committee Members' personal staff may be present on the daises if their employing Member is the author of a bill or amendment under consideration by the Committee, but only during the time that the bill or amendment is under active consideration by the Committee. Access to the conference rooms adjacent to the Committee hearing rooms shall be limited to Members of Congress and employees of Congress during a meeting or hearing of the Committee. (m) Cellular Telephones and other Electronic Devices.-- During a meeting of the Committee, ringing or audible sounds or conversational use of cellular telephones or other electronic devices is prohibited on the Committee dais or in the Committee hearing rooms. (n) Motion to go to Conference with the Senate.--The Chair may offer a motion under clause 1 of House Rule XXII whenever the Chair considers it appropriate. (o) Materials for Record.--Other than witness questions for the hearing record, materials must be submitted within 10 business days following the last day of the hearing or meeting. Witness questions for the hearing record must be submitted to the relevant Full Committee staff or Subcommittee Clerk within 3 business days following the last day of the hearing. The materials submitted must address the subject matter of the hearing or meeting. Only a Member of the Committee or an invited witness may submit materials for inclusion in the hearing or meeting record. Rule 4. Hearing Procedures (a) Written Statement; Oral Testimony.--Witnesses who are to appear before the Committee or a Subcommittee shall file with the relevant Full Committee staff or Subcommittee Clerk, at least two business days before the day of their appearance, a written statement of their proposed testimony. Witnesses shall limit their oral presentation to a five- minute summary of the written statement, unless the Chair, in consultation with the Ranking Minority Member, extends this time period. Subject to the approval of the Committee, the Chair may waive oral testimony of any witness who has submitted written testimony for the record. In addition, a witness appearing in a nongovernmental capacity shall include a curriculum vitae and a disclosure of any Federal grants or contracts, or contracts or payments originating with a foreign government, received during the current calendar year or either of the previous two calendar years by the witness or by the entity represented by the witness and related to the subject matter of the hearing. The disclosure shall include the amount and source of each Federal grant (or subgrant thereof) or contract (or subcontract thereof) related to the subject matter of the hearing and the amount and country of origin of any payment or contract related to the subject matter of the hearing originating with a foreign government. Failure to comply with these disclosure requirements may result in the exclusion of the written testimony from the hearing record and/or the barring of an oral presentation of the testimony. (b) Minority Witnesses.--When any hearing is conducted by the Committee or any Subcommittee upon any measure or matter, the Minority party Members on the Committee or Subcommittee shall be entitled, upon request to the Chair by a majority of those Minority Members before the completion of the hearing, to call witnesses selected by the Minority to testify with respect to that measure or matter during at least one day of hearings thereon. (c) Information for Members.--After announcement of a hearing, the Committee shall make available as soon as practicable to all Members of the Committee a tentative witness list and to the extent practicable the Majority staff shall make publicly available a memorandum explaining the subject matter of the hearing (including relevant legislative reports and other necessary material). In addition, the Chair shall make available to the Members of the Committee any official reports from departments and agencies on the subject matter as they are received. (d) Subpoenas.--The Committee or a Subcommittee may authorize and issue a subpoena under clause 2(m) of House Rule XI if authorized by a majority of the Members voting. In addition, the Chair of the Committee may authorize and issue subpoenas during any period of time in which the House of Representatives has adjourned for more than three days and, as soon as practicable, the Chair shall notify all Members of the Committee of such action. Subpoenas shall be signed only by the Chair of the Committee, or any Member of the Committee authorized by the Committee, and may be served by any person designated by the Chair or Member. (e) Oaths.--The Chair of the Committee, the Chairs of the Subcommittees or any Member designated by the Chair may administer oaths to any witness before the Committee. All witnesses appearing in hearings may be administered the following oath by the Chair or his designee prior to receiving the testimony: ``Do you solemnly swear or affirm, under penalty of law, that the testimony that you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?'' (f) Opening Statements; Questioning of Witnesses. (1) Opening statements may be made by the Chair and the Ranking Member or their designee. If a witness scheduled to testify at any hearing of the Committee is a constituent of a Member of the Committee, that Member may be recognized for up to 30 seconds to briefly introduce the witness at the hearing. (2) The questioning of witnesses in Committee and Subcommittee hearings may be initiated by the Chair, followed by the Ranking Minority Member and all other Members alternating between the Majority and Minority parties. In recognizing Members to question witnesses, the Chair shall take into consideration the ratio of the Majority to Minority Members present and shall establish the order of recognition for questioning in a manner so as not to disadvantage the Members of the Majority or the Members of the Minority. A motion is in order to allow designated Majority and Minority party Members to question a witness for a specified period to be equally divided between the Majority and Minority parties. This period shall not exceed one hour in the aggregate. (g) Claims of Privilege.--Claims of common-law privileges made by witnesses in hearings, or by interviewees or deponents in investigations or inquiries, are applicable only at the discretion of the Chair, subject to appeal to the Committee. Rule 5. Filing of Committee Reports (a) Duty of Chair.--Whenever the Committee authorizes the favorable reporting of a measure from the Committee, the Chair or the Chair's designee shall report the same to the House of Representatives and shall take all steps necessary to secure its passage without any additional authority needing to be set forth in the motion to report each individual measure. In appropriate cases, the authority set forth in this rule shall extend to moving in accordance with the Rules of the House of Representatives that the House be resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the measure; and to moving in accordance with the Rules of the House of Representatives for the disposition of a Senate measure that is substantially the same as the House measure as reported. (b) Filing.--A report on a measure which has been approved by the Committee shall be filed within seven calendar days (exclusive of days on which the House of Representatives is not in session) after the day on which there has been filed with the relevant Full Committee staff a written request, signed by a majority of the Members of the Committee, for the reporting of that measure. Upon the filing with the relevant Full Committee staff of this request, the staff shall transmit immediately to the Chair notice of the filing of that request. (c) Supplemental, Additional, Dissenting or Minority Views.--Any Member may, if notice is given by any Member at the time a measure or matter is approved by the Committee, file supplemental, additional, dissenting or minority views. These views must be in writing and signed by each Member joining therein and be filed with the Committee Chief Counsel not less than two additional calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays except when the House is in session on those days) of the time the bill or resolution is approved by the Committee. This paragraph shall not preclude the filing of any supplemental report on any measure or matter that may be required for the correction of any technical error in a previous report made by the Committee on that bill or resolution. (d) Review by Members.--Each Member of the Committee shall be given an opportunity to review each proposed Committee report before it is filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Nothing in this paragraph extends the time allowed for filing supplemental, additional, dissenting or minority views under paragraph (c). (e) Disclaimer.--All Committee or Subcommittee reports printed and not approved by a majority vote of the Committee or Subcommittee, as appropriate, shall contain the following disclaimer on the cover of the report: ``This report has not been officially adopted by the {Committee on Natural Resources} {Subcommittee} and may not therefore necessarily reflect the views of its Members.'' Rule 6. Establishment of Subcommittees; Full Committee Jurisdiction; Bill Referrals (a) Subcommittees.--There shall be five standing Subcommittees of the Committee, with the following jurisdiction and responsibilities: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (1) Measures and matters related to the National Park System and its units, including Federal reserved water rights. (2) The National Wilderness Preservation System. (3) Wild and Scenic Rivers System, National Trails System, national heritage areas and other national units established for protection, conservation, preservation or recreational development, other than coastal barriers. [[Page H1574]] (4) Military parks and battlefields, national cemeteries administered by the Secretary of the Interior, parks in and within the vicinity of the District of Columbia and the erection of monuments to the memory of individuals. (5) Federal and non-Federal outdoor recreation plans, programs and administration including the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 and the Outdoor Recreation Act of 1963. (6) Preservation of prehistoric ruins and objects of interest on the public domain and other historic preservation programs and activities, including national monuments, historic sites and programs for international cooperation in the field of historic preservation. (7) Matters concerning the following agencies and programs: Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Program, Historic American Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record, and U.S. Holocaust Memorial. (8) Public lands generally, including measures or matters relating to entry, easements, withdrawals, grazing and Federal reserved water rights. (9) Forfeiture of land grants and alien ownership, including alien ownership of mineral lands. (10) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve international programs for the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. (11) Forest reservations, including management thereof, created from the public domain. (12) Public forest lands generally, including measures or matters related to entry, easements, withdrawals, grazing and Federal reserved water rights. (13) General and continuing oversight and investigative authority over activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife (1) All measures and matters concerning water resources planning conducted pursuant to the Water Resources Planning Act, water resource research and development programs and saline water research and development. (2) Compacts relating to the use and apportionment of interstate waters, water rights and major interbasin water or power movement programs. (3) All measures and matters pertaining to irrigation and reclamation projects and other water resources development and recycling programs, including policies and procedures. (4) Indian water rights and settlements. (5) Activities and programs of the Water Resources Division or its successor within the U.S. Geological Survey. (6) The Endangered Species Act. (7) Fisheries management and fisheries research generally, including the management of all commercial and recreational fisheries (including the reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act), interjurisdictional fisheries, international fisheries agreements, aquaculture, seafood safety, and fisheries promotion. (8) All matters pertaining to the protection of coastal and marine environments, estuarine protection, and coastal barriers. (9) Oceanography. (10) Ocean engineering, including materials, technology and systems. (11) Marine sanctuaries. (12) U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. (13) All matters regarding Antarctica within the Committee's jurisdiction. (14) Sea Grant programs and marine extension services. (15) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve international programs for the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. (16) Coastal zone management. (17) Wildlife resources, including research, restoration, and conservation. (18) Measures and matters related to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including ecological services, fish and aquatic conservation, international affairs, migratory birds, national wildlife refuge system, wildlife and sport fish restoration, and the Lacey Act. (19) General and continuing oversight and investigative authority over activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources (1) Planning for and development of energy from solar and wind resources on land belonging to the United States, including the outer Continental Shelf. (2) All matters and measures affecting geothermal resources. (3) Marine hydrokinetic energy development on the outer Continental Shelf. (4) All matters related to the leasing, development, and conservation of fossil fuel resources belonging to the United States, including on the outer Continental Shelf and land where the surface is owned by entities other than the United States, including decommissioning of relevant facilities and reclamation of affected areas. (5) Mitigation of energy and mining related impacts on Federal lands and resources. (6) Terrestrial and geological sequestration of carbon dioxide, except for matters involving implementation of land or forestry management strategies. (7) All measures and matters concerning the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. (8) All measures and matters concerning the U.S. Geological Survey, except for the activities and programs of the Water Resources Division or its successor. (9) Collection and management of energy and mineral revenues. (10) Mining interests generally, including all matters involving mining regulation and enforcement, including the reclamation of mined lands, the environmental effects of mining, mineral land laws and claims, long-range mineral programs, and seabed mining. (11) Conservation of United States uranium supply. (12) Geospatial data collection and management, except for nautical charts (or data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). (13) Helium supply and management of the Federal helium program. (14) Rights-of-way over public lands for pipeline transportation of oil, natural gas, carbon dioxide, and helium. (15) Measures and matters concerning the transportation of natural gas from or within Alaska and disposition of oil transported by the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. (16) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve international programs for the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. (17) Generation and marketing of electric power from Federal water projects by Federally chartered or Federal regional power marketing authorities. (18) Rights-of-way over public lands for energy-related transmission. (19) General and continuing oversight and investigative authority over activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States (1) All matters related to the Federal trust responsibility to Native Americans and the sovereignty of Native Americans. (2) Measures relating to the welfare of Native Americans, including management of Indian lands in general and special measures relating to claims which are paid out of Indian funds. (3) All matters regarding Native Alaskans. (4) All matters regarding the relations of the United States with Native Americans and Native American tribes, including special oversight functions under House Rule X. (5) All matters regarding Native Hawaiians. (6) General and continuing oversight and investigative authority over activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (1) Primary and general oversight and investigative authority on all activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction of the Committee under House Rule X. (b) Full Committee.--The following measures and matters shall be retained at the Full Committee: (1) Environmental and habitat measures of general applicability, including the National Environmental Policy Act. (2) All matters regarding insular areas of the United States. (3) All measures or matters regarding the Freely Associated States. (4) Cooperative efforts to encourage, enhance and improve international programs for the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources otherwise within the jurisdiction of the Full Committee. (5) All other measures and matters retained by the Full Committee, including those retained under Committee Rule 6(e). (6) General and continuing oversight and investigative authority over activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction of the Full Committee. (c) Ex-officio Members.--The Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee may serve as ex-officio Members of each standing Subcommittee to which the Chair or the Ranking Minority Member have not been assigned. Ex-officio Members shall have the right to fully participate in Subcommittee activities but may not vote and may not be counted in establishing a quorum. (d) Powers and Duties of Subcommittees.--Each Subcommittee is authorized to meet, hold hearings, receive evidence and report to the Committee on all matters within its jurisdiction. Each Subcommittee shall review and study on a continuing basis the application, administration, execution and effectiveness of those statutes, or parts of statutes, the subject matter of which is within that Subcommittee's jurisdiction; and the organization, operation, and regulations of any Federal agency or entity having responsibilities in or for the administration of such statutes, to determine whether these statutes are being implemented and carried out in accordance with the intent of Congress. Each Subcommittee shall review and study any conditions or circumstances indicating the need for enacting new or supplemental legislation within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. Each Subcommittee shall [[Page H1575]] have general and continuing oversight and investigative authority over activities, policies and programs within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee. (e) Referral to Subcommittees; Recall. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) and for those measures or matters retained at the Full Committee, every legislative measure or other matter referred to the Committee shall be referred to the maximum extent possible to the Subcommittee of jurisdiction within two weeks of the date of its referral to the Committee. If any measure or matter is within or affects the jurisdiction of one or more Subcommittees, the Chair may refer that measure or matter simultaneously to two or more Subcommittees for concurrent consideration or for consideration in sequence subject to appropriate time limits, or divide the matter into two or more parts and refer each part to a Subcommittee. (2) The Chair, with the approval of a majority of the Majority Members of the Committee, may refer a legislative measure or other matter to a select or special Subcommittee. A legislative measure or other matter referred by the Chair to a Subcommittee may be recalled from the Subcommittee for direct consideration by the Full Committee, or for referral to another Subcommittee, provided Members of the Committee receive one week written notice of the recall and a majority of the Members of the Committee do not object. In addition, a legislative measure or other matter referred by the Chair to a Subcommittee may be recalled from the Subcommittee at any time by majority vote of the Committee for direct consideration by the Full Committee or for referral to another Subcommittee. (f) Consultation.--Each Subcommittee Chair shall consult with the Chair of the Full Committee prior to setting dates for Subcommittee meetings and hearings with a view towards avoiding whenever possible conflicting Committee and Subcommittee meetings and hearings. (g) Vacancy.--A vacancy in the membership of a Subcommittee shall not affect the power of the remaining Members to execute the functions of the Subcommittee. Rule 7. Task Forces, Special or Select Subcommittees (a) Appointment.--The Chair of the Committee is authorized, after consultation with the Ranking Minority Member, to appoint Task Forces, or special or select Subcommittees, to carry out the duties and functions of the Committee. (b) Ex-officio Members.--The Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee may serve as ex-officio Members of each Task Force, or special or select Subcommittee if they are not otherwise Members. Ex-officio Members shall have the right to fully participate in activities but may not vote and may not be counted in establishing a quorum. (c) Party Ratios.--The ratio of Majority Members to Minority Members, excluding ex-officio Members, on each Task Force, special or select Subcommittee shall be as close as practicable to the ratio on the Full Committee. (d) Temporary Resignation.-- Members can temporarily resign their position on a Subcommittee to serve on a Task Force, special or select Subcommittee without prejudice to the Member's seniority on the Subcommittee. (e) Chair and Ranking Minority Member.--The Chair of any Task Force, or special or select Subcommittee shall be appointed by the Chair of the Committee. The Ranking Minority Member shall select a Ranking Minority Member for each Task Force, or standing, special or select Subcommittee. Rule 8. Recommendation of Conferees Whenever it becomes necessary to appoint conferees on a particular measure, the Chair shall recommend to the Speaker as conferees those Majority Members primarily responsible for the measure. Similarly, the Ranking Member shall recommend to the Minority Leader as conferees those Minority Members primarily responsible for the measure. The ratio of Majority Members to Minority Members recommended for conferences shall be no greater than the ratio on the Committee. Rule 9. Committee Records (a) Segregation of Records.--All Committee records shall be kept separate and distinct from the office records of individual Committee Members serving as Chairs or Ranking Minority Members. These records shall be the property of the House and all Members shall have access to them in accordance with clause 2(e)(2) of House Rule XI. (b) Availability.--The Committee shall make available to the public for review at reasonable times in the Committee office transcripts of public meetings and hearings, except those that are unrevised or unedited and intended solely for the use of the Committee. (c) Archived Records.--Records of the Committee which are deposited with the National Archives shall be made available for public use pursuant to House Rule VII. The Chair shall notify the Ranking Minority Member of any decision, pursuant to clause 3(b)(3) or clause 4(b) of House Rule VII, to withhold, or to provide a time, schedule or condition for availability of any record otherwise available. At the written request of any Member of the Committee, the matter shall be presented to the Committee for a determination and shall be subject to the same notice and quorum requirements for the conduct of business under Committee Rule 3. (d) Records of Closed Meetings.--Notwithstanding the other provisions of this rule, no records of Committee meetings or hearings which were closed to the public pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives shall be released to the public unless the Committee votes to release those records in accordance with the procedure used to close the Committee meeting. (e) Classified Materials.--All classified materials shall be maintained in an appropriately secured location and shall be released only to authorized persons for review, who shall not remove the material from the Committee offices without the written permission of the Chair. (f) Committee Information Available for the Public.--In addition to any other requirement of these rules or the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Chair shall cause to be made available publicly in electronic form the following: (1) a record of the votes on any question on which a recorded vote is taken which shall be posted no later than 24 hours after the vote is taken that shall include: (i) a copy of the amendment or a detailed description of the motion, order or other proposition; and (ii) the name of each Member voting for and each Member voting against such amendment, motion, order, or proposition, the names of those Members voting present, and the names of any Member not present. (2) copies of all amendments adopted in Committee by voice vote or unanimous consent within 24 hours of the adoption of the amendment. (3) the rules of the Committee, once adopted, and any amendments thereto, in accordance with clause 2(a)(2) of House Rule XI. (4) the statements required under the second sentence of clause 2(g)(5) of House Rule XI, with appropriate redactions to protect the privacy of the witness, which shall be posted no later than one day after the witness appears before the Committee. Rule 10. Committee Budget and Expenses (a) Budget At the beginning of each Congress, after consultation with the Chair of each Subcommittee and the Ranking Minority Member, the Chair shall present to the Committee for its approval a budget covering the funding required for staff, travel, and miscellaneous expenses. (b) Expense Resolution.--Upon approval by the Committee of each budget, the Chair, acting pursuant to clause 6 of House Rule X, shall prepare and introduce in the House a supporting expense resolution, and take all action necessary to bring about its approval by the Committee on House Administration and by the House of Representatives. (c) Amendments.--The Chair shall report to the Committee any amendments to each expense resolution and any related changes in the budget. (d) Additional Expenses.--Authorization for the payment of additional or unforeseen Committee expenses may be procured by one or more additional expense resolutions processed in the same manner as set out under this rule. (e) Monthly Reports.--Copies of each monthly report prepared by the Chair for the Committee on House Administration which shows expenditures made during the reporting period and cumulative for the year, anticipated expenditures for the projected Committee program, and detailed information on travel, shall be available to each Member. Rule 11. Committee Staff (a) Rules and Policies.--Committee staff are subject to the provisions of clause 9 of House Rule X, as well as any written personnel policies the Committee may from time to time adopt. (b) Majority and Nonpartisan Staff.--The Chair shall appoint, determine the remuneration of, and may remove, the legislative and administrative employees of the Committee not assigned to the Minority. The legislative and administrative staff of the Committee not assigned to the Minority shall be under the general supervision and direction of the Chair, who shall establish and assign the duties and responsibilities of Committee staff and delegate any authority the Chair determines appropriate. (c) Minority Staff.--The Ranking Minority Member of the Committee shall appoint, determine the remuneration of, and may remove, the legislative and administrative staff assigned to the Minority within the budget approved for those purposes. The legislative and administrative staff assigned to the Minority shall be under the general supervision and direction of the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee who may delegate any authority the Ranking Member determines appropriate. (d) Availability.--The skills and services of all Committee staff shall be available to all Members of the Committee. Rule 12. Committee Travel In addition to any written travel policies the Committee may from time to time adopt, all travel of Members and staff of the Committee or its Subcommittees to hearings, meetings, conferences and investigations, including all foreign travel, must be authorized by the Full Committee Chair prior to any public notice of the travel and prior to the actual travel. In the case of Minority staff, all travel shall first be approved by the Ranking Minority Member. Funds authorized for the Committee under clauses 6 and 7 of House Rule X are for expenses incurred in the Committee's activities within the United States. [[Page H1576]] Rule 13. Changes to Committee Rules The rules of the Committee may be modified, amended, or repealed by a majority vote of the Committee provided that written notice of the proposed change has been provided to each Member of the Committee prior to the meeting date on which the changes are to be discussed and voted on consistent with Committee Rule 3(a). A change to the rules of the Committee shall be published in the Congressional Record no later than 30 days after its approval and made publicly available in electronic form. Rule 14. Other Procedures The Chair may establish procedures and take actions as may be necessary to carry out the rules of the Committee or to facilitate the effective administration of the Committee, in accordance with the rules of the Committee and the Rules of the House of Representatives. ____________________
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