Order Code RL34553
Closing a Congressional Office: Overview and
Guide to House and Senate Practices
June 30, 2008
R. Eric Petersen
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division

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Closing a Congressional Office: Overview and Guide to
House and Senate Practices
Summary
Turnover of membership in the House and Senate necessitates closing
congressional offices. The closure of a congressional office requires an outgoing
Member of Congress to evaluate pertinent information regarding his or her staff; the
disposal of personal and official records; and final disposition of office accounts,
facilities, and equipment. In the past several years, the House and Senate have
developed extensive resources to assist Members in closing their offices. These
services are most typically used at the end of a Congress, when a Member’s term of
service ends, but most of the services are available to an office that becomes vacant
for other reasons. This report provides an overview of issues that may arise in
closing a congressional office, and provides a guide to resources available through
the appropriate support offices of the House and Senate.
This report, which will be updated as warranted, is one of several CRS products
focusing on various aspects of congressional operations and administration. Others
include CRS Report RL33220, Support Offices in the House of Representatives:
Roles and Authorities, by Ida A. Brudnick; CRS Report RL34188, Congressional
Official Mail Costs, by Matthew Eric Glassman; CRS Report RL34495, Continuation
of Employment Benefits for Senate Restaurant Employees, by Jacob R. Straus; and
CRS Report RL33686, Roles and Duties of a Member of Congress, by R. Eric
Petersen.

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Contents
House Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Senate Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Office Furniture and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
111th Congress Transition, Further Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Closing an Office Prior to Completion of a Member’s Term . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Senate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
List of Tables
Table 1. Departures of Members of Congress, 100th - 110th Congresses . . . . . . . 2

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Closing a Congressional Office: Overview
and Guide to House and Senate Practices
Turnover of membership in the House and Senate necessitates closing
congressional offices. The most common reason for departure is the expiration of a
Member’s term of office, but a congressional office may also become vacant due to
resignation, death, or other reasons. The closure of a congressional office requires
an outgoing Member of Congress, or congressional officials, in the case of a
deceased member, to evaluate pertinent information regarding staff; the disposal of
personal and official records; and final disposition of office accounts, facilities, and
equipment. Table 1 summarizes the numbers of Members leaving the House and
Senate after the 110th Congress, and in the prior 10 Congresses.
The House and Senate have developed extensive resources to assist Members
in closing their offices. These services are typically used at the end of a Congress,
when a Member’s term of service ends, but most services are available to an office
that becomes vacant for other reasons. This report provides an overview of issues
that may arise in closing a congressional office, and provides a guide to resources
available through the appropriate support offices of the House and Senate.
House Support
House office closing activities are supported by the Chief Administrative
Officer (CAO), Clerk of the House, and House Sergeant at Arms. In preparation for
the conclusion of the 110th Congress, House chamber officers, in conjunction with
the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), will provide Departing Member Briefings to
offices that will close before the 111th Congress convenes.1 In addition to the
briefings, extensive resources related to closing a congressional office are available
to House offices through the 111th Congress transition web page on the House intranet.2
1 See U.S. House, Chief Administrative Officer, “Departing Member Briefings to be Held
May 19 — November 7,” dear colleague letter, Apr. 25, 2008. The schedule for the
briefings is available to House offices through Housenet, the House intranet, at
[https://housenet.house.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_2587_201_200_43/
http%3B/onlinecao.house.gov/111transition/deploy-depart/departing/closingdc/depart_br
iefings.pdf].
2 Materials in this report related to House office closing procedures are drawn from the
House intranet 111th Congress transition web page, available at
[https://housenet.house.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_2587_201_200_43/
(continued...)

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CRS-2
Table 1. Departures of Members of Congress,
100th - 110th Congresses
Congress
Representatives
Senators
110tha
46
7
109th
59
10
108th
45
8
107th
57
10
106th
46
13
105th
49
8
104th
77
17
103rd
94
14
102nd
110
15
101st
44
5
100th
34
9
Sources: Various Congressional Research Service web pages, including “Congressional Departures
— 110th Congress,” at [http://www.crs.gov/reference/general/legislative/110departure.shtml];
“Congressional Departures — 109th Congress — final Cumulative Edition,” at [http://www.crs.gov/
reference/general/legislative/109departure.shtml]; “Congressional Departures — 108th Congress
[Final],” at [http://www.crs.gov/reference/general/legislative/108departure.shtml]; “Congressional
Departures — 107th Congress,” at [http://www.crs.gov/reference/general/legislative/
107departure.shtml]; “Congressional Departures — 106th Congress — [Final],” at [http://www.crs.gov/
reference/general/legislative/106departure.shtml] “Congressional Departures, 105th Congress,” at
[http://www.crs.gov/staff/crd/congress/105depar.txt]; and “Congressional Departures, 104th Congress,”
at [http://www.crs.gov/staff/crd/congress/104depar.txt]. Data from Congresses prior to the 104th come
from articles in Roll Call, CQ Almanac, the Senate Library, and other sources.
a. Through June 30, 2008. Includes Members who have left office, and those sitting Members who
have announced that they will retire at the conclusion of the 110th Congress.
Senate Support
When it becomes known that a Senate office will be closing, the Sergeant at
Arms contacts that office to initiate closing support services.3 The Senate Sergeant
at Arms provides office closing services through an Office Support Services
2 (...continued)
http%3B/onlinecao.house.gov/111transition/deploy-depart/index.htm], and other sources
as noted.
3 Materials in this report principally are drawn from U.S. Senate, Sergeant at Arms, Closing
a Senate Office: Handbook for the 109th Congress (Washington: 2006); and U.S. Senate
Handbook, appendix 1-C, “Closing a Senator’s Office,” available to Senate offices at
[http://webster.senate.gov]; and other sources as noted.

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CRS-3
Customer Support Analyst (CSA) assigned to each Senate office. A CSA helps
coordinate an initial closing office planning meeting between the office and all
Senate support offices, and it facilitates the provision of the following:
! office equipment inventory reports
! assistance with archiving documents
! information on closing out financial obligations
! information on benefits and entitlements available to a Senator after
leaving office
Staff
House. Payroll for staff of Members who are leaving office at the conclusion
of the 110th Congress on January 3, 2009, will terminate automatically on January 2.
The employing authority, a Member in the case of a personal office that is closing,
determines whether outgoing staff are eligible to receive a lump sum payment for any
accrued annual leave. Other potential benefits, including retirement plans, post-
employment life or health insurance benefits, and student loan repayment programs,
are administered through the House Office of Human Resources, according to statute
and chamber regulation. The office will continue to interact with former House
employees on a wide range of post-employment matters, including wage and earning
statements, employee benefits, and any forms that must be completed by former
employees.
In addition to staff procedures to support the closing of a Representative’s
office, the House provides certain post-employment services to departing staff,
including
! a résumé referral service to House staff who desire employment with
Members-elect, provided by the CAO;
! individual outplacement and technical assistance, as well as job
search strategies and transitional techniques to separating employees
of the House, provided by the House Outplacement Services
Resource Center; and
! help for affected employees focused on designing and developing a
successful job search, provided by the Office of Employee
Assistance.
Senate. Staffs of Senators who will leave office when their term of office
officially expires at noon on January 3 of the year in which such a term ends remain
on the payroll until the close of business on January 2 of the year in which the
Senator’s term of office expires, unless terminated sooner.4 The Senate Disbursing
4 The regular term for a United States Senator is from noon on January 3 of the year
following election to noon on January 3, six years later. See U.S. Senate, Senate Manual,
S. Doc. 107-1, 107th Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 2002), p. 236. For accounting
(continued...)

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CRS-4
Office addresses issues related to the termination of employment of departing staff
and provides information on the available options to staff regarding post-employment
insurance and retirement programs and other benefits.
The Senate Placement Office provides application and referral service for
professionals and support staff, and it can assist outgoing Senate employees who are
seeking positions in new congressional offices. The departing staff who are
interested in this service must complete an application form and be interviewed by
a personnel specialist. Placement office personnel then review applications and send
them to offices with matching available positions.
Records5
House. According to the Clerk of the House, the files generated by a
Member’s congressional office and accumulated in the course of service in the House
are the personal property of the Member. The House pays for point-to-point shipping
of all official records and papers for departing Members of that chamber. Official
papers are generally described as those materials that may be mailed under franking
regulations. Other materials, including memorabilia, photographs, and documents
that do not relate to official business must be shipped or disposed of at the outgoing
Member’s expense. Guidance regarding records management is available from the
Office of the Clerk. Shipping of records is carried out by the House CAO.
Senate. The Senate Records Management Handbook notes that neither statute
nor the standing rules of the Senate define which items constitute a Senator’s papers.
For management purposes, the Secretary of the Senate defines Senators’ papers as
“all records, regardless of physical form and characteristics, that are made or received
in connection with an individual’s career as a United States Senator.”6 The manual
notes that, by tradition and practice, any such records are the private property of the
individual Senator. The principal exclusion from Senator’s papers are committee
records that are defined by statute and Senate standing rules to be records of the
Senate.7 Senate office closing guidelines specify a detailed process for the handling
of a Senator’s records.
4 (...continued)
purposes, the period for pay and allowances, including staff salaries, has been established
by the Senate as the full day of January 3 through the full day of January 2.
5 House material in this section is based on U.S. House, Office of the Clerk, Records
Management Manual for Members of the U.S. House Of Representatives, Publication M-1
(Washington: Dec. 2005), and other sources as noted. Senate material is based on U.S.
Senate, Secretary of the Senate, Records Management Handbook for United States Senators
and Their Archival Repositories, S.Pub. 109-19 (Washington: GPO, 2006), and other
sources as noted.
6 U.S. Senate, Records Management Handbook, p. 5.
7 Committee rules are defined as records of the Senate in 44 U.S.C. 2118; 2 U.S.C. 72 a; and
Senate Rules XI and XXVI.

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CRS-5
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides courtesy
storage facilities to Members of Congress for records created in Capitol Hill offices
at the Washington National Records Center (WNRC) in Suitland, Maryland, and at
regional storage facilities around the country for records generated in state or district
offices. NARA courtesy storage expires at the conclusion of a Member’s term of
office.8 WNRC can be reached at 301-778-1650. Contact information for NARA
regional facilities is available at [http://www.archives.gov/locations/].
Accounts
House. The House Office of Finance requests that contact information for
each closing office be provided to expedite resolution of final payments to vendors.
Senate. Closing offices must settle several accounts, with units of the
Secretary of the Senate and the Sergeant at Arms, as well as other government
agencies.9 The Senate Disbursing Office is authorized10 to withhold Senators and
staff’s final paychecks if accounts with the recording studio, the Senate restaurants,
or the Stationery Room do not reflect a zero balance.
Facilities
House. The Architect of the Capitol advises that departing Members must
vacate their Washington, DC, offices not later than noon on December 1, 2008. A
Departing Member Service Center to outgoing Members provides functional
workspace for departing Members and staff once their office suites are vacated. The
center is secured by the U.S. Capitol Police and has a central administrative facility
that is staffed by CAO employees. Each departing Member office is assigned a
single cubicle that can accommodate the Member and one other person at any given
time. Each cubicle is equipped with a telephone, networked computer, and basic
supplies. Facilities will be available December 1-12, 2008, on a first-come,
first-served basis.11 Members must vacate district office space on or before January
2, 2009.
Senate. Senators may remain in their personal offices in Washington, DC, until
their terms of office expire. Senators leasing federal office premises or commercial
space in their home states must notify the General Services Administration (GSA)
or private landlord in writing at least 30 days in advance of their intention to vacate
the premises. The Sergeant at Arms requires that a copy of an intent to vacate letter
8 Based on discussions with NARA staff in the Congressional Affairs Office, Oct. 3-4, 2006.
9 Other government agencies include the Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Attending
Physician, Senate restaurants, United States Botanic Garden, Library of Congress, National
Gallery of Art, and Federal Election Commission.
10 U.S. Senate, Senate Manual, pp. 244, 267.
11 “Departing Member Service Center,” available to House offices at
[https://housenet.house.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_2587_201_200_43/
http%3B/onlinecao.house.gov/111transition/deploy-depart/departing/closingdc/depart_se
rvicecenter.pdf].

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CRS-6
be provided to his office at the same time it is provided to landlords. All office space
must be vacated by the close of business on January 2 of the year in which the
Senator’s term expires.
Office Furniture and Equipment
House. House Support Services (HSS) staff will begin scheduling final
equipment inventories for the Capitol Hill offices of departing Members shortly after
the November elections. GSA is responsible for performing the final inventory for
the district office locations of departing Members. All furniture and equipment
(including copiers, faxes, telecommunication systems, computers, personal digital
assistants, and any other equipment used to support office operations), whether used
in office settings, or in the residences of Members and staff, must be accounted for
in those inventories. Representatives are allowed to purchase their chairs and desks
only from the Washington, DC, inventory. In district offices, succeeding Members
will inherit all of the equipment and furniture items of the outgoing Member. If the
succeeding Member chooses not to use office items of the departing Member, those
items will then become available for purchase by the departing Member.
Senate. Furnishings in a departing Senator’s personal and Capitol offices12
remain in place. Keys for Capitol offices must be returned to Sergeant at Arms
Capitol Facilities. The Asset Management Section of the Sergeant at Arms conducts
an inventory of all office and information technology (IT) related equipment in
closing offices. Telecommunications equipment must be returned to the Senate.
Outgoing Senators may purchase select office equipment and non-historical furniture
used in their Capitol Hill offices. Emergency equipment, including annunciators,
escape hoods, emergency supply kits (go kits), and victim rescue units, will be
inventoried by the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness (OSEP).
111th Congress Transition, Further Information
House. Further information regarding closing a Member office in the House
at the conclusion of the 110th Congress may be obtained by House offices through
Housenet, at [https://housenet.house.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/
PTARGS_0_2_2587_201_200_43/http%3B/onlinecao.house.gov/111transition/de
ploy-depart/departmembers.htm].
Senate. Further information regarding closing a Member office in the Senate
may be obtained by contacting the Senate Sergeant at Arms, Office Support Services.
Closing an Office Prior to Completion of a Member’s Term
A Member of Congress may leave office prior to the expiration of his or her
term, due to resignation, death,13 or for other reasons.
12 This refers to a Senator’s personal Capitol office.
13 For consideration of a range of issues related to the death of a sitting member of Congress,
(continued...)

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CRS-7
House. On the first business day after the death, resignation, or expulsion of
a Member of the House, his or her office is renamed the Office of the ___
Congressional District of State/Territory. Pursuant to House Rule II, cl.2(i)(1),14 staff
on payroll of the congressional office when the outgoing Member departs remain
employed by the House, and carry out their duties under the supervision of the Clerk
of the House until a successor is elected.15
Senate. Senate practice regarding the closing of the office of a Senator who
leaves office prior to the expiration of his or her term of office varies according to the
circumstances of the departure. In addition to the expiration of the regular term of
office, the Senate Handbook notes that a Senate office might be closed due to the
following categories:
! resignation
! termination of the service of a Senator who is appointed and who
does not stand for election, or is defeated
! death of a Senator
Resignation. Employees in the personal office of a Senator who resigns are
continued on the Senate payroll at their respective salaries for up to 60 days after the
Senator leaves office, unless the Senator’s term of office expires sooner. Employee
duties are performed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.16
An amount equal to one-tenth of the official office expense account portion of
the Senator’s Official Personnel and Office Expense Account 17 is available to the
Secretary of the Senate to defray those expenses directly related to closing a
13 (...continued)
see CRS Report RL34347, Members of Congress Who Die in Office: Historic and Current
Practices, by R. Eric Petersen and Jennifer E. Manning.
14 House Rule II, cl. 2(i)(1) provides that “[t]he Clerk shall supervise the staff and manage
the office of a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who has died, resigned, or
been expelled until a successor is elected.” 2 U.S.C. 92a, on the other hand, provides that
staff of a deceased Member of the House or Senate are continued on the payroll for 30 days.
As Article 1, Section 5, clause 2 of the Constitution provides that “[e]ach House may
determine the Rules of its Proceedings,” House Rule II, cl.2(i)(1) arguably provides the
House with sufficient authority to take actions related to its administrative operations
beyond the scope of the limitations specified in 2 U.S.C. 92.
15 A new Member of the House would have authority to hire staff, and is not required to
retain staff members of the deceased Member.
16 U.S. Senate, United States Senate Handbook, p. I-90.
17 Senators have three official allowances available to them for personnel and official office
expenses. They are the administrative and clerical assistance allowance, the legislative
assistance allowance, and the official office expense allowance. The three allowances are
funded together in a “Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account,” within the
“Contingent Expenses of the Senate” in the annual legislative branch appropriations bill.
For further information, see CRS Report RL30064, Congressional Salaries and Allowances,
by Ida A. Brudnick.

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CRS-8
Senator’s office. Expenses are paid from the Contingent Fund of the Senate as
Miscellaneous Items.
Terminated Appointment. Employees in the personal office of a Senator
whose appointment is terminated are continued on the Senate payroll at their
respective salaries for up to 30 days after the termination of the Senator’s service, or
until they have become otherwise gainfully employed, whichever is earlier.
The office space in Washington, DC, and in the state of an appointed Senator
must be vacated on the day preceding the swearing-in of the successor, if the Senate
is in session. If the Senate has adjourned sine die, an appointed Senator who will not
continue to serve in the Senate must vacate office facilities the day before a successor
is certified, or 30 days after a successor has been elected, whichever is earlier.
Death of a Senator. Employees in the personal office of a deceased sitting
Senator18 are continued on the Senate payroll at their respective salaries for up to 60
days after the Senator’s death, unless the Senator’s term of office expires sooner.
The Committee on Rules and Administration may extend this period in cases where
it will take longer to close a deceased Senator’s office. Employee duties are
performed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.19
An amount equal to one-tenth of the official office expense account portion of
the Senator’s Official Personnel and Office Expense Account is available to the
Secretary of the Senate to defray those expenses directly related to closing a
Senator’s office. Expenses are paid from the Contingent Fund of the Senate as
Miscellaneous Items. The Senate Financial Clerk provides information concerning
allowances for the operation of the deceased Senator’s office during the 60-day
period.20
18 Employees of Senators who die while holding the office of President pro tempore, Deputy
President pro tempore, President pro tempore emeritus, majority leader, minority leader,
majority whip, minority whip, secretary of the Conference of the Majority, secretary of the
Conference of the Minority, the chairman of the Conference of the Majority, the chairman
of the Conference of the Minority, the chairman of the majority Policy Committee, or the
chairman of the minority Policy Committee, are also continued in their positions at their
respective salaries for up to 60 days, subject to the same limitations of employees working
in personal offices.
19 S.Res. 458, 98th Congress, adopted Oct. 4, 1984, as amended. Incorporated as a standing
rule of the Senate in U.S. Senate, Senate Manual, pp. 100-103. 2 U.S.C. 92a, on the other
hand, provides that staff of a deceased Member of the House or Senate are continued on the
payroll for 30 days. As Article 1, Section 5, clause 2 of the Constitution provides that
“[e]ach House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings,” S.Res. 458, as amended,
arguably provides the Senate with sufficient authority to take actions related to its
administrative operations beyond the scope of the limitations specified in 2 U.S.C. 92.
20 U.S. Senate, United States Senate Handbook, p. I-91.

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