Secretary of the Senate: Fact Sheet on Legislative and Administrative Duties

Secretary of the Senate: Fact Sheet on Legislative and Administrative Duties

Order Code 98-747 GOV
Updated August 7, 2003
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Secretary of the Senate: Fact Sheet on
Legislative and Administrative Duties
Paul E. Dwyer
Specialist in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
The Secretary of the Senate is an officer of the Senate with financial, administrative,
and legislative responsibilities. The Secretary is elected at the beginning of each Congress
by the membership of the Senate. The duties of the Secretary of the Senate are mandated
by the Constitution, law, Senate rules, custom, resolutions and precedents of the Senate,
directives of Senate leadership, and policies and regulations set by the Senate Committee
on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration in the exercise
of their oversight roles. For more information on the legislative process, see
[http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.shtml].
Financial Responsibilities
The Secretary is the chief financial officer of the Senate. As such, the Secretary is
responsible for accounting for funds appropriated to the Senate and for managing and
supervising the disbursing office, which handles the Senate payroll and related personnel
matters. The Secretary also conducts audits of Senate financial activities. Senate
expenditures of funds appropriated to the Senate are published semi-annually by the
Secretary in the Senate document, Report of the Secretary of the Senate.
Administrative Responsibilities
As chief operations officer of the Senate, the Secretary is responsible for a number
of services that support operations of the Senate. These responsibilities are as follows:
! Stationery Room procures and provides office supplies for purchase by
Senate offices;
! Senate Library provides reference services to the Senate;
! Conservation and Preservation Office administers programs for the
conservation and preservation of Senate records;
! Public Records Office processes and maintains records filed with the
secretary, including records relating to campaign expenses, lobbying
disclosure, financial disclosure, the code of conduct, gifts, mass mailings,
political fund designees, Senate services, and foreign travel
reimbursement reports;
! Historical Office maintains collections on the Senate’s history and
provides advice on records and documents storage to Senators’ offices;
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

! Senate Curator administers the Senate’s museum programs for the
Capitol and Senate office buildings;
! Senate Security Office protects Senate classified information;
! Interparliamentary Services Office handles the administration and
protocol of interparliamentary functions involving the Senate and
represents the Senate to foreign parliamentary delegations;
! Senate Page Program coordinates the education of Senate pages; and
! Gift Shop (Including Gift Shop Revolving Fund).
Other duties of the Secretary of the Senate are management of the nonpartisan chief
counsel for employment office (provides legal advice and representation in employment
law); maintenance of the Senate public Web site; oversight of the Capitol visitors’ center;
supervision of Senate staff displaced by the death or resignation of a Senator; assistance
to Senate leadership in supervision of the Senate legal counsel; organization of orientation
programs for Senators and Senate staff; and custody of the Senate seal.
Legislative Responsibilities
As chief legislative officer, the Secretary of the Senate manages functions that
support the legislative process in the Senate, including supervision of the following staff:
! Bill Clerk records the Senate’s official activities, including the status of
legislation;
! Enrolling Clerk prepares Senate-passed legislation before it is sent to the
President;
! Executive Clerk records Senate actions during executive sessions,
produces the Executive Calendar, and processes nominations and treaty
resolutions received from the President;
! Journal Clerk records the Senate’s daily legislative proceedings and
prepares a history of legislation for the Senate Journal;
! Legislative Clerk reads aloud bills and amendments, the Senate Journal,
and messages to the Senate, calls the roll, and prepares the daily Calendar
of Business;
! Official Reporters of Debates prepare verbatim reports of Senate floor
proceedings for the Congressional Record;
! Parliamentarian advises Senators and staff on Senate precedents and
rules and statutes that affect Senate proceedings;
! Printing and Document Services Office prints and distributes Senate
documents, including coordination with the Government Printing Office;
! Daily Digest highlights the day’s activities of the Senate in the
Congressional Record, including committee hearings and meetings and
floor actions;
! Captioning Office captions Senate proceedings for the hearing-impaired;
! Legislative Information System (LIS) Staff develops the means for
creating, tracking, storing, retrieving, editing, sharing, and transmitting
legislative documents; and
! Continuity of Operations Program provides legislative support to the
Senate to conduct business and retrieve data in an offsite location, in
conjunction with the Senate Sergeant at Arms.
See [http://www.senate.gov/reference/office/secretary_of_senate.htm], for further
information.