Committee System Rules Changes in the House, 107th Congress

Committee System Rules Changes in the House, 107th Congress

Order Code RS20769
January 5, 2001
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Committee System Rules Changes in the
House, 107th Congress
name redacted
Specialist on the Congress
Government and Finance Division
Summary
This fact sheet details changes in the committee system contained in H.Res. 5, the
rules of the House for the 107th Congress, adopted by the House January 3, 2001. The
fact sheet will not be updated unless further rules changes are adopted.
Committee Structure
Organization. The resolution abolishes the Committee on Banking and Financial
Services and creates a Committee on Financial Services and changes the name of the
Committee on Commerce to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Jurisdiction. Jurisdiction over securities and exchanges, and insurance generally,
is transferred from the Committee on Energy and Commerce to the Committee on
Financial Services.
The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has exclusive oversight
responsibility over the sources and methods of the core intelligence agencies.
Size. The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is increased from not more
than 16 members to not more than 18 members, of which not more than 10 may be from
the same party.
Subcommittees. The resolution maintains the current rule regarding the number
of subcommittees each committee can create. However, the Committee on Government
Reform may create up to eight subcommittees, and the Committee on International
Relations and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure may create up to six
subcommittees each.
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Committee Procedure
Hearings. The procedures for committee hearings are modified to resolve an
unintended implication about hearings labeled as something other than investigative;
clarify that a copy of the committee rules and hearing procedures should be made
available to witnesses “upon request”; and clarify that an assertion that evidence or
testimony at a hearing may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person must be
made either by a Member of the committee or by a witness at a hearing.
Oversight. Committees are required to include in their oversight plans a review
of specific problems with federal rules, regulations, statutes, and court decisions that are
ambiguous, arbitrary, or nonsensical, or impose a severe financial burden on individuals.
As mentioned above, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence gains
exclusive oversight responsibility over the sources and methods of the core intelligence
agencies.
The Committee on House Administration provides only policy direction to the
inspector general, and retains oversight responsibility over the Clerk of the House,
Sergeant at Arms, and chief administrative officer.
Quorums. Rules on the majority quorum requirement for ordering a measure
reported, the release of executive session materials, the issuance of subpoenas, and
determining if evidence or testimony may defame, degrade, or incriminate any person are
clarified.
Committee Reports. The requirement that committee reports include a summary
of oversight findings and recommendations by the Committee on Government Reform is
repealed, and replaced with a new requirement that committee reports include a statement
of general performance goals and objectives, including outcome-related goals and
objectives, for which the measure authorizes funding.
A committee may file a supplemental report, without additional layover, to correct
errors in the depiction of record votes in committee.
Subpoenas. The rule addressing responses to subpoenas is clarified to reflect the
current interpretation that the rule also applies to both judicial orders and administrative
subpoenas.
Committee Staff
Consultants. An individual employed by the House pursuant to a consultant
contract may not lobby the contracting committee or the members or staff of the
contracting committee on any matter. The individual may lobby other members or staff
of the House on matters outside the jurisdiction of the contracting committee.

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