[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 112th Congress]
[112nd Congress]
[House Document 111-157]
[House And Congressional Offices]
[Pages 1012-1018]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
EARLY ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE
__________
[2 u.s.c. 29a]
(a) Caucus or conference for incumbent Members reelected to and
Members-elect of ensuing Congress; time and procedure for calling
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Sec. 1126. Organizing caucuses. |
(1) The majority leader or
minority leader of the House of Representatives after consultation with
the Speaker may at any time during any even-numbered year call a caucus
or conference of all incumbent Members of his or her political party who
have been reelected to the ensuing Congress and all other Members-elect
of such party, for the purpose of taking all steps necessary to achieve
the prompt organization of the Members and Members-elect of such party
for the ensuing Congress.
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(2) If the majority leader or minority leader calls an organizational
caucus or conference under paragraph (1), he or she shall file with the
Clerk of the House a written notice designating the date upon which the
caucus or conference is to convene. As soon as possible after the
election of Members to the ensuing Congress, the Clerk shall furnish
each Member-elect of the party involved with appropriate written
notification of the caucus or conference.
(3) If a vacancy occurs in the office of majority leader or minority
leader during any even-numbered year (and has not been filled), the
chairman of the caucus or conference of the party involved for the
current Congress may call an organizational caucus or conference under
paragraph (1) by filing written notice thereof as provided by paragraph
(2).
(b) Payment and reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses for
Members attending caucus or conference; exceptions; regulations
governing payments and reimbursements; reimbursement vouchers
[[Page 1016]]
section, and each incumbent Member
reelected to the ensuing Congress who attends any such caucus or
conference convening after the adjournment sine die of the Congress in
the year involved, shall be paid for one round trip between his or her
place of residence in the district which he or she represents and
Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of attending such
caucus or conference. Payment shall be made through the issuance of a
transportation request form to each such Member-elect or incumbent
Member by the Finance Office of the House before such caucus or
conference.
(1)(A) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to
the ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under
subsection (a) of this
(B) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the
ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under
subsection (a) of this section shall in addition be reimbursed on a per
diem or other basis for expenses incurred in connection with his or her
attendance at such caucus or conference.
(2) Payments and reimbursements to Members-elect under paragraph (1)
shall be made as provided (with respect to Members) in the regulations
prescribed by the Committee on House Administration with respect to
travel and other expenses of committees and Members. Reimbursements
shall be paid on special voucher forms prescribed by the Committee on
House Administration.
(c) Availability of applicable accounts of House
The applicable accounts of the House of Representatives are made
available to carry out the purposes of this section.
(d) Orientation programs for new Members
With the approval of the majority leader (in the case of a Member or
Member-elect of the majority party) or the minority leader (in the case
of a Member or Member-elect of the minority party), subsections (b) and
(c) of this section shall apply with respect to the attendance of a
Member or Member-elect at a program conducted by the Committee on House
Administration for the orientation of new Members in the same manner as
such provisions apply to the attendance of the Member or Member-elect at
the organizational caucus or conference.
[[Page 1017]]
to ``applicable accounts of the House.''
Further amendments were effected at the end of the 108th Congress (to
apply beginning in the One Hundred Tenth Congress) to permit
organizational activity to be scheduled for any period after the general
election and before the onset of the new Congress and to include
orientation programs (sec. 107, div. G, P.L. 108-447, Dec. 8, 2004, 118
Stat. 3176).
These provisions were originated by a resolution of the 93d Congress
(sec. 202, H. Res. 988, Oct. 8, 1974), which was enacted into permanent
law (effective Jan. 2, 1975) shortly thereafter (P.L. 93-554, Dec. 27,
1974, 88 Stat. 1777). Amendments were effected in the 104th Congress
(sec. 202, P.L. 104-186, Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1725), when the House
renamed the committee concerned and converted references to its
``contingent fund''
Under the former form of the statute, contemplating organizational
activity in the month of December, the House occasionally adopted
resolutions allowing earlier convening of an organizational caucus or
conference (e.g., H. Res. 666, 106th Cong., Nov. 3, 2000, p. 25993; H.
Res. 590, 107th Cong., Oct. 16, 2002, p. 20812; H. Res. 824, 108th
Cong., Oct. 6, 2004, pp. 21212, 21213).
[2 u.s.c. 43b-2]
Staff expenses for House Members attending organizational caucus or
conference
(a) In general
Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the
ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under
section 29a(a) of this title, and each incumbent Member reelected to the
ensuing Congress who attends any such caucus or conference convening
after the adjournment sine die of the Congress in the year involved,
shall be entitled to designate one staff person to be paid for one round
trip between that person's place of residence, provided such place of
residence is in the district which the Member-elect or incumbent Member
represents, and Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of
accompanying that Member-elect or incumbent Member to such caucus or
conference.
(b) Per diem expenses of staff person
Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the
ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under such
section 29a(a) of this title shall be entitled to designate one staff
person who shall in addition be reimbursed on a per diem or other basis
for expenses incurred in accompanying the Member-elect at the time of
such caucus or conference.
(c) Orientation programs for new Members
[[Page 1018]]
mittee on
House Administration for the orientation of new Members in the same
manner as such provisions apply to the attendance of the Member or
Member-elect at the organizational caucus or conference.
With the approval of the majority leader (in the case of a Member or
Member-elect of the majority party) or the minority leader (in the case
of a Member or Member-elect of the minority party), subsections (a) and
(b) of this section shall apply with respect to the attendance of a
Member or Member-elect at a program conducted by the Com
These provisions were originated by a resolution of the 94th Congress
(H. Res. 10, Jan. 14, 1975), which was then enacted into permanent law
(sec. 201, P.L. 94-59, July 25, 1975, 89 Stat. 282). They are codified
in section 43b-2 of title 2, United States Code. Amendments were
effected at the end of the 108th Congress (to apply with respect to the
One Hundred Tenth Congress and each succeeding Congress) to conform to
the permissible scheduling of organizational activity for any period
after the general election and before the onset of the new Congress and
to include orientation programs (sec. 107, div. G, P.L. 108-447, Dec. 8,
2004, 118 Stat. 3176).
[2 u.s.c. 43b-3]
Payments and reimbursements for certain House staff expenses
(a) Payments and reimbursements to staff persons under section 43b-2
of this title shall be made as provided (with respect to staff) in the
regulations prescribed by the Committee on House Administration with
respect to travel and other expenses of staff. Reimbursements shall be
paid on special voucher forms prescribed by the Committee on House
Administration.
(b) Additional funds, if any, for staff allowances and office space
for use by Members-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to
the ensuing Congress) shall be authorized by the Committee on House
Administration.
These provisions were originated by a resolution of the 94th Congress
(H. Res. 10, Jan. 14, 1975), which was then enacted into permanent law
(sec. 201, P.L. 94-59, July 25, 1975, 89 Stat. 282). They are codified
in section 43b-3 of title 2, United States Code. Amendments were
effected in the 104th Congress (sec. 202, P.L. 104-186, Aug. 20, 1996,
110 Stat. 1725), when the House renamed the committee concerned as the
Committee on House Oversight. (The committee has since been returned to
its earlier name).