[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 43 (Sunday, March 21, 2010)] [House] [Page H1824] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE The SPEAKER pro tempore. On September 27, 1995, after a misuse of handouts on the floor of the House, and at the bipartisan request of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, the Chair announced that any handout distributed in or around the Chamber during proceedings of the House must bear the name of the Member authorizing its distribution; that the content of a handout must comport with the standards of propriety that apply to words spoken in debate or inserted in the Record; and, that failure to comply with these requirements may constitute a breach of decorum and could give rise to a question of privilege. On January 7, 1997, the Speaker reiterated these standards as guidelines for the 105th Congress, and they have been so reiterated by the successive Speakers in each successive Congress. The Chair takes this opportunity to remind all Members of the need to maintain a level of decorum that properly dignifies the proceedings of the House. ____________________