[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 111th Congress]
[111st Congress]
[House Document 110-162]
[House And Congressional Offices]
[Pages 1007-1010]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 1007]]


                     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

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.
(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 1008]] 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 1009]] committee concerned as the Committee on House Oversight (now House Administration) and converted references to its ``contingent fund'' to ``applicable accounts of the House.'' Further 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 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). They are codified in section 29a 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 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, p. _). [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 1010]] ber 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. 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 Mem 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).