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PUBLICATION OF COMMITTEE RULES
RULES OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS FOR THE 117TH
CONGRESS
Tuesday, May 18, 2021.Hon. Nancy Pelosi,Speaker, House of Representatives,Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Speaker: Pursuant to Rule XI, Clause 2(a) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, I respectfully submit the rules for the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in the 117th Congress for publication in the Congressional Record. The Select Committee adopted these rules by voice vote, with a quorum being present, at our organizational meeting on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Sincerely,
Kathy Castor,
Chair.
RULE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
(a) The provisions of section 4(d) of H. Res. 8 (117th Congress) governing the proceedings of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis (hereinafter referred to as the
``Committee'') are hereby incorporated by reference and nothing herein shall be construed as superseding any provision of that section. The Rules of the House of Representatives shall apply to the Committee to the extent that they are not inconsistent with that title.
(b) The rules of the Committee shall be made publicly available in electronic form and published in the Congressional Record not later than 30 days after the Committee adopts its rules.
RULE 2. MEETINGS
(a) In General.--
(1) The regular meeting date of the Committee shall be the first Tuesday of every month when the House is in session in accordance with clause 2(b) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. If the House is not in session on the first Tuesday of a month, the regular meeting date shall be the third Tuesday of that month. A regular meeting of the Committee may be dispensed with if, in the judgment of the Chair of the Committee, there is no need for the meeting.
(2) Additional meetings may be called by the Chair of the Committee as the Chair considers necessary, in accordance with clause 2(g)(3) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
(b) Meetings of the Committee shall be called to order and presided over by the Chair or, in the Chair's absence, by a member designated by the Chair to carry out such duties.
(c) Notification.--
(1) Pursuant to clause 2(g)(3) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, the Chair shall make a public announcement of the date, place, and subject matter of a Committee meeting (other than a hearing), which may not commence earlier than the third calendar day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays except when the House is in session on such a day) on which members have notice thereof.
(2) The agenda for each Committee meeting, setting out all items of business to be considered, shall be established by the Chair and provided to each member of the Committee at least 36 hours (exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays except when the House is in session on such days) in advance of the commencement of such meeting.
(d) The requirements of paragraph (c) may be waived by a majority vote of those present, a quorum being present, or by the Chair with the concurrence of the Ranking Member. If the requirements of paragraph (c) are waived, the Chair shall notify the members of the Committee at the earliest possible time.
RULE 3. HEARINGS
(a) Announcement of Hearings.--
(1) Pursuant to clause 2(g)(3) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, the Chair shall announce the date, time, place, and subject matter of any hearing of the Committee, which may not commence earlier than one week after such notice.
(2) A hearing may commence sooner than specified in (a)(l) if the Chair, with the concurrence of the Ranking Member, determines there is good cause or the Committee so determines by majority vote, a quorum being present. The Chair shall announce the hearing at the earliest possible time.
(b) Written Witness Statement; Oral Testimony.--
(1) Filing of Statement.--To the greatest extent practicable, each witness who is to appear before the Committee shall file with the clerk of the Committee a written statement of his or her proposed testimony at least two business days in advance of his or her appearance. The clerk of the Committee shall distribute this testimony to the Members of the Committee as soon as is practicable and at least one business day before the hearing. The requirements of this subparagraph may be waived or modified by the Chair after consultation with the Ranking Member.
(2) Each witness shall limit his or her oral presentation of testimony to no more than five minutes.
(3) Truth in Testimony.--Each witness appearing in a nongovernmental capacity shall include with the written statement of his or her proposed testimony a curriculum vitae; a disclosure of any Federal grants or contracts, or contracts, or grants, or payments originating with a foreign government, received during the past 36 months by the witness or by an entity represented by the witness and related to the subject matter of the hearing; and a disclosure of whether the witness is a fiduciary (including, but not limited to, a director, officer, advisor, or resident agent) of any organization or entity that has an interest in the subject matter of a hearing. The disclosure shall include (A) the amount and country of origin of any payment or contract related to the subject matter of the hearing originating with a foreign government; and (B) the amount and country of origin of any payment or contract related to the subject matter of the hearing originating with a foreign government.
(4) Availability of Information.--Statements filed under this paragraph shall be made publicly available in electronic form not later than one day after the witness appears.
(c) Notification of Subject Matter.--As soon as practicable but no later than 36 hours before the commencement of a hearing, the Chair shall make available to the public and all Members of the Committee a concise summary of the subject matter under consideration at the hearing, any relevant reports from departments or agencies on such matters, and a list of witnesses, including minority witnesses.
(d) Minority Witnesses.--When any hearing is conducted by the Committee on any measure or matter, the minority party members on the Committee shall be entitled, upon request to the Chair by a majority of those members, to call at least one witness, as selected by the minority members, to testify with respect to that measure or matter along with witnesses selected by the Chair.
(e) Opening Statements.--
(1) Chair and Ranking Member.--At any hearing of the Committee, the Chair and Ranking Member shall each control five minutes for opening statements. The Chair and Ranking Member may recognize other members within their respective five minutes.
(2) Other Members.--The Chair may allow other members of the Committee to deliver oral opening statements, as appropriate, with the concurrence of the Ranking Member. Such statements shall not exceed five minutes in length and are to be equally distributed between majority and minority members to the extent practicable given the party makeup of the members present. Members not recognized by the Chair for oral opening statements may submit written opening statements for the record.
(f) Questioning of Witnesses.--The Chair shall initiate the right to question witnesses before the Committee, followed by the Ranking Member and all other members thereafter.
(1) Order of Member Recognition.--The right to question the witnesses before the Committee shall alternate between majority and minority members. A member of the Committee may question a witness only when recognized by the Chair for that purpose. The Chair shall recognize in order of appearance members who were not present when the meeting was called to order after all members who were present when the meeting was called to order have been recognized in the order of seniority on the Committee.
(2) Procedures for Questioning of Witnesses by Members.--Each member shall be limited to 5 minutes in the questioning of witnesses and shall limit his or her remarks to the subject matter of the hearing. After consultation with the Ranking Member, the Chair may recognize members who have already had an opportunity to question the witness for a second period of 5 minutes once each member of the Committee present has been recognized once for that purpose.
(3) Extended Questioning of Witnesses by Members.--Following the questioning of witnesses described in (f)(2) above, the Chair, with the concurrence of the Ranking Member or the Committee by motion, may permit a specified number of members to question one or more witnesses for a specified period of time not to exceed 60 minutes in the aggregate, equally divided between and controlled by the Chair and the Ranking Member.
(4) Questions for the Record.--Each member may submit to the Chair additional questions for the record to be answered by the witnesses who have appeared. Each member shall provide a copy of the questions in an electronic format to the Committee no later than 10 business days following a hearing. The Chair shall transmit all questions received from members of the Committee to the appropriate witnesses and include the transmittal letter and the responses from the witnesses in the hearing record. After consultation with the Ranking Member, the Chair is authorized to close the hearing record no earlier than 15 business days from the date the questions were transmitted to the appropriate witnesses.
(g) Hearings of the Committee shall be called to order and presided over by the Chair or, in the Chair's absence, by a member designated by the Chair to carry out such duties.
(h) Oaths.--The Chair of the Committee, or a member designated by the Chair, may administer oaths to any witness before the Committee. The Chair or his or her designee may administer the following oath to all witnesses prior to receiving testimony: ``Do you solemnly swear or affirm, under penalty of law, that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?''
(i) Claims of Privilege.--Claims of common-law privilege made by witnesses in hearings, or by interviewees in investigations or inquiries, are applicable only at the discretion of the Chair, subject to appeal to the Committee.
RULE 4. OPEN PROCEEDINGS
(a) Meetings for the transaction of business and hearings of the Committee shall be open to the public, including radio, television, and still photography coverage, unless closed in accordance with clause 2(g) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
(b) The audio and video coverage of Committee proceeding permitted under clause 4 of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives shall apply to the Committee.
RULE 5. REPORTS
(a) Approval of Official Committee Reports.--Any report completed pursuant to section 4(d) of H. Res. 8 (117th Congress) that purports to express the views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations of the Committee must be approved by a majority vote of the Committee at a meeting at which a quorum is present, in accordance with Committee Rule 7(a)(3). The total number of votes cast for and against, and the names of those voting for and against, shall be included in the Committee report on the matter.
(b) Notice of Committee Reports.--Any report described in
(a) shall not be considered in the Committee unless the proposed report has been available to the members of the Committee for at least three business days before consideration of such report in the Committee.
(c) Additional Views.--If, at the time of approval of a report, a member of the Committee gives notice of intent to file supplemental, minority, additional, or dissenting views for inclusion in the report, all members of the Committee shall be entitled to no less than two business days after such notice to file such views following clause 2(1) of rule XI of the Rules of the House.
(d) Availability of Publications.--Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, the Committee shall make its publications available in electronic form to the maximum extent feasible. Pursuant to section 4(d) of H. Res. 8 (117th Congress), the Committee shall make its publications available to the general public in widely accessible formats not later than 30 calendar days following the respective dates for completion.
RULE 6. COMMITTEE RECORDS
(a) Availability.--Documents reflecting the proceedings of the Committee shall be made publicly available in electronic form on the Committee's website and in the Committee office for inspection by the public, as provided in clause 2(e) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, within 48 hours of such recorded vote after each meeting has adjourned, including a record showing those present at each meeting; and a record of the vote on any question on which a recorded vote is demanded, including a description of the motion, order, or other proposition, the name of each member voting for and each member voting against such motion, order, or proposition, and the names of those members of the Committee present but not voting.
(b) Archived Records.--The records of the Committee deposited at the National Archives shall be made available for public use in accordance with Rule VII of the Rules of the House. The Chair shall notify the Ranking Member of any decision, pursuant to clause 3(b)(3) or clause 4(b) of such rule, to withhold a record otherwise available. Upon written request of any member of the Committee, the Chair shall present the matter to the Committee for a determination, which shall be subject to the same requirements for conduct of Committee business under Committee Rule 2.
RULE 7. QUORUMS AND RECORDED VOTES; POSTPONEMENT OF VOTES
(a) Establishment of a Quorum.--
(I) For the purpose of taking testimony and receiving evidence, no fewer than two members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(2) A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for those actions for which the Rules of the House of Representatives require a majority quorum.
(3) A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for issuing an official Committee report pursuant to Rule 5 of the Committee rules and section 4(d) of H. Res. 8 (117th Congress).
(4) For the purposes of taking any other action, one-third of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(b) Recorded Votes.--A recorded vote may be demanded by one-fifth of the members present.
(c) Postponement of Votes.--Pursuant to clause 2(h)(4) of the Rules of the House, the Chair, after consultation with the Ranking Member, may postpone further proceedings when a recorded vote is ordered on the question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment and may resume proceedings on a postponed vote at any time after reasonable notice to Members by the Clerk or other designee of the Chair. When proceedings resume on a postponed question, notwithstanding any intervening order for the previous question, an underlying proposition shall remain subject to further debate or amendment to the same extent as when the question was postponed.
RULE 8. COMMITTEE STAFF
(a) Professional and other staff of the Committee are subject to the provisions of clause 9 of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
(b) Majority Staff--The Chair shall appoint and determine the remuneration of, and may remove, the employees of the Committee not assigned to the minority. The staff of the Committee not assigned to the minority shall be under the general supervision and direction of the Chair, who shall establish and assign the duties and responsibilities of such staff members and delegate such authority as he or she determines appropriate.
(c) Minority Staff.--The Ranking Member shall appoint and determine the remuneration of, and may remove, the staff assigned to the minority within the budget approved for such purposes. The staff assigned to the minority shall be under the general supervision and direction of the Ranking Member, who may delegate any authority he or she determines appropriate.
(d) The Chair and Ranking Member have the right to secure one or more detailees to assist with the work of the Committee.
RULE 9. BUDGET
(a) The Chair, in consultation with the Ranking Member, shall prepare a budget providing amounts for staff, committee travel, field hearings, investigation, and other expenses of the Committee. Funds authorized for the Committee as provided in clause 6 of Rule X are for expenses incurred in the activities of the Committee.
(b) Consistent with clause 9 of Rule X, the Chair shall designate an amount equal to 1/3 of the amount provided to the Committee in the primary expense resolution adopted by the House of Representatives to be under the direction of the Ranking Member for the compensation of the minority staff, travel expenses of minority members and staff, and minority office expenses. All expenses of minority members and staff shall be paid for out of the amount so set aside.
RULE 10. TRAVEL
(a) The Chair may authorize travel for any member and any staff member of the Committee in connection with activities or subject matters under the general jurisdiction of the Committee. Travel to be reimbursed from funds set aside for the Committee for any member of staff member shall be paid only upon the prior authorization of the Chair. Before such authorization is granted, there shall be submitted to the Chair in writing the following:
(1) The purpose of the travel.
(2) The dates during which the travel is to occur.
(3) The names of the states or countries to be visited and the length of time to be spent in each.
(4) An agenda of anticipated activities.
(5) The names of members and staff of the Committee for whom the authorization is sought.
(b) Members and staff of the Committee shall make a written report to the Chair on any travel they have conducted under this subsection, including a description of their itinerary, expenses, and activities, and of pertinent information gained as a result of such travel.
(c) Members and staff of the Committee performing authorized travel on official business shall be governed by applicable laws, resolutions, and regulations of the House and of the Committee on House Administration.
RULE 11. WEBSITE
The Chair shall maintain an official Committee website for the purpose of carrying out the official responsibilities of the Committee, including communicating information about the Committee's activities. The Ranking Member may maintain a minority website. To the maximum extent feasible, the Committee shall make its publications available in electronic form on the official Committee website maintained by the Chair.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 86
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