Committee Reform Amendments

Committee Reform Amendments - Title I: Oversight Responsibilities, Legislative Review and Additional Committee Functions, Referral of Bills and Resolutions, Election and Membership of Committee, and Rules of Procedure for Committees - Provides that each standing committee of the House of Representatives (other than the Committee on Appropriations) shall review and study, on a continuing basis, the application, administration, execution, and effectiveness of those laws, or parts of laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdiction of that committee, and the organization and operation of the Federal agencies and entities having responsibilities in or for the administration and execution thereof, in order to determine whether such laws and the programs thereunder are being implemented and carried out in accordance with the intent of the Congress and whether such programs should be continued, curtailed, or eliminated. Sets forth special oversight functions of the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Education and Labor, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Interior, Energy, and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Science and Technology. States that each standing committee of the House shall adopt written rules governing its procedure. Requires each committee to adopt rules governing live television and radio broadcast to the public. States that whenever any hearing conducted by any committee of the House is open to the public, that committee may permit, by majority vote of the committee, that hearing to be covered, in whole or in part, by television broadcast, radio broadcast, and still photopraphy, or by any of such methods of coverage, but only under such written rules as the committee may adopt. Title II: Miscellaneous and Conforming Provisions - Provides that 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, to begin on or after the first day of December and conclude on or before the twentieth day of December in such year and to be attended by 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. Establishes in the House of Representatives a Legislative Classification Office. States that the purpose of the Office shall be to develop, supervise, and maintain for the House and its committees and Members a system linking Federal programs and expenditures to the authorizing statutes, and showing the committee jurisdiction for each authorization. Requires the Office to maintain impartiality as to issues of legislative policy to be determined by the House. Sets forth the functions of the Office, including the following: (1) to create a cross-reference capability based on the authorization statutes, showing committee jurisdiction, appropriation Acts, budget authority, budget outlays, unexpended balances, other relevant systems which are or may be compatible, and the relationships between them, under the direction of the Speaker; (2) to work closely with the House standing committees in all phases of the development of the cross-referencing capability and to coordinate with the Congressional Research Service and General Accounting Office, in the development, implementation, and operation of the cross-referencing services; (3) to advise the Speaker of developments which could improve the operation of the classification service and to issue an annual report to the House on the progress in implementation and use of the service and plans for the coming year; and (4) to make available (as development permits) publications or information in an appropriate format for use of the House committee and Members and to provide the capability to answer specific queries on the available information. Establishes in the House of Representatives a Commission on Information and Facilities. States that it shall be the function of the Commission to conduct a thorough and complete study of: (1) the information problems of the House of Representatives against the background of the existing institutions and services available to the House, and to make such recommendations with respect thereto as may be appropriate; (2) with respect to the facilities and space requirements of the Members and committees of the House, including space utilization, parking, and the organization, responsibility, and supervision to provide adequate, efficient, and economical space utilization; and (3) the staff required to provide the House legislative counsel with the capability to fully meet the needs of the Members of the House. Establishes in the House of Representatives an Office of the Law Revision Counsel. States that the principal purpose of the Office shall be to develop and keep current an official and positive codification of the laws of the United States. Title III: Legislative Jurisdiction of the Standing Committees - States that these shall be the following standing committees in the House of Representatives and sets forth their jurisdiction and related functions: (1) Committee on Agriculture; (2) Committee on Appropriations; (3) Committee on Armed Services; (4) Committee on Banking, Currency, and Housing; (5) Committee on the Budget; (6) Committee on Commerce and Health; (7) Committee on the District of Columbia; (8) Committee on Foreign Affairs; (9) Committee on Government Operations; (10) Committee on House Administration; (11) Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs; (12) Committee on the Judiciary; (13) Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries; (14) Committee on Public Works and Transportation; (15) Committee on Rules; (16) Committee on Veteran's Affairs; and (17) Committee on Ways and Means. Title IV: Committee Staffs and Expenses - States that whenever any standing committee (except the Committee on Appropriations) is to be granted authorization for the payment, from the contingent fund of the House, of its expenses in any year other than those expenses to be paid from appropriations provided by statute, such authorization initially shall be procured by one primary expense resolution for that committee providing funds for the payment of the expenses of the committee for that year from the contingent fund of the House. Stipulates that each standing committee may appoint, by majority vote of the committee, not more than six professional staff members.

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 23, 1974. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.