§ 4301 — Committee Staffs

(a) Each standing committee of the Senate (other than the Committee on Appropriations) is authorized to appoint, by majority vote of the committee, not more than six professional staff members in addition to the clerical staffs. Such professional staff members shall be assigned to the chairman and the ranking minority member of such committee as the committee may deem advisable, except that whenever a majority of the minority members of such committee so request, two of such professional staff members may be selected for appointment by majority vote of the minority members and the committee shall appoint any staff members so selected. A staff member or members appointed pursuant to a request by the minority members of the committee shall be assigned to such committee business as such minority members deem advisable. Services of professional staff members appointed by majority vote of the committee may be terminated by a majority vote of the committee and services of professional staff members appointed pursuant to a request by the minority members of the committee shall be terminated by the committee when a majority of such minority members so request. Professional staff members authorized by this subsection shall be appointed on a permanent basis, without regard to political affiliation, and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of their respective positions. Such professional staff members shall not engage in any work other than committee business and no other duties may be assigned to them. (b) Subject to appropriations which it shall be in order to include in appropriation bills, the Committee on Appropriations of each House is authorized to appoint such staff, in addition to the clerk thereof and assistants for the minority, as each such committee, by a majority vote, shall determine to be necessary, such personnel, other than the minority assistants, to possess such qualifications as the committees respectively may prescribe, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House also is authorized to conduct studies and examinations of the organization and operation of any executive agency (including any agency the majority of the stock of which is owned by the Government of the United States) as it may deem necessary to assist it in connection with the determination of matters within its jurisdiction and in accordance with procedures authorized by the committee by a majority vote, including the rights and powers conferred by House Resolution Numbered 50, adopted January 9, 1945. (c) The clerical staff of each standing committee of the Senate (other than the Committee on Appropriations), which shall be appointed by a majority vote of the committee, shall consist of not more than six clerks to be attached to the office of the chairman, to the ranking minority member, and to the professional staff, as the committee may deem advisable, except that whenever a majority of the minority members of such committee so requests, one of the members of the clerical staff may be selected for appointment by majority vote of such minority members and the committee shall appoint any staff member so selected. The clerical staff shall handle committee correspondence and stenographic work, both for the committee staff and for the chairman and ranking minority member on matters related to committee work, except that if a member of the clerical staff is appointed pursuant to a request by the minority members of the committee, such clerical staff member shall handle committee correspondence and stenographic work for the minority members of the committee and for any members of the committee staff appointed under subsection (a) pursuant to request by such minority members, on matters related to committee work. Services of clerical staff members appointed by majority vote of the committee may be terminated by majority vote of the committee and services of clerical staff members appointed pursuant to a request by the minority members of the committee shall be terminated by the committee when a majority of such minority members so request. (d) All committee hearings, records, data, charts, and files shall be kept separate and distinct from the congressional office records of the Member serving as chairman of the committee; and such records shall be the property of the Congress and all members of the committee and the respective Houses shall have access to such records. Each committee is authorized to have printed and bound such testimony and other data presented at hearings held by the committee. (e) (f) No committee shall appoint to its staff any experts or other personnel detailed or assigned from any department or agency of the Government, except with the written permission of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate or the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives, as the case may be. (g) In any case in which a request for the appointment of a minority staff member under subsection (a) or subsection (c) is made at any time when no vacancy exists to which the appointment requested may be made— (1) the person appointed pursuant to such a request under subsection (a) may serve in addition to any other professional staff members authorized by such subsection and may be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate until such time as such a vacancy occurs, at which time such person shall be considered to have been appointed to such vacancy; and (2) the person appointed pursuant to such a request under subsection (c) may serve in addition to any other clerical staff members authorized by such subsection and may be paid, until otherwise provided, from the contingent fund of the Senate. (h) Staff members appointed pursuant to a request by minority members of a committee under subsection (a) or subsection (c), and staff members appointed to assist minority members of subcommittees pursuant to authority of Senate resolution, shall be accorded equitable treatment with respect to the fixing of salary rates, the assignment of facilities, and the accessibility of committee records. (1) Each standing committee of the Senate or House of Representatives is authorized, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration in the case of standing committees of the Senate, or the Committee on House Oversight in the case of standing committees of the House of Representatives, within the limits of funds made available from the contingent fund of the Senate or the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives pursuant to resolutions which, in the case of the Senate, shall specify the maximum amounts which may be used for such purpose, approved by the appropriate House, to procure the temporary services (not in excess of one year) or intermittent services of individual consultants, or organizations thereof, to make studies or advise the committee with respect to any matter within its jurisdiction or with respect to the administration of the affairs of the committee. (2) Such services in the case of individuals or organizations may be procured by contract as independent contractors, or in the case of individuals by employment at daily rates of compensation not in excess of the per diem equivalent of the highest gross rate of compensation which may be paid to a regular employee of the committee. Such contracts shall not be subject to the provisions of section 6101 of title 41 or any other provision of law requiring advertising. (3) With respect to the standing committees of the Senate, any such consultant or organization shall be selected by the chairman and ranking minority member of the committee, acting jointly. With respect to the standing committees of the House of Representatives, the standing committee concerned shall select any such consultant or organization. The committee shall submit to the Committee on Rules and Administration in the case of standing committees of the Senate, and the Committee on House Oversight in the case of standing committees of the House of Representatives, information bearing on the qualifications of each consultant whose services are procured pursuant to this subsection, including organizations, and such information shall be retained by that committee and shall be made available for public inspection upon request. (1) Each standing committee of the Senate or House of Representatives is authorized, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration in the case of standing committees of the Senate, and the committee involved in the case of standing committees of the House of Representatives, and within the limits of funds made available from the contingent fund of the Senate or the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives pursuant to resolutions, which, in the case of the Senate, shall specify the maximum amounts which may be used for such purpose, approved by the appropriate House, to provide assistance for members of its professional staff in obtaining specialized training, whenever that committee determines that such training will aid the committee in the discharge of its responsibilities. Any joint committee of the Congress whose expenses are paid out of funds disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Majority Policy Committee and Minority Policy Committee of the Senate are each authorized to expend, for the purpose of providing assistance in accordance with paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection for members of its staff in obtaining such training, any part of amounts appropriated to that committee. (2) Such assistance may be in the form of continuance of pay during periods of training or grants of funds to pay tuition, fees, or such other expenses of training, or both, as may be approved by the Committee on Rules and Administration or the Committee on House Administration, as the case may be. (3) A committee providing assistance under this subsection shall obtain from any employee receiving such assistance such agreement with respect to continued employment with the committee as the committee may deem necessary to assure that it will receive the benefits of such employee’s services upon completion of his training. (4) During any period for which an employee is separated from employment with a committee for the purpose of undergoing training under this subsection, such employee shall be considered to have performed service (in nonpay status) as an employee of the committee at the rate of compensation received immediately prior to commencing such training (including any increases in compensation provided by law during the period of training) for the purposes of— (A) subchapter III (relating to civil service retirement) of chapter 83 of title 5, (B) chapter 87 (relating to Federal employees group life insurance) of title 5, and (C) chapter 89 (relating to Federal employees group health insurance) of title 5.