Rule VIII-Classified and Other Confidential Information

Rule IX-Changes to Committee Rules

12569023

Appendix

Appicable Provisions of House Rules

(III)

14

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

COMMITTEE RULES

ADOPTED FEBRUARY 9, 2005

I. General Provisions

A. Applicability of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives The Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives (the "House") are the rules of the Committee on Homeland Security (the "Committee”) and its subcommittees insofar as applicable.

B. Applicability to Subcommittees, Except where the
terms "full Committee" and 'subcommittee" are specifically re-
ferred to, the following rules shall apply to the Committee's
subcommittees and their respective Chairmen and Ranking
Minority Members to the same extent as they apply to the full
Committee and its Chairman and Ranking Minority Member.
C. Appointments by the Chairman - The Chairman of the
Committee ("the Chairman") shall appoint a Member of the
majority party to serve as Vice Chairman of the Committee.
The Chairman shall appoint other Members of the majority
party to serve as Chairmen of each of the subcommittees.
D. Referral of Bills by Chairman Except for bills or
measures retained by the Chairman for full Committee consid-
eration or discharged by the Chairman, every bill or other
measure referred to the Committee shall be referred by the
Chairman to the appropriate subcommittee within two weeks
of receipt by the Committee for consideration in accordance
with its jurisdiction. Where the subject matter of the referral
involves the jurisdiction of more than one subcommittee or
does not fall within any previously assigned jurisdiction, the
Chairman will refer the matter as he or she deems advisable.
Bills, resolutions, and other matters referred to subcommittees
may be reassigned or discharged by the Chairman when, in his
or her sole judgment, the subcommittee is not able to complete
its work or cannot reach agreement on the matter in a timely

manner.

E. Recommendation of Conferees - Whenever the Speaker of the House is to appoint a conference committee on a matter within the jurisdiction of the Committee, the Chairman shall recommend to the Speaker of the House conferees from the Committee. In making recommendations of minority Members as conferees, the Chairman shall do so with the concurrence of the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee.

(1)

F. Motions to Disagree - The Chairman is directed to offer a motion under clause 1 of rule XXII of the Rules of the House whenever the Chairman considers it appropriate.

II. Meetings and Hearings

A. Regular Meeting Date The regular meeting date and time for the transaction of business of the Committee shall be at 10:00 a.m. on the first Wednesday that the House is in Session each month, unless otherwise directed by the Chairman. B. Additional Meetings — The Chairman may call and convene, as he or she considers necessary, additional meetings of the Committee for the consideration of any bill or resolution pending before the Committee or for the conduct of other Committee business. The Committee shall meet for such purposes pursuant to the call of the Chairman.

C. Consideration — Except in the case of a special meeting held under Clause 2(c)(2) of House Rule XI, the determination of the business to be considered at each meeting of the Committee shall be made by the Chairman.

D. Notice

1. Hearings -The date, time, place and subject matter of any hearing of the Committee shall, except as provided in the Committee rules, be announced by notice at least one week in advance of the commencement of such hearing. The names of all witnesses scheduled to appear at such hearing shall be provided to Members no later than 48 hours prior to the commencement of such hearing. These notice requirements may be abridged or waived in extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the Chairman with the concurrence of the Ranking Minority Member.

2. Meetings The date, time, place and subject matter of any meeting, other than a hearing or a regularly scheduled meeting, shall be announced at least 36 hours in advance for a meeting taking place on a day the House is in session, and 72 hours in advance of a meeting taking place on a day the House is not in session, except in the case of a special meeting called under Clause 2(c)(2) of House Rule XI. These notice requirements may be abridged or waived in extraordinary circumstances, as determined by the Chairman in consultation with the Ranking Minority Member.

3. Publication The meeting announcement shall be published in the Daily Digest portion of the Congressional Record.

E. Open Meetings - All meetings of the Committee shall be open to the public except when the Committee, in open session and with a majority present, determines by recorded vote that all or part of the remainder of that hearing on that day shall be closed to the public because disclosure of testimony, evidence, or other matters to be considered would endanger the

national security or would violate any law or rule of the House, in accordance with Clause 2(g) or 2(k) of House Rule XI.

F. Quorum Requirements Two Members shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of receiving testimony and evidence at a duly noticed hearing or meeting. One-third of the Members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except that a majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for ordering a report, entering executive session, releasing executive session material, issuing a subpoena, immunizing a witness, reporting contempt, or where otherwise required under the rules of the House.

G. Opening Statements - At any meeting of the full Committee, the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member shall be entitled to present oral opening statements of five minutes each. Other Members may submit written opening statements for the record. In the case of a meeting of any subcommittee, the Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members of the subcommittee and the full Committee shall be entitled to present oral opening statements of five minutes each, and other Members may submit written opening statements for the record. At any hearing of the full Committee, the Chairman of the full Committee, and at any hearing of a subcommittee, the Chairman of that subcommittee, in his or her discretion and with the concurrence of the Ranking Minority Member of the full Committee or of that subcommittee, respectively, may permit additional opening statements by other Members of the full Committee or of that subcommittee at the hearing in question. H. Questioning of Witnesses Committee questioning of witnesses shall be conducted by any Member of the Committee, as well as by such Committee staff as may be authorized by the Chairman or presiding Member to question such witnesses. Committee Members or authorized staff may question witnesses only when recognized by the Chairman for that purpose.

1. Time Limitation In the course of any hearing, Members shall be limited to five minutes on the initial round of questioning. No Member shall be recognized for a second opportunity to question a witness until each Member of the Committee who is present has been recognized for that purpose.

2. Order of Recognition - In questioning witnesses, the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member shall be recognized first, after which Members who are in attendance when the Chairman gavels the hearing to order will be recognized in the order of their seniority on the Committee, alternating between majority and minority Members. Members arriving after the commencement of a hearing shall be recognized after all Members present at the beginning of the hearing have been recognized, in the order of their appearance, alternating between majority and minority Members.

3. Alternative Questioning Procedure The Chairman, or the Committee by motion, may permit an equal