Sec. 641. Increased transparency of committee work
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/bill/116/hr/9029/ih/section-641A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
In this section— the term Committee means— a committee of the House of Representatives; a committee of the Senate; and a subcommittee of a committee described in paragraph
(1)or (2); the term covered hearing means a public hearing held by a Committee; and the term covered markup means a public markup held by a Committee. At the same time as the schedule is made available to members of a Committee, but not later than 7 days before the date of a covered hearing or covered markup (unless the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee agree to waive the 7-day requirement), each Committee shall make available on the website of the Committee the schedule of covered hearings and covered markups of the Committee. At the same time as the materials are made available to members of a Committee, but not later than 24 hours before the time of a covered markup (unless the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee agree to waive the 24-hour requirement), the Committee shall make available on the website of the Committee any bill or resolution to be considered at the covered markup and any amendments to such a bill or resolution filed with the Committee. Not later than 24 hours after holding a covered hearing or a covered markup, a Committee shall make available on the website of the Committee— a description of the topic of the covered hearing or covered markup; any legislation related to the covered hearing or covered markup; the written testimony of any witness; any documents or materials entered into the record; any written opening statements of the Chairman or Ranking Minority Member of the Committee; and audio and video recordings of the covered hearing or covered markup. Not later than 45 days after holding a covered hearing or covered markup, a Committee shall make available on the website of the Committee transcripts of the covered hearing or covered markup. Not later than 24 hours after a covered markup during which a Committee orders a bill or resolution to be reported, the Committee shall post on the website of the Committee— each amendment to the bill or resolution that was agreed to, except for technical and conforming changes authorized by the Committee; and a record of each vote taken on the bill or resolution or an amendment thereto. Not later than 45 days after a Committee reports a bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or amend a statute or part thereof, the Committee shall include in its report or in an accompanying document and make available on the website of the Committee— the entire text of each section of a statute that is proposed to be repealed or amended; and a comparative print of each amendment to a section of a statute that the bill or joint resolution proposes to make, showing by appropriate typographical devices the omissions and insertions proposed. If a Committee reports a bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or amend a statute or part thereof with a recommendation that the bill or joint resolution be amended, the comparative print required by paragraph
(1)shall reflect the changes in existing law proposed to be made by the bill or joint resolution as proposed to be amended. Each Committee shall make reasonable efforts to make a comparative print required by paragraph
(1)available to the members of the Committee and to the public as early as practicable, and before a covered markup, if practical. Except as provided in paragraph (2), for each covered hearing or covered markup, a Committee shall make available on the website of the Committee any response to questions for the record of the covered hearing or covered markup that the Committee receives from a testifying witness. Upon agreement by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of a Committee, a response described in paragraph
(1)may be withheld from the website of the Committee if it includes individual casework or constituent information or information that the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member determine is confidential information.