From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[Extracted from Senate Document 106-6, Authority and Rules of
Senate Committees, 1999-2000]
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Rules of Procedure
145 Cong. Rec. S1435 (daily ed. Feb. 10, 1999)
General Rules
Rule 1. The Standing Rules of the Senate as supplemented by these
rules, are adopted as the rules of the Committee and its Subcommittees.
Meetings of the Committee
Rule 2. (a) The Committee shall meet on the third Wednesday of each
month while the Congress is in session for the purpose of conducting
business, unless, for the convenience of Members, the Chairman shall set
some other day for a meeting. Additional meetings may be called by the
Chairman as he may deem necessary.
(b) Business meetings of any Subcommittee may be called by the
Chairman of such Subcommittee, Provided, That no Subcommittee meeting or
hearing other than a field hearing, shall be scheduled or held
concurrently with a full Committee meeting or hearing, unless a majority
of the Committee concurs in such concurrent meeting or hearing.
Open Hearings and Meetings
Rule 3. (a) Hearings and business meetings of the Committee or any
Subcommittee shall be open to the public except when the Committee or
such Subcommittee by majority vote orders a closed hearing or meeting.
(b) A transcript shall be kept of each hearing of the Committee or
any Subcommittee.
(c) A transcript shall be kept of each business meeting of the
Committee or any Subcommittee unless a majority of the Committee or the
Subcommittee involved agrees that some other form of permanent record is
preferable.
Hearing Procedure
Rule 4. (a) Public notice shall be given of the date, place, and
subject matter of any hearing to be held by the Committee or any
Subcommittee at least one week in advance of such hearing unless the
Chairman of the full Committee or the Subcommittee involved determines
that the hearing is non-controversial or that special circumstances
require expedited procedures and a majority of the Committee or the
Subcommittee involved concurs. In no case shall a hearing be conducted
with less than twenty-four hours notice.
(b) Each witness who is to appear before the Committee or any
Subcommittee shall file with the Committee or Subcommittee, at least 24
hours in advance of the hearing, a written statement of his or her
testimony in as many copies as the Chairman of the Committee or
Subcommittee prescribes.
(c) Each Member shall be limited to five minutes in the questioning
of any witness until such time as all Members who so desire have had an
opportunity to question the witness.
(d) The Chairman and Ranking Minority Member or the Ranking Majority
and Minority Members present at the hearing may each appoint one
Committee staff Member to question each witness. Such staff member may
question the witness only after all Members present have completed their
questioning of the witness or at such other time as the Chairman and the
Ranking Majority and Minority Members present may agree.
Business Meeting Agenda
Rule 5. (a) A legislative measure or subject shall be included on
the agenda of the next following business meeting of the full Committee
or any Subcommittee if a written request for such inclusion has been
filed with the Chairman of the Committee or Subcommittee at least one
week prior to such meeting. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to
limit the authority of the Chairman of the Committee or Subcommittee to
include legislative measures or subjects on the Committee or
Subcommittee agenda in the absence of such request.
(b) The agenda for any business meeting of the Committee or any
Subcommittee shall be provided to each Member and made available to the
public at least three days prior to such meeting, and no new items may
be added after the agenda is so published except by the approval of a
majority of the Members of the Committee or Subcommittee. The Staff
Director shall promptly notify absent Members of any action taken by the
Committee or any Subcommittee on matters not included on the published
agenda.
Quorums
Rule 6. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d),
seven Members shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business of
the Committee.
(b) No measure or matter shall be ordered reported from the
Committee unless eleven Members of the Committee are actually present at
the time such action is taken.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d), one-third of the
Subcommittee Members shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of
business of any Subcommittee.
(d) One Member shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of
conducting a hearing or taking testimony on any measure or matter before
the Committee or any Subcommittee.
Voting
Rule 7. (a) A rollcall of the Members shall be taken upon the
request of any Member. Any Member who does not vote on any rollcall at
the time the roll is called, may vote (in person or by proxy) on that
rollcall at any later time during the same business meeting.
(b) Proxy voting shall be permitted on all matters, except that
proxies may not be counted for the purpose of determining the presence
of a quorum. Unless further limited, a proxy shall be exercised only
upon the date for which it is given and upon the items published in the
agenda for that date.
(c) Each Committee report shall set forth the vote on the motion to
report the measure or matter involved. Unless the Committee directs
otherwise, the report will not set out any votes on amendments offered
during Committee consideration. Any Member who did not vote on any
rollcall shall have the opportunity to have his position recorded in the
appropriate Committee record or Committee report.
(d) The Committee vote to report a measure to the Senate shall also
authorize the staff of the Committee to make necessary technical and
clerical corrections in the measure.
Subcommittees
Rule 8. (a) The number of Members assigned to each Subcommittee and
the division between Majority and Minority Members shall be fixed by the
Chairman in consultation with the Ranking Minority Member.
(b) Assignment of Members to Subcommittees shall, insofar as
possible, reflect the preferences of the Members. No Member will receive
assignment to a second Subcommittee until, in order of seniority, all
Members of the Committee have chosen assignments to one Subcommittee,
and no Member shall receive assignment to a third Subcommittee until, in
order of seniority, all Members have chosen assignments to two
Subcommittees.
(c) Any Member of the Committee may sit with any Subcommittee during
its hearings and business meetings but shall not have the authority to
vote on any matters before the Subcommittee unless he is a Member of
such Subcommittee.
Sworn Testimony and Financial Statements
Rule 9. Witnesses in Committee or Subcommittee hearings may be
required to give testimony under oath whenever the Chairman or Ranking
Minority Member of the Committee or Subcommittee deems such to be
necessary. At any hearing to confirm a Presidential nomination, the
testimony of the nominee and at the request of any Member, any other
witness shall be under oath. Every nominee shall submit a statement of
his financial interests, including those of his spouse, his minor
children, and other members of his immediate household, on a form
approved by the Committee, which shall be sworn to by the nominee as to
its completeness and accuracy. A statement of every nominee's financial
interest shall be made public on a form approved by the Committee,
unless the Committee in executive session determines that special
circumstances require a full or partial exception to this rule. Members
of the Committee are urged to make public a statement of their financial
interests in the form required in the case of Presidential nominees
under this rule.
Confidential Testimony
Rule 10. No confidential testimony taken by or confidential material
presented to the Committee or any Subcommittee, or any report of the
proceedings of a closed Committee or Subcommittee hearing or business
meeting, shall be made public, in whole or in part or by way of summary,
unless authorized by a majority of the Members of the Committee at a
business meeting called for the purpose of making such a determination.
Defamatory Statements
Rule 11. Any person whose name is mentioned or who is specifically
identified in, or who believes that testimony or other evidence
presented at, an open Committee or Subcommittee hearing tends to defame
him or otherwise adversely affect his reputation may file with the
Committee for its consideration and action a sworn statement of facts
relevant to such testimony or evidence.
Broadcasting of Hearings or Meetings
Rule 12. Any meeting or hearing by the Committee or any Subcommittee
which is open to the public may be covered in whole or in part by
television broadcast, radio broadcast, or still photography.
Photographers and reporters using mechanical recording, filming, or
broadcasting devices shall position their equipment so as not to
interfere with the seating, vision, and hearing of Members and staff on
the dais or with the orderly process of the meeting or hearing.
Amending the Rules
Rule 13. These rules may be amended only by vote of a majority of
all the Members of the Committee in a business meeting of the Committee:
Provided, That no vote may be taken on any proposed amendment unless
such amendment is reproduced in full in the Committee agenda for such
meeting at least three days in advance of such meeting.