Skip Navigation Links

Web Standards: House Web Policies

U.S. House of Representatives Official Web sites are paid for with official funds.  As such, all office staff or vendors with responsibilities for updating or maintaining a House Web site should be familiar with the House Web Policies as well as House Web Best Practices.

General House Web Policies

  • Members' Web sites must be located in the house.gov host-domain and may be maintained by either the CAO, office staff, or a vendor
  • Members' Web sites may link to Committee Web sites, but Committee Web sites may not be located on Web sites paid for by the Members' Representational Allowance (MRA)
  • Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) may not create or operate independent Web sites.  Members may include information within their Web site about CMO issues and activities.  All CMO references within a Web site must relate to the Members' official and representational duties
  • Web sites should be XHTML, W3C, WCAG, and ADA & Section 508 compliant
  • See the Members' Congressional Handbook for all Policies regarding Member offices
  • See the Committees' Congressional Handbook for all Policies regarding Committee offices
  • Offices using Web Vendors should complete the Web Vendor Agreement (PDF) and submit it to the CAO Office of Finance and Procurement before contracting for services

Content Restrictions

The Committee on House Administration has final authority on content.  The rules are published in the  Members' Congressional Handbook and the Committees' Congressional Handbook.

House sites may not:

  • Include advertisement for any private individual, firm, or corporation, or imply in any manner that the government endorses or favors any specific commercial product, commodity, or service
  • Include personal, political or campaign information
  • Be directly linked or refer to Web Sites created or operated by a campaign or any campaign related entity including political parties and campaign committees
  • Include grassroots lobbying or solicit support for a Member’s position
  • Generate, circulate, solicit, or encourage signing petitions
  • Include any advertisement for any private individual, firm, or corporation, or imply in any manner that the government endorses or favors any specific commercial product, commodity, or service

External Links

  • All links outside of the house.gov domain (except the Library of Congress and Thomas) must include an exit message
  • The exit message states that users are leaving the House of Representatives prior to linking to a non-House of Representatives Web site. Web Solutions offers the script to use to enable the exit message on all external links

Web Server Security

All House websites must be hosted within the House’s assigned internet protocol (IP) range. The external hosting of House websites is not permitted.

House Offices running public Web sites not located on a CAO web server must register with the CAO Information Systems Security Office and the CAO Communications Office.  Internet access will not be approved until registration has been completed.  Sites and servers will automatically be registered when the initial system-specific security compliance checklist is submitted to the Security Office.

Web site developers should reference the Web Site Developers Security Checklist prior to developing websites for House customers.  The CAO Information Systems Security Office audits all web sites prior to publishing.

Web Site Naming (URL) Policy

Office and committee system administrators must verify that any requested URL is not the same as an office file server name.

URLs in the house.gov domain must:

  • Be recognizably derivative or representative of the Member or sponsoring office's name
  • Be located in the www.house.gov domain

URLs must not:

  • Imply in any manner that the House endorses or favors any specific commercial product, commodity, or service
  • Be a slogan or other such topical name

Web Standards: Best Practices

To create well designed Web sites, you should comply with industry agreed upon Best Practices. Start with the following overview and for a more complete and in-depth guide, read "Suggested WSB Web Site Best Practices" (PDF).

Naming and Storing Files

  • Use logical, consistent names for files
  • Keep file names short
  • Do not use mixed case, e.g. "HomePage.htm"
  • Do not use blank spaces, e.g. "Home Page.htm"
  • Do not use special characters other than the Dash ( - ) and the Underscore ( _ ) 
  • Do not use a Period or Dash as the first character of a file
  • The following file names are recommended for the main page of a UNIX Web site.
    • index.htm
    • index.html
    • index.shtm
    • index.shtml
    • welcome.htm
    • welcome.html
    • welcome.shtm
    • welcome.shtml
  • The following file names are recommended for the main page of a Windows Web site.
    • default.asp
    • default.aspx
    • default.htm

Interactive Web Forms and Scripts

  • Interactive web forms should use Web Solutions's form processing (FormProc).
  • All other scripts must be approved by Web Solutions prior to implementation.  Read Web Solutions's policy on Custom CGI scripts and Active Server Pages (ASP) for more information.
  • CGI Scripts may not reside in a local directory.  All CGI scripts must reside in the House htbin directory and are maintained by Web Solutions.

Images

  • Include a descriptive ALT tag on each image as specified by the American's with Disabilities Act.
  • Assume that all images are copyrighted.  Obtain written permission before using any image found on any web page or before scanning anything from a print source.

JavaScript and Perl

  • Web Solutions does not provide technical support for JavaScript, Perl or its variations.

Java

  • Web Solutions does not provide technical support for Java.
  • Caution: Java applets can be problematic for constituents and should be avoided or used judiciously.

Limits on Website Size

  • While there is no current limit on the size of a CAO hosted website, offices are requested to use care when managing their website files.  The CAO may request offices whose sites are substantially larger than average to move unnecessary files from the web server to ensure adequate space is available for all customers.

Web Site Privacy Statement

Congressional Web sites may wish to include a privacy statement.  Web Solutions offers the House Web site Privacy and Security Notice to all offices.  Web Solutions recommends that office staff review the Privacy and Security Notice and amend it as appropriate for the intended Web site.