Committee Rules - Committee Rules

 111th Congress
1st Session

RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
UNITED STATES SENATE
AND STANDING RULES OF THE SENATE RELATIVE TO THE ACTIVITIES OF COMMITTEES

ADOPTED FEBRUARY 12, 2009


COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

BARBARA BOXER, California, Chairman
MAX BAUCUS, Montana
THOMAS CARPER, Delaware
FRANK R. LAUTENBERG. New Jersey
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island
TOM UDALL, New Mexico
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York 
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
MIKE CRAPO, IDAHO
CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri 
LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee

BETTINA POIRIER, Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel
RUTH VAN MARK, Minority Staff Director

(1)
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND
PUBLIC WORKS

Jurisdiction
Rule XXV, Standing Rules of the Senate

1. The following standing committees shall be appointed at the
commencement of each Congress, and shall continue and have the
power to act until their successors are appointed, with leave to report
by bill or otherwise on matters within their respective jurisdictions:

* * * * * * *

(h)(1) Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which
committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions,
memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects:

1. Air pollution.
2. Construction and maintenance of highways.
3. Environmental aspects of Outer Continental Shelf lands.
4. Environmental effects of toxic substances, other than pesticides.
5. Environmental policy.
6. Environmental research and development.
7. Fisheries and wildlife.
8. Flood control and improvements of rivers and harbors, including
environmental aspects of deepwater ports.
9. Noise pollution.
10. Nonmilitary environmental regulation and control of nuclear
energy.
11. Ocean dumping.
12. Public buildings and improved grounds of the United States
generally, including Federal buildings in the District of Columbia.
13. Public works, bridges, and dams.
14. Regional economic development.
15. Solid waste disposal and recycling.
16. Water pollution.
17. Water resources.

(2) Such committee shall also study and review, on a comprehensive
basis, matters relating to environmental protection and resource
utilization and conservation, and report thereon from time
to time.

RULES OF PROCEDURE
RULE 1. COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN GENERAL

(a) REGULAR MEETING DAYS: For purposes of complying with
paragraph 3 of Senate Rule XXVI, the regular meeting day of the
committee is the first and third Thursday of each month at 10:00
a.m. If there is no business before the committee, the regular meeting
shall be omitted.

(b) ADDITIONAL MEETINGS: The chair may call additional meetings,
after consulting with the ranking minority member. Subcommittee
chairs may call meetings, with the concurrence of the
chair, after consulting with the ranking minority members of the
subcommittee and the committee.

(c) PRESIDING OFFICER:

(1) The chair shall preside at all meetings of the committee.
If the chair is not present, the ranking majority member shall
preside.

(2) Subcommittee chairs shall preside at all meetings of their
subcommittees. If the subcommittee chair is not present, the
ranking majority member of the subcommittee shall preside.

(3) Notwithstanding the rule prescribed by paragraphs (1)
and (2), any member of the committee may preside at a hearing.

(d) OPEN MEETINGS: Meetings of the committee and subcommittees,
including hearings and business meetings, are open to the
public. A portion of a meeting may be closed to the public if the
committee determines by roll call vote of a majority of the members
present that the matters to be discussed or the testimony to be
taken—

(1) will disclose matters necessary to be kept secret in the interests
of national defense or the confidential conduct of the
foreign relations of the United States;

(2) relate solely to matters of committee staff personnel or
internal staff management or procedure; or

(3) constitute any other grounds for closure under paragraph
5(b) of Senate Rule XXVI.

(e) BROADCASTING:

(1) Public meetings of the committee or a subcommittee may
be televised, broadcast, or recorded by a member of the Senate
press gallery or an employee of the Senate.

(2) Any member of the Senate Press Gallery or employee of
the Senate wishing to televise, broadcast, or record a committee
meeting must notify the staff director or the staff director’s
designee by 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting.

(3) During public meetings, any person using a camera,
microphone, or other electronic equipment may not position or
use the equipment in a way that interferes with the seating,
vision, or hearing of committee members or staff on the dais,
or with the orderly process of the meeting.

RULE 2. QUORUMS

(a) BUSINESS MEETINGS: At committee business meetings, and for
the purpose of approving the issuance of a subpoena or approving
a committee resolution, one third of the members of the committee, at least two of whom are
members of the minority party, constitute a quorum, except as provided
in subsection (d).

(b) SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS: At subcommittee business meetings,
a majority of the subcommittee members, at least one of
whom is a member of the minority party, constitutes a quorum for
conducting business.

(c) CONTINUING QUORUM: Once a quorum as prescribed in subsections
(a) and (b) has been established, the committee or subcommittee
may continue to conduct business.

(d) REPORTING: No measure or matter may be reported to the
Senate by the committee unless a majority of committee members
cast votes in person.

(e) HEARINGS: One member constitutes a quorum for conducting
a hearing.

RULE 3. HEARINGS

(a) ANNOUNCEMENTS: Before the committee or a subcommittee
holds a hearing, the chair of the committee or subcommittee shall
make a public announcement and provide notice to members of the
date, place, time, and subject matter of the hearing. The announcement
and notice shall be issued at least one week in advance of the
hearing, unless the chair of the committee or subcommittee, with
the concurrence of the ranking minority member of the committee
or subcommittee, determines that there is good cause to provide a
shorter period, in which event the announcement and notice shall
be issued at least twenty-four hours in advance of the hearing.

(b) STATEMENTS OF WITNESSES:

(1) A witness who is scheduled to testify at a hearing of the
committee or a subcommittee shall file 100 copies of the written
testimony at least 48 hours before the hearing. If a witness
fails to comply with this requirement, the presiding officer may
preclude the witness’ testimony. This rule may be waived for
field hearings, except for witnesses from the Federal Government.

(2) Any witness planning to use at a hearing any exhibit
such as a chart, graph, diagram, photo, map, slide, or model
must submit one identical copy of the exhibit (or representation
of the exhibit in the case of a model) and 100 copies reduced
to letter or legal paper size at least 48 hours before the
hearing. Any exhibit described above that is not provided to
the committee at least 48 hours prior to the hearing cannot be
used for purpose of presenting testimony to the committee and
will not be included in the hearing record.

(3) The presiding officer at a hearing may have a witness
confine the oral presentation to a summary of the written testimony.

(4) Notwithstanding a request that a document be embargoed,
any document that is to be discussed at a hearing, including,
but not limited to, those produced by the General Accounting
Office, Congressional Budget Office, Congressional
Research Service, a Federal agency, an Inspector General, or
a nongovernmental entity, shall be provided to all members of
the committee at least 72 hours before the hearing.

RULE 4. BUSINESS MEETINGS: NOTICE AND FILING REQUIREMENTS

(a) NOTICE: The chair of the committee or the subcommittee shall
provide notice, the agenda of business to be discussed, and the text
of agenda items to members of the committee or subcommittee at
least 72 hours before a business meeting. If the 72 hours falls over
a weekend, all materials will be provided by close of business on
Friday.

(b) AMENDMENTS: First-degree amendments must be filed with
the chair of the committee or the subcommittee at least 24 hours
before a business meeting. After the filing deadline, the chair shall
promptly distribute all filed amendments to the members of the
committee or subcommittee.

(c) MODIFICATIONS: The chair of the committee or the subcommittee
may modify the notice and filing requirements to meet
special circumstances, with the concurrence of the ranking member
of the committee or subcommittee.

RULE 5. BUSINESS MEETINGS: VOTING

(a) PROXY VOTING:

(1) Proxy voting is allowed on all measures, amendments,
resolutions, or other matters before the committee or a subcommittee.

(2) A member who is unable to attend a business meeting
may submit a proxy vote on any matter, in writing, orally, or
through personal instructions.

(3) A proxy given in writing is valid until revoked. A proxy
given orally or by personal instructions is valid only on the day
given.

(b) SUBSEQUENT VOTING: Members who were not present at a
business meeting and were unable to cast their votes by proxy may
record their votes later, so long as they do so that same business
day and their vote does not change the outcome.

(c) PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT:
(1) Whenever the committee conducts a rollcall vote, the
chair shall announce the results of the vote, including a tabulation
of the votes cast in favor and the votes cast against the
proposition by each member of the committee.

(2) Whenever the committee reports any measure or matter
by rollcall vote, the report shall include a tabulation of the
votes cast in favor of and the votes cast in opposition to the
measure or matter by each member of the committee.

RULE 6. SUBCOMMITTEES

(a) REGULARLY ESTABLISHED SUBCOMMITTEES: The committee
has seven subcommittees: Transportation and Infrastructure; Clean Air and Nuclear Safety; Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health; Water and Wildlife; Gren Jobs and the New Economy; Children;s Health; and Oversight.

(b) MEMBERSHIP: The committee chair, after consulting with the
ranking minority member, shall select members of the subcommittees.

RULE 7. STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES AND OTHER MATTERS

(a) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS: No project or legislation
proposed by any executive branch agency may be approved or
otherwise acted upon unless the committee has received a final environmental
impact statement relative to it, in accordance with section
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act, and the
written comments of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency, in accordance with section 309 of the Clean Air Act.
This rule is not intended to broaden, narrow, or otherwise modify
the class of projects or legislative proposals for which environmental
impact statements are required under section 102(2)(C).

(b) PROJECT APPROVALS:

(1) Whenever the committee authorizes a project under Public
Law 89-298, the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965; Public
Law 83-566, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
Act; or Public Law 86-249, the Public Buildings Act of 1959, as
amended; the chairman shall submit for printing in the Congressional
Record, and the committee shall publish periodically
as a committee print, a report that describes the project and
the reasons for its approval, together with any dissenting or individual
views.

(2) Proponents of a committee resolution shall submit appropriate
evidence in favor of the resolution.

(c) BUILDING PROSPECTUSES:

(1) When the General Services Administration submits a prospectus,
pursuant to section 7(a) of the Public Buildings Act of
1959, as amended, for construction (including construction of
buildings for lease by the government), alteration and repair,
or acquisition, the committee shall act with respect to the prospectus
during the same session in which the prospectus is
submitted.

A prospectus rejected by majority vote of the committee or
not reported to the Senate during the session in which it was
submitted shall be returned to the General Services Administration
and must then be resubmitted in order to be considered
by the committee during the next session of the Congress.

(2) A report of a building project survey submitted by the
General Services Administration to the committee under section
11(b) of the Public Buildings Act of 1959, as amended,
may not be considered by the committee as being a prospectus
subject to approval by committee resolution in accordance with
section 7(a) of that Act. A project described in the report may
be considered for committee action only if it is submitted as a
prospectus in accordance with section 7(a) and is subject to the
provisions of paragraph (1) of this rule.

(d) NAMING PUBLIC FACILITIES: The committee may not name a
building, structure or facility for any living person, except former
Presidents or former Vice Presidents of the United States, former
Members of Congress over 70 years of age, former Justices of the
United States Supreme Court over 70 years of age, or Federal
judges who are fully retired and over 75 years of age or have taken
senior status and are over 75 years of age.

RULE 8. AMENDING THE RULES
The rules may be added to, modified, amended, or suspended by
vote of a majority of committee members at a business meeting if
a quorum is present.

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Majority Office
410 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.Washington, DC 20510-6175
phone: 202-224-8832
Minority Office
456 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.Washington, DC 20510-6175
phone: 202-224-6176