§ 5501. Temporary appointments in case of vacancies or incapacity of House officers; compensation

• (a) In case of a vacancy, from whatever cause, in the office of Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, Chief Administrative Officer or Chaplain, of the House of Representatives, or in case of the incapacity or inability of the incumbent of any such office to perform the duties thereof, the Speaker of the House of Representatives may appoint a person to act as, and to exercise temporarily the duties of, Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, Chief Administrative Officer or Chaplain, as the case may be, until a person is chosen by the House of Representatives and duly qualifies as Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, Chief Administrative Officer or Chaplain, as the case may be, or until the termination of the incapacity or inability of the incumbent.
• (b) Any person appointed pursuant to this section shall exercise all the duties, shall have all the powers, and shall be subject to all the requirements and limitations applicable with respect to one chosen by the House of Representatives to fill the office involved.
• (c) Any person appointed pursuant to this section shall be paid the compensation which he would receive if he were chosen by the House of Representatives to fill the office involved, unless such person is concurrently serving in any office or position the compensation for which is paid from the funds of the United States, in which case he shall receive no compensation for services rendered pursuant to his appointment under this section, and his compensation for performing the duties of such office other than the one to which he is appointed pursuant to this section shall be in full discharge for all services he performs for the United States while serving in such dual capacity.

§ 5502. House emergency operations positions

• (a) Effective with respect to fiscal year 2002 and each succeeding fiscal year, there are hereby established 2 additional positions in each of the following offices of the House of Representatives:
  • (1) The Office of the Clerk.
  • (2) The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.
  • (3) The Office of the Sergeant at Arms.
• (b) The duty of the personnel appointed to a position established under this section shall be to ensure the continuity of the operations of the House of Representatives during periods of emergency, in accordance with the direction of the head of the office in which the position is established.
• (c) The annual rate of pay provided for a position established under this section shall be determined by the head of the office in which the position is established.
• (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the head of the office in which a position is established under this section shall have the exclusive authority to appoint personnel to such a position.

§ 5503. Actions against officers for official acts

In any action brought against any person for or on account of anything done by him while an officer of either House of Congress in the discharge of his official duty, in executing any order of such House, the United States attorney for the district within which the action is brought, on being thereto requested by the officer sued, shall enter an appearance in behalf of such officer; and all provisions of the eighth section of the Act of July 28, 1866 , entitled “An Act to protect the revenue, and for other purposes”, and also all provisions of the sections of former Acts therein referred to, so far as the same relate to the removal of suits, the withholding of executions, and the paying of judgments against revenue or other officers of the United States, shall become applicable to such action and to all proceedings and matters whatsoever connected therewith, and the defense of such action shall thenceforth be conducted under the supervision and direction of the Attorney General.

§ 5504. Officers of Senate

Section 5503 of this title shall not apply to officers of the Senate.

§ 5505. Payments from applicable accounts of House of Representatives

• (a) No payment may be made from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives (as determined by the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives), unless sanctioned by that Committee. Payments on vouchers approved in the manner directed by that Committee shall be deemed, held, and taken, and are declared to be conclusive upon all the departments and officers of the Government.
• (b) As used in this section—
  • (1) the term “applicable accounts of the House of Representatives” means accounts for salaries and expenses of committees (other than the Committee on Appropriations), the computer support organization of the House of Representatives, and allowances and expenses of Members of the House of Representatives, officers of the House of Representatives, and administrative and support offices of the House of Representatives; and
  • (2) the term “Member of the House of Representatives” means a Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.

§ 5506. Appropriations for expenses of House; restrictions

Appropriations made for expenses of the House of Representatives shall not be used for the payment of personal services except upon the express and specific authorization of the House in whose behalf such services are rendered. Nor shall such appropriations be used for any expenses not intimately and directly connected with the routine legislative business of the House of Representatives, and the Government Accountability Office shall apply the provisions of this section in the settlement of the accounts of expenditures from said appropriations incurred for services or materials.

§ 5507. Transfers of amounts appropriated for House

• (a) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under the heading “ allowances and expenses ” may be transferred among and merged with the various categories of allowances and expenses under such heading, effective upon the expiration of the 21-day period (or such alternative period that may be imposed by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives) which begins on the date such Committee has been notified of the transfer.
• (b) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under the heading “ salaries, officers and employees ” may be transferred among and merged with the various offices and activities under such heading, effective upon the expiration of the 21-day period (or such alternative period that may be imposed by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives) which begins on the date such Committee has been notified of the transfer.
• (c)
  • (1) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under the headings specified in paragraph (2) may be transferred among and merged with such headings, effective upon the expiration of the 21-day period (or such alternative period that may be imposed by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives) which begins on the date such Committee has been notified of the transfer.
  • (2) The headings referred to in paragraph (1) are “House Leadership Offices”, “Members’ Representational Allowances”, “Committee Employees”, “Salaries, Officers and Employees”, “Allowances and Expenses”, the heading for any joint committee under the heading “Joint Items” (to the extent that amounts appropriated for the joint committee are disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives), “Office of the Attending Physician”, “Allowance for Compensation of Interns in Member Offices”, and “Allowance for Compensation of Interns in House Leadership Offices”.
• (d) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under the heading “Allowances and Expenses” may be transferred to the Architect of the Capitol and merged with and made available under the heading “House Office Buildings”, subject to the approval of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
• (e) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under any heading other than the heading “Members’ Representational Allowances” may be transferred to the Architect of the Capitol and merged with and made available under the heading “House Historic Buildings Revitalization Trust Fund”, subject to the approval of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
• (f) Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the House of Representatives under the heading “House Leadership Offices” may be transferred among and merged with the various offices and activities under such heading, effective upon the expiration of the 21-day period (or such alternative period that may be imposed by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives) which begins on the date such Committee has been notified of the transfer.

§ 5508. Account in House of Representatives for Employees’ Compensation Fund

• (a) There is hereby established an account in the House of Representatives for purposes of making payments of the House of Representatives to the Employees’ Compensation Fund under section 8147 of title 5 , and for reimbursing the Secretary of Labor for any amounts paid with respect to unemployment compensation payments for former employees of the House.
• (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, payments may be made from the account established under subsection (a) at any time after October 7, 1997 , without regard to the fiscal year for which the obligation to make such payments is incurred.
• (c) The account established under subsection (a) shall be treated as a category of allowances and expenses for purposes of section 5507(a) of this title .

§ 5509. Incidental use of equipment and supplies

• (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Committee on House Oversight may prescribe by regulation appropriate conditions for the incidental use, for other than official business, of equipment and supplies owned or leased by, or the cost of which is reimbursed by, the House of Representatives.
• (b) The authority of the Committee on House Oversight to prescribe regulations pursuant to subsection (a) shall apply with respect to fiscal year 1999 and each succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5510. Providing assistance to House of Representatives in response to cybersecurity events

• (a) If the Speaker of the House of Representatives (or the Speaker’s designee), with the concurrence of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives (or the Minority Leader’s designee), determines that a cybersecurity event has occurred and that containing, mitigating, or resolving the event exceeds the resources of the House of Representatives, then notwithstanding any other provision of law or any rule, regulation, or executive order—
  • (1) the Speaker may request assistance in responding to the event from the head of any Executive department, military department, or independent establishment;
  • (2) not later than 24 hours after receiving the request, the head of the department or establishment shall begin to provide appropriate assistance in response to the incident, including (if necessary) restoring the information systems of the House to an operational state which allows for the continuation of the legislative process and for Members, officers, and employees of the House to continue to meet their official and representational duties; and
  • (3) such assistance shall be provided without reimbursement by the House of Representatives.
• (b)
  • (1) The assistance provided to the Speaker by the head of a department or establishment under this section may consist only of a type that the head of the department or establishment is authorized under law to provide to the department or establishment, another Executive department, military department, or independent establishment, or a private entity.
  • (2) In providing assistance under this section—
    • (A) personnel of a department or establishment may not log onto the information systems of the House without the authorization of the Speaker (or the Speaker’s designee); and
    • (B) personnel of a department or establishment may provide the House with access to technological support services of the department or establishment, including by authorizing personnel or systems of the House to connect with and operate services or programs of the department or establishment with guidance from subject matter experts of the department or establishment.
• (c)
  • (1) After initiating assistance under this section, the head of the department or establishment shall continue providing assistance until the Speaker (or Speaker’s designee) notifies the head of the department or establishment that the cybersecurity incident has terminated and that it is no longer necessary for the department or establishment to provide post-incident assistance.
  • (2) Upon receiving notice from the Speaker under paragraph (1), the head of the department or establishment shall ensure that any technological support services or programs of the department or establishment are removed from the information systems of the House, and that personnel of the department or establishment are no longer monitoring such systems.
• (d) In providing assistance under this section, the head of the Executive department, military department, or independent establishment shall meet the requirements of section 113 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017 ( Public Law 115–31 ).
• (e) Nothing in this section may be construed to affect the authority of an Executive department, military department, or independent establishment to provide any support, including cybersecurity support, to the House of Representatives under any other law, rule, or regulation.
• (f) In this section, each of the terms “Executive department”, “military department”, and “independent establishment” has the meaning given such term in chapter 1 of title 5.

§ 5511. Transfer of funds

• (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon completion of the second fiscal year which begins after the end of the period during which amounts appropriated under any of the items under the heading “House of Representatives, Salaries and Expenses” are available for obligation or expenditure, any such amounts which remain unobligated and unexpended shall be transferred to the heading “House of Representatives, Salaries and Expenses, Allowances and Expenses” and shall be available until expended for purposes of House of Representatives Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery.
• (b) Subsection (a) does not apply to amounts appropriated under the heading “House of Representatives, Salaries and Expenses, Members’ Representational Allowances”.
• (c) The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives shall notify the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives prior to the obligation or expenditure of any amounts transferred under subsection (a).
• (d) This section shall apply with respect to amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2018 or any succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5512. Use of available balances of expired appropriations

• (a) Subject to section 5511 of this title , available balances of expired appropriations for the House of Representatives shall be available to the House of Representatives—
  • (1) for the payment of a death gratuity which is specifically appropriated by law and which is made in connection with the death of an employee of the House of Representatives, without regard to the fiscal year in which the payment is made; and
  • (2) for deposit into the account established under section 5508 of this title for making payments of the House of Representatives to the Employees’ Compensation Fund under section 8147 of title 5 and for reimbursing the Secretary of Labor for any amounts paid with respect to unemployment compensation payments for former employees of the House.
• (b) This section shall apply with respect to funds appropriated or otherwise made available in fiscal year 2020 and each succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5521. Compensation of Chaplain of House

The maximum per year gross rate of compensation of the Chaplain of the House of Representatives shall not exceed the greater of $173,900 or the rate of pay in effect for such position under an order issued by the Speaker of the House of Representatives pursuant to the authority of section 4532 of this title .

§ 5531. Program to increase employment opportunities in House of Representatives for individuals with disabilities

• (a) In order to promote an increase in opportunities for individuals with disabilities to provide services to the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives is authorized to—
  • (1) enter into 1 or more contracts with nongovernmental entities to provide for the performance of services for offices of the House of Representatives by individuals with disabilities who are employees of, or under contract with, such entities; and
  • (2) provide reasonable accommodations, including assistive technology devices and assistive technology services, to enable such individuals to perform such services under such contracts.
• (b) The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, in entering into any contract under subsection (a), shall seek to ensure that—
  • (1) traditional and nontraditional outreach efforts are used to attract individuals with disabilities for educational benefit and employment opportunities in the House;
  • (2) the non-governmental entity provides adequate education and training for individuals with disabilities to enhance such employment opportunities; and
  • (3) efforts are made to educate employing offices in the House about opportunities to employ individuals with disabilities.
• (c) There are authorized to be appropriated from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives $500,000 to carry out this section for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2007.

§ 5532. Advance payments

• (a) For fiscal year 1998 and each succeeding fiscal year, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives is authorized to make advance payments under a contract or other agreement to provide a service or deliver an article for the United States Government without regard to the provisions of section 3324 of title 31 .
• (b) An advance payment authorized by subsection (a) shall be made in accordance with regulations issued by the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives.
• (c) The authority granted by subsection (a) shall not take effect until regulations are issued pursuant to subsection (b).

§ 5533. House of Representatives Revolving Fund

• (a) There is established in the House of Representatives a fund to be known as the “House of Representatives Revolving Fund”, consisting of the following amounts:
  • (1) Amounts appropriated to the Fund.
  • (2) Amounts donated to the Fund.
  • (3) Interest on the balance of the Fund.
• (b) Amounts in the Fund shall be expended at the direction of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, upon notification provided by the Chief Administrative Officer to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and shall remain available until expended.
• (c) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2004 and each succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5534. House revolving fund for stationery allowances; disposition of moneys from stationery sales; availability of unexpended balances

There is established a revolving fund for the purpose of administering the funds appropriated for stationery allowances to each Representative, Delegate, the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico; and stationery for use of the committees, departments, and officers of the House. All moneys hereafter received by the stationery room of the House of Representatives from the sale of stationery supplies and other equipment shall be deposited in the revolving fund and shall be available for disbursement from the fund in the same manner as other sums that may be appropriated by the Congress for this purpose. The unexpended balance of all moneys heretofore received by the stationery room of the House of Representatives from the sale of stationery supplies and equipment shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the fund: Provided , That the unexpended balances in the appropriations “Contingent expenses, House of Representatives, stationery, 1945–1946”; “Contingent expenses, House of Representatives, stationery, 1946”; “Contingent expenses, House of Representatives, stationery, 1947–48”, as of June 30, 1947 , shall be transferred to and made available for expenditure out of the fund, together with appropriations herein or hereafter made therefor, to remain available until expended.

§ 5535. Report of disbursements for House of Representatives

• (a) Not later than 60 days after the last day of each semiannual period, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives shall submit to the House of Representatives, with respect to that period, a detailed, itemized report of the disbursements for the operations of the House of Representatives.
• (b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include—
  • (1) the name of each person who receives a payment from the House of Representatives;
  • (2) the quantity and price of any item furnished to the House of Representatives;
  • (3) a description of any service rendered to the House of Representatives, together with a statement of the time required for the service, and the name, title, and amount paid to each person who renders the service;
  • (4) a statement of all amounts appropriated to, or received, or expended by the House of Representatives, and any unexpended balances of such amounts;
  • (5) the information submitted to the Comptroller General under section 3523(a) of title 31 ; and
  • (6) such additional information as may be required by regulation of the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives.
• (c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), if a voucher is for payment to an individual for attendance as a witness before a committee of the Congress in executive session, the report for the semiannual period in which the appearance occurs shall show only the date of payment, voucher number, and amount paid. Any information excluded from a report under the preceding sentence shall be included in the report for the next period.
• (d) Each report under this section shall be printed as a House document.
• (e) The provisions of—
  • (1) sections 102, 103, and 104 1 1 See References in Text note below. of this title; and
  • (2) section 4108 of this title ;
• (f) This section shall apply to the semiannual periods of January 1 through June 30 and July 1 through December 31 of each year, beginning with the semiannual period in which this section is enacted.

§ 5536. Office equipment for House Members, officers, and committees

• (a) At the request of any Member, officer, or committee of the House of Representatives, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico, and with the approval of the Committee on House Oversight, but subject to the limitations prescribed by this Act, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives shall furnish office equipment for use in the office of that Member, Resident Commissioner, officer, or committee. Office equipment so furnished is limited to equipment of those types and categories which the Committee on House Oversight shall prescribe.
• (b) Office equipment furnished under this section shall be registered in the office of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives and shall remain the property of the House of Representatives.
• (c) The cost of office equipment furnished under this section shall be paid from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives.
• (d) The Committee on House Oversight shall prescribe such regulations as it considers necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

§ 5537. Net Expenses of Equipment Revolving Fund

• (a) There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States a revolving fund for the House of Representatives to be known as the Net Expenses of Equipment Revolving Fund (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Revolving Fund”), consisting of funds deposited by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives from amounts provided by offices of the House of Representatives to purchase, lease, obtain, and maintain the equipment located in such offices, and amounts provided by Members of the House of Representatives (including Delegates and Resident Commissioners to the Congress) to purchase, lease, obtain, and maintain furniture for their district offices.
• (b) Amounts in the Revolving Fund shall be used by the Chief Administrative Officer without fiscal year limitation to purchase, lease, obtain, and maintain equipment for offices of the House of Representatives and furniture for the district offices of Members of the House of Representatives (including Delegates and Resident Commissioners to the Congress).
• (c) The Revolving Fund shall be treated as a category of allowances and expenses for purposes of section 5507(a) of this title .
• (d) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2003 and each succeeding fiscal year, except that for purposes of making deposits into the Revolving Fund under subsection (a), the Chief Administrative Officer may deposit amounts provided by offices of the House of Representatives during fiscal year 2002 or any succeeding fiscal year.
• (e) This section shall not apply with respect to any telecommunications equipment which is subject to coverage under section 5538 1 1 See References in Text note below. of this title (relating to the Net Expenses of Telecommunications Revolving Fund).

§ 5538. Net Expenses of Telecommunications Revolving Fund

• (a) There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States a revolving fund for the House of Representatives to be known as the Net Expenses of Telecommunications Revolving Fund (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Revolving Fund”), consisting of funds deposited by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives from amounts provided by legislative branch offices to purchase, lease, obtain, and maintain the data and voice telecommunications services and equipment located in such offices.
• (b) Amounts in the Revolving Fund shall be used by the Chief Administrative Officer without fiscal year limitation to purchase, lease, obtain, and maintain the data and voice telecommunications services and equipment of legislative branch offices.
• (c) The Revolving Fund shall be treated as a category of allowances and expenses for purposes of section 5507(a) of this title .
• (d)
• (f) This section and the amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2005 and each succeeding fiscal year, except that for purposes of making deposits into the Revolving Fund under subsection (a), the Chief Administrative Officer may deposit amounts provided by legislative branch offices during fiscal year 2004 or any succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5539. Commissions and charges for public telephone or telecommunications services; deposit of receipts

• (a) Effective October 1, 1988 , the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives is authorized to receive commissions for providing public telephone service in space occupied by the United States House of Representatives.
• (b) Receipts from the commissions and charges set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall be deposited in the United States Treasury for credit to the appropriation for “Salaries and Expenses of the United States House of Representatives”, and shall be available for expenditure upon the approval of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

§ 5540. Disposal of used or surplus furniture and equipment by Chief Administrative Officer of House; procedure; deposit of receipts

• (1) The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives may dispose of used equipment of the House of Representatives, by trade-in or sale, directly or through the General Services Administration. Any direct disposal under the preceding sentence shall be in accordance with normal business practice and shall be at fair market value. Receipts from disposals under the first sentence of this section (together with receipts from sale of transcripts, waste paper and other items provided by law, and receipts for missing or damaged equipment) shall be deposited in the Treasury for credit to the appropriate account of the House of Representatives, and shall be available for expenditure in accordance with applicable law. For purposes of the previous sentence, in the case of receipts from the sale or disposal of any audio or video transcripts prepared by the House Recording Studio, the “appropriate account of the House of Representatives” shall be the account of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.
• (2) If disposal in accordance with paragraph (1) is not feasible because of age, location, condition, or any other relevant factor, the Chief Administrative Officer may donate the equipment to the government of a State, to a local government, or to an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of title 26 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of title 26 . Except as provided in paragraph (3), a donation under this paragraph—
  • (A) shall be at no cost to the Government; and
  • (B) may be made only if the used equipment has no recoverable value because disposal in accordance with paragraph (1), under the most favorable terms available to the Government, would result in a loss to the Government.
• (3)
  • (A) In the case of computer-related equipment, during fiscal year 1998 the Chief Administrative Officer may donate directly the equipment to a public elementary or secondary school of the District of Columbia without regard to whether the donation meets the requirements of the second sentence of paragraph (2), except that the total number of workstations donated as a result of this paragraph may not exceed 1,000.
  • (B) In this paragraph—
    • (i) the term “computer-related equipment” includes desktops, laptops, printers, file servers, and peripherals which are appropriate for use in public school education;
    • (ii) the terms “public elementary school” and “public secondary school” have the meaning given the terms elementary school and secondary school in section 7801 of title 20 ; and
    • (iii) the term “workstation” includes desktops and peripherals, file servers and peripherals, laptops and peripherals, printers and peripherals, and workstations and peripherals.
  • (C) The Committee on House Oversight shall have authority to issue regulations to carry out this paragraph.
• (4) The Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives shall have authority to prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection.
• (5) As used in this section—
  • (A) the term “State” means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and a territory or possession of the United States; and
  • (B) the term “used equipment” means such used or surplus equipment (including furniture and motor vehicles) as the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives may prescribe by regulation.

§ 5541. Fees for internal delivery in House of Representatives of nonpostage mail from outside sources

Effective with respect to fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 1995, in the case of mail from outside sources presented to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives (other than mail through the Postal Service and mail with postage otherwise paid) for internal delivery in the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer is authorized to collect fees equal to the applicable postage. Amounts received by the Chief Administrative Officer as fees under the preceding sentence shall be deposited in the Treasury for credit to the account of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.

§ 5542. Regulations for safe handling of mail matter

• (a) Subject to the approval of the Committee on House Administration, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives shall implement regulations under which the Chief Administrative Officer shall be authorized to handle any mail matter delivered by the United States Postal Service or any other carrier to the House of Representatives, or to any other entity with whom the Chief Administrative Officer has entered into an agreement to receive mail matter delivered to the entity, in such manner as the Chief Administrative Officer deems necessary to ensure the safety of any individuals who may come into contact with, or otherwise be exposed to, such mail matter.
• (b) No action taken under the regulations implemented pursuant to this section may serve as a basis for civil or criminal liability of any individual or entity.
• (c) As used in this section, the term “handle” includes but is not limited to collecting, isolating, testing, opening, disposing, and destroying.
• (d) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2004 and each succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5543. Rebates under Government Travel Charge Card Program

Effective with respect to fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 1995, amounts received by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives from the Administrator of General Services for rebates under the Government Travel Charge Card Program shall be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.

§ 5544. Deposit of House Information Resources reimbursements for services

Effective with respect to fiscal year 2003 and each succeeding fiscal year, any amount received by House Information Resources from any office of the House of Representatives as reimbursement for services provided shall be deposited in the Treasury for credit to the account of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.

§ 5545. House Services Revolving Fund

• (a) There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States a revolving fund for the House of Representatives to be known as the “House Services Revolving Fund” (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Revolving Fund”), consisting of funds deposited by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives from all amounts received by the House of Representatives with respect to the following activities:
  • (1) The operation of the House Barber Shop.
  • (2) The operation of the House Beauty Shop.
  • (3) The operation of the House Restaurant System (including vending operations).
  • (4) The provision of mail services to entities which are not part of the House of Representatives.
  • (5) The payment of fees for the use of the exercise facility described in section 103(a). 1 1 See References in Text note below.
  • (6) The collection of promotional rebates and incentives on credit card purchases, balances, and payments.
  • (7) The collection of a service fee from vendors of the Master Web Services Agreement or the Technology Services Contract for failure to abide by and maintain House of Representatives security policies.
• (b) Amounts in the Revolving Funds 2 2 So in original. Probably should be “Fund”. shall be used for any purpose designated by the Chief Administrative Officer, including purposes relating to energy and water conservation and environmental activities carried out in buildings, facilities, and grounds under the Chief Administrative Officer’s jurisdiction, which is approved by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
• (c) The Revolving Fund shall be treated as a category of allowances and expenses for purposes of section 5507(a) of this title .
• (d)
  • (1) Each fund and account specified in paragraph (2) is hereby terminated, and the balance of each such fund and account is hereby transferred to the Revolving Fund.
  • (2) The funds and accounts referred to in paragraph (1) are as follows:
    • (A) The revolving fund for the House Barber Shop, established by the paragraph under the heading “HOUSE BARBER SHOPS REVOLVING FUND” in the matter relating to the House of Representatives in chapter III of title I of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1975 ( Public Law 93–554 ; 88 Stat. 1776 ).
    • (B) The revolving funds for the House Beauty Shop, established by the matter under the heading “ house beauty shop ” in the matter relating to administrative provisions for the House of Representatives in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1970 ( Public Law 91–145 ; 83 Stat. 347 ).
    • (C) The special deposit account established for the House of Representatives Restaurant by section 208 of the First Supplemental Civil Functions Appropriation Act, 1941, or any successor fund or account established for the receipt of revenues of the House Restaurant System.
• (e) This section shall take effect October 1, 2004 , and shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2005 and each succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5546. Support services for House during emergency; memorandum of understanding with an executive agency

• (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law—
  • (1) subject to subsection (b), the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives and the head of an executive agency (as defined in section 105 of title 5 ) may enter into a memorandum of understanding under which the agency may provide facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel, and other support services for the use of the House of Representatives during an emergency situation; and
  • (2) the Chief Administrative Officer and the head of the agency may take any action necessary to carry out the terms of the memorandum of understanding.
• (b) The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives may not enter into a memorandum of understanding described in subsection (a)(1) without the approval of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• (c) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2002 and each succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5547. Emergency expenditures for meals, refreshments, and other support and maintenance

• (a) At any time on or after February 20, 2003 , the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives may incur obligations and make expenditures out of available appropriations for meals, refreshments, and other support and maintenance for Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives when, in the judgment of the Chief Administrative Officer, such obligations and expenditures are necessary to respond to emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property.
• (b) Nothing in this section may be construed to affect any other authority of the Chief Administrative Officer to incur obligations and make expenditures for the items and services described in subsection (a) for Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives.

§ 5548. Payments to ensure continuing availability of goods and services during the coronavirus emergency

• (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to subsection (b), during an emergency situation, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives may make payments under contracts with vendors providing goods and services to the House in amounts and under terms and conditions other than those provided under the contract in order to ensure that those goods and services remain available to the House throughout the duration of the emergency.
• (b)
  • (1) The Chief Administrative Officer may not make payments under the authority of subsection (a) without the approval of the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives.
  • (2) The authority of the Chief Administrative Officer to make payments under the authority of subsection (a) is subject to the availability of appropriations to make such payments.
• (c) This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2020 and each succeeding fiscal year.

§ 5561. Reporters for House of Representatives

No person shall be employed as a reporter for the House of Representatives without the approval of the Speaker.

§ 5562. Preservation of reports, statements, or documents filed with Clerk of House

• (a) If the Clerk of the House of Representatives is required under any law, rule, or regulation to make available for public inspection a report, statement, or other document filed with the Office of the Clerk, the Clerk shall preserve the report, statement, or document—
  • (1) for a period of 6 years from the date on which the document is filed; or
  • (2) if the law, rule, or regulation so provides, the period required under such law, rule, or regulation.
• (b) Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to reports, statements, and documents filed before, on, or after December 8, 2004 .

§ 5563. Index to House daily calendar

The index to the daily calendar of business of the House of Representatives shall be printed only on Monday of each week.

§ 5571. Office of General Counsel of House; administrative provisions

• (a) The General Counsel of the House of Representatives and any other counsel in the Office of the General Counsel of the House of Representatives, including any counsel specially retained by the Office of General Counsel, shall be entitled, for the purpose of performing the counsel’s functions, to enter an appearance in any proceeding before any court of the United States or of any State or political subdivision thereof without compliance with any requirements for admission to practice before such court, except that the authorization conferred by this subsection shall not apply with respect to the admission of any such person to practice before the United States Supreme Court.
• (b) The Attorney General shall notify the General Counsel of the House of Representatives as required by section 530D of title 28 .
• (c) In this section, the term “General Counsel of the House of Representatives” means—
  • (1) the head of the Office of General Counsel established and operating under clause 8 of rule II of the Rules of the House of Representatives;
  • (2) the head of any successor office to the Office of General Counsel which is established after September 29, 1999 ; and
  • (3) any other person authorized and directed in accordance with the Rules of the House of Representatives to provide legal assistance and representation to the House in connection with the matters described in this section.
• (d) The provisions of this section shall become effective beginning with September 29, 1999 .

§ 5581. Participation by House in interparliamentary institutions; reception of members of foreign legislative bodies and foreign officials; meetings with Government officials

• (a) It is the purpose of this section to enable the House of Representatives more properly to discharge and coordinate its activities and responsibilities in connection with participation in various interparliamentary institutions, to facilitate the interchange and reception in the United States of members of foreign legislative bodies and permanent officials of foreign governments, and to enable the House of Representatives to host meetings with senior United States Government officials and other dignitaries in order to discuss matters relevant to United States relations with other countries.
• (b) For payment of expenses incurred in carrying out subsection (a) of this section, there shall be paid out of the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives, until otherwise provided by law, such sums as may be necessary but not to exceed $40,000 in any calendar year. Such payments shall be made on vouchers signed by the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and approved by the Committee on House Oversight.

§ 5582. Office of Interparliamentary Affairs

• (a) There is hereby established in the House of Representatives an office to be known as the “Office of Interparliamentary Affairs” (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Office”).
• (b) The duties of the Office are as follows:
  • (1) To receive and respond to inquiries from foreign parliamentarians or foreign legislative bodies regarding official visits to the House of Representatives.
  • (2) To coordinate official visits to the House of Representatives by parliamentarians, officers, or employees of foreign legislative bodies.
  • (3) To coordinate with the Sergeant at Arms, the Clerk, and other officers of the House of Representatives in providing services for delegations of Members on official visits to foreign nations.
  • (4) To carry out other activities to—
    • (A) discharge and coordinate the activities and responsibilities of the House of Representatives in connection with participation in various interparliamentary exchanges and organizations;
    • (B) facilitate the interchange and reception in the United States of members of foreign legislative bodies and permanent officials of foreign governments; and
    • (C) enable the House to host meetings with senior government officials and other dignitaries in order to discuss matters relevant to United States relations with other nations.
• (c)
  • (1) The Office shall be headed by the Director of Interparliamentary Affairs of the House of Representatives (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Director”), who shall be appointed by the Speaker without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. Any person so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Speaker.
  • (2) The Director shall be paid at an annual rate determined by the Speaker.
• (d)
  • (1) With the approval of the Speaker, or in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Speaker, the Director may appoint and set the pay of such other employees as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Office. Any such appointment shall be made without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. Any person so appointed may be removed by the Director with the approval of the Speaker, or in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Speaker.
  • (2) Any employee of the Office appointed under this subsection shall be paid at an annual rate determined by the Director with the approval of the Speaker or in accordance with policies approved by the Speaker.
• (e)
• (f) There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2003 and each succeeding fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
• (g) This section shall take effect on September 30, 2003 .

§ 5591. Media support services

• (a) The responsibilities of positions under the House Press Gallery, the House Periodical Press Gallery, and the House Radio and Television Correspondents’ Gallery shall include providing media support services with respect to the presidential nominating conventions of the national committees of political parties.
• (b) The Standing Committee of Correspondents may enter into agreements with national committees of political parties under which the committees and persons authorized by the committees may reimburse employees for necessary expenses incurred in carrying out the responsibilities described in subsection (a) and employees may accept such reimbursement.
• (c) The terms and conditions under which employees exercise responsibilities under subsection (a), and the terms and conditions of any agreement entered into under subsection (b), shall be subject to the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.
• (d) In this section, the terms “national committee” and “political party” have the meaning given such terms in section 30101 of title 52 .

§ 5601. Sergeant at Arms of House; additional compensation

The Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives shall receive, directly or indirectly, no fees or other compensation or emolument whatever for performing the duties of the office, or in connection therewith, otherwise than the salary prescribed by law.

§ 5602. Tenure of office of Sergeant at Arms

Any person duly elected and qualified as Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives shall continue in said office until his successor is chosen and qualified, subject however, to removal by the House of Representatives.

§ 5603. Symbol of office of Sergeant at Arms

The symbol of his office shall be the mace, which shall be borne by him while enforcing order on the floor.

§ 5604. Duties of Sergeant at Arms

It shall be the duty of the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives to attend the House during its sittings, to maintain order under the direction of the Speaker, and, pending the election of a Speaker or Speaker pro tempore, under the direction of the Clerk, execute the commands of the House and all processes issued by authority thereof, directed to him by the Speaker.

§ 5605. Law enforcement authority of Sergeant at Arms

• (a) The Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives shall have the same law enforcement authority, including the authority to carry firearms, as a member of the Capitol Police. The law enforcement authority under the preceding sentence shall be subject to the requirement that the Sergeant at Arms have the qualifications specified in subsection (b).
• (b) The qualifications referred to in subsection (a) are the following:
  • (1) A minimum of five years of experience as a law enforcement officer before beginning service as the Sergeant at Arms.
  • (2) Current certification in the use of firearms by the appropriate Federal law enforcement entity or an equivalent non-Federal entity.
  • (3) Any other firearms qualification required for members of the Capitol Police.
• (c) The Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives shall have authority to prescribe regulations to carry out this section.

§ 5606. Arrangements for attendance at funeral of deceased House Members; payment of funeral expenses and expenses of attending funeral rites

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Sergeant at Arms of the House is authorized and directed on and after October 2, 1962 , to make such arrangements as may be necessary for any committee of Members of the Senate and House of Representatives duly appointed to attend the funeral of a deceased Member of the House. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there shall be paid out of the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives, under such rules and regulations as the Committee on House Oversight may prescribe, such sums as may be necessary to defray the funeral expenses of the deceased Member and to defray the expenses of such committee, the Sergeant at Arms of the House or a representative of his office, and the widow (or widower) or minor children, or both, of the deceased Member incurred in attending the funeral rites and burial of such Member.

§ 5621. Corrections Calendar Office

There is established in the House of Representatives an office to be known as the Corrections Calendar Office, which shall have the responsibility of assisting the Speaker in the management of the Corrections Calendar under the Rules of the House of Representatives. The Office shall have not more than five employees—

• (1) who shall be appointed by the Speaker, in consultation with the minority leader; and
• (2) whose annual rate of pay shall be established by the Speaker, but may not exceed 75 percent of the maximum annual rate under the general limitation specified by the order of the Speaker in effect under section 4532 of this title .

§ 5622. Lump sum allowance for Corrections Calendar Office

There shall be a lump sum allowance of $300,000 per fiscal year for the salaries and expenses of the Corrections Calendar Office, established by section 5621 of this title . Such amount shall be allocated between the majority party and the minority party as determined by the Speaker, in consultation with the minority leader.

§ 5623. Effective date

The allowance under section 5622 of this title —

• (1) shall be available beginning with the month of May 1997;
• (2) through the end of September 1997, shall be paid from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives on a pro rata basis; and
• (3) beginning with fiscal year 1998, shall be paid as provided in appropriations Acts.

§ 5624. Transfer of positions in Corrections Calendar Office

• (a)
  • (1) Effective October 1, 2003 —
    • (A) 3 of the positions in the Corrections Calendar Office, and the functions associated with such positions, shall be transferred to the Office of the Speaker; and
    • (B) 2 of the positions in the Corrections Calendar Office, and the functions associated with such positions, shall be transferred to the Office of the Minority Leader.
  • (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of any individual who is an incumbent of a position transferred under paragraph (1) at the time of the transfer, the total number of days of annual leave and the total number of days of sick leave which were provided by the Corrections Calendar Office to the individual and which remain unused as of the date of the transfer shall remain available for the individual to use after the transfer.
• (b) Effective with respect to fiscal year 2004 and each succeeding fiscal year, the lump sum allowance for salaries and expenses of the Corrections Calendar Office provided under House Resolution 130, One Hundred Fifth Congress, agreed to April 24, 1997 , as enacted into permanent law by section 101 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1998 ( 2 U.S.C. 74d–1 et seq.) [now 2 U.S.C. 5622 and 5623], is transferred as follows:
  • (1) 63.5 percent of such allowance shall be transferred to the Office of the Speaker.
  • (2) 36.5 percent of such allowance shall be transferred to the Office of the Minority Leader.