§ 29a. — Early organization of House of Representatives.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 2USC29a]
TITLE 2--THE CONGRESS
CHAPTER 2--ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS
Sec. 29a. Early organization of House of Representatives
(a) Caucus or conference for incumbent Members reelected to and Members-
elect of ensuing Congress; time and procedure for calling
(1) The majority leader or minority leader of the House of
Representatives after consultation with the Speaker may at any time
during any even-numbered year call a caucus or conference, to begin on
or after the first day of December and conclude on or before the
twentieth day of December in such year and to be attended by all
incumbent Members of his or her political party who have been reelected
to the ensuing Congress and all other Members-elect of such party, for
the purpose of taking all steps necessary to achieve the prompt
organization of the Members and Members-elect of such party for the
ensuing Congress.
(2) If the majority leader or minority leader calls an
organizational caucus or conference under paragraph (1), he or she shall
file with the Clerk of the House a written notice designating the date
upon which the caucus or conference is to convene. As soon as possible
after the election of Members to the ensuing Congress, the Clerk shall
furnish each Member-elect of the party involved with appropriate written
notification of the caucus or conference.
(3) If a vacancy occurs in the office of majority leader or minority
leader during any even-numbered year (and has not been filled), the
chairman of the caucus or conference of the party involved for the
current Congress may call an organizational caucus or conference under
paragraph (1) by filing written notice thereof as provided by paragraph
(2).
(b) Payment and reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses for
Members attending caucus or conference; exceptions; regulations
governing payments and reimbursements; reimbursement vouchers
(1)(A) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected
to the ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under
subsection (a) of this section, and each incumbent Member reelected to
the ensuing Congress who attends any such caucus or conference convening
after the adjournment sine die of the Congress in the year involved,
shall be paid for one round trip between his or her place of residence
in the district which he or she represents and Washington, District of
Columbia, for the purpose of attending such caucus or conference.
Payment shall be made through the issuance of a transportation request
form to each such Member-elect or incumbent Member by the Finance Office
of the House before such caucus or conference.
(B) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to
the ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under
subsection (a) of this section shall in addition be reimbursed on a per
diem or other basis for expenses incurred in connection with his or her
attendance at such caucus or conference for a period not to exceed the
shorter of the following--
(i) the period beginning with the day before the designated date
upon which such caucus or conference is to convene and ending with
the day after the date of the final adjournment of such caucus or
conference; or
(ii) fourteen days.
(2) Payments and reimbursements to Members-elect under paragraph (1)
shall be made as provided (with respect to Members) in the regulations
prescribed by the Committee on House Oversight with respect to travel
and other expenses of committees and Members. Reimbursements shall be
paid on special voucher forms prescribed by the Committee on House
Oversight.
(c) Availability of applicable accounts of House
The applicable accounts of the House of Representatives are made
available to carry out the purposes of this section.
(Pub. L. 93-554, title I, ch. III, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777; Pub. L.
104-186, title II, Sec. 202(4), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1725.)
Codification
Section is based on section 202 of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-
third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by
Pub. L. 93-554.
Amendments
1996--Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 104-186, Sec. 202(4)(A), substituted
``House Oversight'' for ``House Administration'' in two places.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104-186, Sec. 202(4)(B), substituted
``applicable accounts of the House of Representatives are'' for
``contingent fund of the House is''.
Change of Name
Committee on House Oversight of House of Representatives changed to
Committee on House Administration of House of Representatives by House
Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 6, 1999.
Effective Date
Pub. L. 93-554 provided that the enactment of House Resolution No.
988, Ninety-third Congress, into permanent law is effective Jan. 2,
1975.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 43b-2 of this title.
