COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION RULES OF PROCEDURE
Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation adopted rules governing its procedures for the 110th
Congress on January 24. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, on behalf of myself and Senator Stevens,
I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying Rules from the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
I. MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
1. The regular meeting dates of the Committee shall be the
first and third Tuesdays of each month. Additional meetings
may be called by the Chairman as the Chairman may deem
necessary, or pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 3 of
rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
2. Meetings of the Committee, or any subcommittee,
including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the
public, except that a meeting or series of meetings by the
Committee, or any subcommittee, on the same subject for a
period of no more than 14 calendar days may be closed to the
public on a motion made and seconded to go into closed
session to discuss only whether the matters enumerated in
subparagraphs (A) through (F) would require the meeting to be
closed, followed immediately by a record vote in open session
by a majority of the members of the Committee, or any
subcommittee, when it is determined that the matter to be
discussed or the testimony to be taken at such meeting or
meetings--
(A) 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;
(B) will relate solely to matters of Committee staff
personnel or internal staff management or procedure;
(C) will tend to charge an individual with crime or
misconduct, to disgrace or injure the professional standing
of an individual, or otherwise to expose an individual to
public contempt or obloquy, or will represent a clearly
unwarranted invasion of the privacy of an individual;
(D) will disclose the identity of any informer or law
enforcement agent or will disclose any information relating
to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense
that is required to be kept secret in the interest of
effective law enforcement;
(E) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets
of, or financial or commercial information pertaining
specifically to, a given person if--
(1) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept
confidential by Government officers and employees; or
(2) the information has been obtained by the Government on
a confidential basis, other than through an application by
such person for a specific Government financial or other
benefit, and is required to be kept secret in order to
prevent undue injury to the competitive position of such
person; or
(F) may divulge matters required to be kept confidential
under other provisions of law or Government regulations.
3. Each witness who is to appear before the Committee or
any subcommittee shall file with the Committee, at least 24
hours in advance of the hearing, a written statement of the
witness's testimony in as many copies as the Chairman of the
Committee or subcommittee prescribes.
4. Field hearings of the full Committee, and any
subcommittee thereof, shall be scheduled only when authorized
by the Chairman and ranking minority member of the full
Committee.
II. QUORUMS
1. A majority of the members, which includes at least 1
minority member, shall constitute a quorum for official
action of the Committee when reporting a bill, resolution, or
nomination. Proxies may not be counted in making a quorum for
purposes of this paragraph.
2. Eight members shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of all business as may be considered by the
Committee, except for the reporting of a bill, resolution, or
nomination. Proxies may not be counted in making a quorum for
purposes of this paragraph.
3. For the purpose of taking sworn testimony a quorum of
the Committee and each subcommittee thereof, now or hereafter
appointed, shall consist of 1 Senator.
III. PROXIES
When a record vote is taken in the Committee on any bill,
resolution, amendment, or any other question, the required
quorum being present, a member who is unable to attend the
meeting may submit his or her vote by proxy, in writing or by
telephone, or through personal instructions.
IV. BROADCASTING OF HEARINGS
Public hearings of the full Committee, or any subcommittee
thereof, shall be televised or broadcast only when authorized
by the Chairman and the ranking minority member of the full
Committee.
V. SUBCOMMITTEES
1. Any member of the Committee may sit with any
subcommittee during its hearings.
2. Subcommittees shall be considered de novo whenever there
is a change in the chairmanship, and seniority on the
particular subcommittee shall not necessarily apply.
VI. CONSIDERATION OF BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
It shall not be in order during a meeting of the Committee
to move to proceed to the consideration of any bill or
resolution unless the bill or resolution has been filed with
the Clerk of the Committee not less than 48 hours in advance
of the Committee meeting, in as many copies as the Chairman
of the Committee prescribes. This rule may be waived with the
concurrence of the Chairman and the ranking minority member
of the full Committee.
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