Subcommittees
With the 112th Congress, two subcommittees were added to the Committee's jurisdiction: the Subcommittee on Elections, which examines issues related to elections and voting systems, including the adoption of Help America Vote Act (HAVA) provisions at the state level, and the Subcommittee on Oversight which will focus on identifying and reducing wasteful spending within House operations and establish best practices to help improve services to the House community.
House Administration Subcommittees
Subcommittee on Elections
The Subcommittee on Elections handles Federal election related issues. One of the major functions of the subcommittee is its oversight of the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) and the Elections Assistance Commission (EAC). The subcommittee’s jurisdiction also extends to the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the Federal Election Campaign Act, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
In addition to these policy areas the Subcommittee on Elections is also responsible for contested elections under the Federal Contested Elections Act.
Subcommittee Oversight
The Subcommittee on Oversight will focus on identifying and reducing wasteful spending within House operations by increasing operational efficiency and streamlining various House technology initiatives. It will also work with the agencies this Committee has direct oversight of by establishing best practices to help improve their services to the House community, as well as the millions of constituents visiting each year. These agencies include the Chief Administrative Officer, Architect of the Capitol, Clerk of the House, Sergeant at Arms, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, Government Printing Office and House Inspector General.
House Administration Joint Committees
Joint Committee on Printing
The Joint Committee on Printing, created by the act of August 3, 1846 (9 Stat. 114; 44 U.S.C. 101), is the oldest joint committee of the Congress. Composed of five Representatives and five Senators, the panel oversees the operation of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), whose support is essential to the legislative process of the Congress. The GPO also serves by law as the principal printing organization for Federal agencies, and so the Joint Committee generally oversees compliance by Federal agencies with laws, rules and regulations designed to minimize printing costs to the American people.
Joint Committee on the Library
The Joint Committee on the Library is a joint committee of the United States Congress devoted to the affairs and administration of the Library of Congress. There are five members of each house on the committee. The Committee has oversight of the operations of the Library of Congress, as well as management of the congressional art collection and the United States Botanic Garden, but does not have legislative authority. Membership consists of the chairman and four Members of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chairman and four Members of the Committee on House Administration and chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations. The chairmanship of the Committee changes between the House and Senate every two years.
House Fine Arts Board
The House Fine Arts Board, in consultation with the House Office Building Commission, maintains authority over all works of fine art, historical objects, and similar property that are the property of the Congress and are for display or other use in the House of Representatives wing of the Capitol, the House of Representatives Office Buildings, or any other location under the control of the House of Representatives.