See other bills
under the
same topic
PRINTER'S NO. 36
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
10
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY GROVE, ROTHMAN, GREINER, PICKETT, IRVIN, LEWIS,
BOBACK, MILLARD, COOK, TOOHIL, JAMES, GLEIM, STAMBAUGH,
KEEFER, MOUL AND SANKEY, JANUARY 11, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JANUARY 11, 2021
A RESOLUTION
Adopting permanent rules for the House of Representatives,
further providing for government oversight committees.
RESOLVED, That the Permanent Rules of the House of
Representatives (2019-2020) be adopted as the Permanent Rules of
the House of Representatives for the 2021-2022 session of the
House of Representatives with the following amendments to the
heading and Rule 45(a):
[2019-2020] 2021-2022
GENERAL OPERATING RULES
OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
* * *
RULE 45 (a)
Government Oversight Committee
The Government Oversight Committee shall consist of nine
members, five of whom shall be members of the majority party
appointed by the Majority Leader and four of whom shall be
members of the minority party appointed by the Minority Leader.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
The Majority Leader shall appoint the chair and secretary for
the committee. The Minority Leader shall appoint the minority
chair for the committee. A majority of the members of the
committee shall constitute a quorum.
The members of the committee shall first meet upon the call
of the chair and perfect its organization. The committee shall
have the power to promulgate rules not inconsistent with this
rule or the Rules of the House that may be necessary for the
orderly conduct of its business.
The chair of the committee shall notify all members on the
committee at least 24 hours in advance of the date, time and
place of meetings and, insofar as possible, the subjects on the
agenda. Meetings may be called from time to time by the chair of
the committee as the chair deems necessary.
The committee shall be authorized and empowered to do all of
the following:
(1) Conduct oversight hearings to determine whether an issue
warrants an investigation under subsection (2).
(2) Conduct hearings at any place in this Commonwealth to
investigate any matter referred to the committee by the Speaker,
the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader. Referred matters
shall relate to executive agencies and administrative actions
and may not include matters which are:
(a) under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ethics;
(b) under the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Appropriations, except matters which may incidentally include
information related to expenditures of public money; or
(c) within the scope of an adopted House resolution
authorizing and empowering a standing committee, subcommittee or
select committee to investigate any matter.
20210HR0010PN0036 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Unless in conflict with the provisions of this rule, Rule 51
shall be applicable to hearings of the committee concerning
referred matters.
[(2)] (3) Any action necessary to fulfill any assignment or
duty given to the committee by any resolution or other rule of
the House.
The committee may issue subpoenas for documents or testimony
as part of the investigation of any matter referred to the
committee. Notwithstanding any other rule of the House,
subpoenas issued under this rule shall be in the name of the
committee, shall be signed by the chair of the committee and
attested by another member of the committee who voted in favor
of either authorizing the subpoena or authorizing the chair to
issue subpoenas.
A subpoena issued by the committee may be served upon any
person and shall have the force and effect of a subpoena issued
out of the courts of this Commonwealth. Subpoenas shall be
served by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House or other person
designated by the committee when directed to do so by the
committee. Each subpoena shall be addressed to the witness and
shall state that the proceeding is before a committee of the
House for which the witness is required to attend and testify at
a specified time and place; or to produce books, papers,
records, accounts, reports, documents and data and information
produced and stored by any electronic data processing system; or
both, as the committee may also require. All subpoenaed items
shall be maintained and returned in accordance with Rule 51.
Mileage and witness fees shall be paid by the House to the
witness in an amount prescribed by law. A person who willfully
neglects or refuses to comply with a subpoena issued by the
20210HR0010PN0036 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
committee shall be subject to the penalties provided by the laws
of this Commonwealth with respect to such willful neglect or
refusal. The committee may quash or modify the subpoena if it
finds the subpoena to be overly broad or without proper purpose.
Each member of the committee shall have power to administer
oaths and affirmations to witnesses appearing before the
committee.
Upon completion of the investigation of any matter referred
to the committee, the committee shall file a final report with
the House. A final report of a referred matter shall not be
considered in the committee unless the report has been available
to committee members for at least three days before
consideration, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays,
unless the House is in session on those days. A report on a
referred matter shall be adopted by a majority vote of the
committee members to which the committee is entitled, present at
a committee session actually assembled and meeting as a
committee. Members of the committee may prepare in writing and
file a minority report, setting forth the reasons for their
dissent. Such committee reports shall be filed with the Chief
Clerk within five days of the meeting.
The committee shall not continue to exist after sine die
adjournment of the General Assembly. Investigation of any
referred matter before the committee that has not been concluded
or disposed of by [October 31] November 30 of the second year of
a legislative term shall cease on such date, and all documents,
reports, communications, transcripts and other materials
compiled by the committee for such matters shall be collected,
organized and submitted to the Chief Clerk under seal for
transition to the reconstituted committee consisting of members
20210HR0010PN0036 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
appointed from the incoming General Assembly. These materials
shall be held in a secure manner and nothing in this rule shall
authorize the Chief Clerk or any other person to view such
materials. Within 30 days following the reconstitution of the
committee in the next succeeding legislative term, the committee
shall review such materials and determine whether or not to
proceed with a referred matter investigated by the former
committee.
20210HR0010PN0036 - 5 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8