§ 59d. Transportation of official records and papers to House Member’s district(a) Payment of reasonable expenses from applicable accounts of House; rules and regulations

Effective August 16, 1978, notwithstanding any provision of law and until otherwise provided by law, the applicable accounts of the House shall be available to pay the reasonable expenses of sending or transporting the official records and papers of any Member of the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia to any location designated by such Member in the district represented by the Member.

The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to provide for the most economical means of sending or transporting such documents to insure the orderly and timely delivery to the specified location. The Committee on House Oversight shall have the authority to issue rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.

 (b) “Member of the House of Representatives” and “official records and papers” definedAs used in this section—(1) the term “Member of the House of Representatives” means a Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress; and (2) the term “official records and papers” means books, records, papers, and official files which could be sent as franked mail. (Pub. L. 98–51, title I, § 111(1), July 14, 1983, 97 Stat. 269; Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 203(21), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1728.) Codification

In subsec. (a), “August 16, 1978” substituted for “upon the date of adoption of this resolution” meaning the date of adoption of House Resolution No. 1297, which was agreed to Aug. 16, 1978.

Section is based on House Resolution No. 1297, Ninety-fifth Congress, Aug. 16, 1978, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 98–51.

Sections 1 and 2 of House Resolution No. 1297 were redesignated subsecs. (a) and (b) of this section, respectively, for purposes of codification.

 Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–186, § 203(21)(A)–(C), substituted “applicable accounts” for “contingent fund” in first par. and “Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives” for “Clerk of the House of Representatives” and “House Oversight” for “House Administration” in second par.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 104–186, § 203(21)(D), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “the term ‘Member’ means a Representative, a Resident Commissioner in the House, and a Delegate to the House; and”.

 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.