COMMITTEE ON HOUSE OVERSIGHT

GUIDELINES FOR PROCESSING OF VOUCHERS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS

(Adopted by the Chairman, February 8, 1995)

On January 11, 1995, the Committee on House Oversight adopted a Committee Resolution, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, which authorizes the A...Chairman of the Committee...to delegate to the Chief Administrative Officer the administrative authority for processing vouchers and similar documents relating to the accounts specified in clause 1(h)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.@

Pursuant to this Committee Resolution, the Chairman of the Committee hereby adopts the following guidelines for the processing of vouchers and similar documents, which are subject to review and amendment by the Committee Chairman at any time. The Chief Administrative Officer is authorized to disburse House funds only in accordance with these guidelines.

Section 1. Role of the Committee on House Oversight

a. The jurisdiction and related functions of the Committee on House Oversight, as constituted by the House on January 4, 1995, whether imposed by public law or House Rules, are identical to those of the Committee on House Administration with respect to the processing of vouchers and related documents.

b. The Committee is responsible for A...measures relating to accounts of the House generally@, House Rule X, clause 1(h)(9), and for appropriations from, expenditures from, and auditing and settling of A...accounts for committee salaries and expenses (except for the Committee on Appropriations), House Information Systems, and allowances and expenses of Members, House Officers and administrative offices of the House.@ House Rule X, clause 1(h)(1), (2) and (6). These accounts formerly comprised the House contingent fund, see, e.g., 141 CONG. REC. H48 (daily ed. Jan. 4, 1995)(statement of Chairman Thomas); such funds may be expended only as sanctioned by the Committee on House Oversight. 2 U.S.C. ' 95.

c. The Committee is responsible for promulgating additional regulations under various provisions of public law. For example, all employee positions under the House Officers must be created by the Committee in accordance with regulations adopted by the Committee pursuant to the House Employees Position Classification Act. 2 U.S.C. ' 291 et seq.

d. The Committee is responsible for A...providing policy direction for, and oversight of, the Clerk Sergeant-at-Arms, Chief Administrative Officer, and Inspector General.@ House Rule X, clause (4)(d)(2). In addition, the Chief Administrative Officer is A...subject to the policy direction and oversight of the Speaker and the Committee on House Oversight.@ House Rule V, clause 1.

Section 2. Role of the Chief Administrative Officer

a. The Chief Administrative Officer is authorized to process vouchers and related documents as specified herein, or as delegated by the Chairman.

b. Vouchers and related documents as specified herein, or as directed in writing by the Chairman, from all House offices shall be forwarded directly to, and processed by, the House Finance Office in accordance with regulations and policies approved by the Committee.

c. The Chief Administrative Officer is authorized and required to review all vouchers and related documents as specified herein, or as delegated by the Chairman, to ensure conformity with House Rules and Committee regulations and policies, and if so to apply his signature indicating approval on behalf of the Committee.

d. Any voucher or related document which is rejected shall be returned to the originating office with a written explanation of the reason(s) therefore. If the grounds for such rejection are other than procedural in nature, a copy of such written explanation and voucher shall be immediately forwarded by the Chief Administrative Officer to the Committee.

e. The Chief Administrative Officer, shall, at appropriate times or when necessary, make recommendations to the Committee in writing with respect to changes in, or amendments to, Committee regulations.

Section 3. Procedures for Policy Direction by the Committee

a. The regulations of the Committee, as contained in the Congressional Handbook for the 104th Congress, shall be applied where relevant without exception, until changed or amended by the Committee, as directed in writing by the Chairman.

b. Any and all requests for interpretations of, or changes to, regulations or other policies of the Committee shall be forwarded by the Chief Administrative Officer, or other originating House office, in writing to the Committee.

c. Interpretations of, or changes to, any Committee regulation or policy, as directed in writing by the Chairman, shall supersede the applicable, preceding Committee interpretation, regulation or policy, and shall govern all similar cases that may arise until the Committee regulations are further changed or amended in writing by the Chairman; in no case are changes in regulations to be deemed Aexceptions@ to preceding regulations.

Section 4. Vouchers and Related Documents

The Chief Administrative Officer is hereby authorized to process on behalf of the Committee all vouchers and related documents, in accordance with these guidelines and applicable public law, House Rules and Committee Regulations, pertaining to the following:

a. Requests for Office Equipment Purchases and Services, in accordance with Section 5;

b. Requests for office supplies, furniture and related office items for House offices located in Washington, D.C. and Member District offices;

c. Requests for telecommunications equipment, including cellular telephones and requests for telephone equipment not on the current approved list;

d. Employee Payroll Authorization Forms for all House employees, other than employees whose positions are created by the Committee on House Oversight (i.e., positions under the House Officers and Inspector General), shall be forwarded directly to, and processed by, the Chief Administrative Officer. Payroll Authorization Forms for employees whose positions are created by the Committee on House Oversight shall be forwarded directly to, and approved by, the Committee, and forwarded by the Committee to the Chief Administrative Officer for processing; and

e. Purchase orders from House Officers for items necessary for the operation of functions over which they have been assigned responsibility, from funds appropriated and budgeted for such purposes, consistent with Section 6(c). Requests for items which were not budgeted for or provided for in appropriations shall be forwarded to, and approved by, the Committee.

f. Vouchers and related documents pertaining to issues or matters other than those identified herein shall continue to be processed, and approved, by the Committee until further directed by the Chairman.

Section 5. Office Equipment Purchases and Services

a. Requests for purchases of office equipment, inquiries on new equipment models and features, and inquiries on how to rent equipment shall be forwarded directly to, and processed by, the Chief Administrative Officer. The Chief Administrative Officer shall maintain records of all such requests and inquiries, which shall be made available for inspection at any time by the House Oversight Committee.

b. The Chief Administrative Officer shall develop a procedure for evaluation of vendor product lines and service contracts, based on standards approved by the Chairman, and shall approve vendor products, services and pricing schedules in accordance with such standards until further directed by the Chairman. The Chief Administrative Officer shall forward proposed minimum standards for office equipment to the Committee for approval.

c. Until further directed by the Chairman, current lists of approved vendors, services and prices shall be maintained by Chief Administrative Officer, and shall be distributed periodically to all House Offices, in addition to any other means of distribution, such distribution may be by electronic means.

d. All requests for purchases of office equipment not on the current list of approved vendors, services and prices shall be forwarded directly to, and processed by, the Chief Administrative Officer. Any such purchases shall be consistent with Section 6(c).

e. Requests for services provided by House Information Systems shall be forwarded directly to, and processed by, the Chief Administrative Officer.

f. The Chief Administrative Officer shall identify and dispose of surplus equipment through sale or other suitable means. Pending adoption of a subsequent procedure, the Committee shall be notified, along with a brief statement of rationale or purpose, in advance of each such disposal.

Section 6. Miscellaneous Committee Policies

a. No request from a House Officer for a consultant contract shall be processed by the Chief Administrative Officer without the prior written approval of the Chairman.

b. The Chief Administrative Officer shall process requests from House Officers for payment for travel, training and professional development for employees under the supervision of the House Officers from funds appropriated for the relevant House Officer. The relevant House Officer shall request such payments, along with a brief statement of rationale or purpose, and simultaneously submit such request and statement to the Committee, in advance of each such travel, training and professional development.

c. Purchase orders shall be forwarded directly to, and processed by, the Chief Administrative Officer in accordance with the AGuidelines for Procurement of Furniture, Carpets, Equipment, Materials and Supplies for the House of Representatives@ adopted by the Committee on House Oversight on January 11, 1995.

Section 7. Reports and Record Keeping Requirements

a. As part of the reporting process required by House Rule V, clause 2, the Chief Administrative Officer shall include comprehensive data and statistical analyses on the number and types of each category (which shall be proposed by the Chief Administrative Officer and approved by the Chairman) of vouchers and similar documents processed; percentage of Finance Office time devoted to processing vouchers and similar documents in each category; average time to process vouchers and similar documents in each category; and total number, and percentage of total number processed, of vouchers and similar documents in each category which are rejected, and the grounds for such rejection (i.e., procedural or substantive).

b. The Chief Administrative Officer shall report all travel, training and professional development approved by House Officers which is processed in accordance with Section 6(b), and the actual disposition of equipment and any revenue thereby derived under Section 5(f).

c. In addition to the reports required by House Rule V, clause 2, and the AGuidelines for Procurement of Furniture, Carpets, Equipment, Materials and Supplies for the House of Representatives@ adopted by the Committee on January 11, 1995, the Chief Administrative Officer shall report monthly to the Committee on House Oversight on the aggregate amount of disbursements in each category of House expenditures. Such reports shall include notification of any rate of spending in each category by any House Office which, on an annualized basis, would exceed budgeted amounts.

d. The Chief Administrative Officer shall ensure that all vouchers and similar documents are retained for a period of three years; all such documents shall be non-retained thereafter.

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