Title page
Contents
Summary 2
Introduction 5
Previous Legislative Attempts for Outside or Independent Enforcement of Congressional Rules of Conduct 6
Congress-Wide Proposals 7
Commission on Ethics in Government 8
Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress 9
House Proposals 10
Special Task Force on Ethics Enforcement 11
Hearing 12
Final Report 13
H.Res. 895 14
Office of Congressional Ethics 15
Structure 15
Board Membership 15
Oath of Office 16
Staff 18
Powers 19
Investigations 19
Hearings and Evidence 19
Pay Witnesses 19
OCE Rules 20
Information Disclosure 20
Investigative Procedure 20
Submission of Information 21
Preliminary Stage Review 21
Second-Phase Review 22
The Committee on Ethics and Its Relationship to the OCE 23
Referrals to Other Entities 24
Implementation 25
Funding 25
Public Reports on OCE Activities 27
Private Citizen Communications 28
Options for Congress 29
Create a Statutory OCE 29
Reform Committee on Ethics to Allow Public Input 30
Amend OCE Authority 30
Subpoena Power 30
OCE Follow Up 31
Additional OCE Functions 31
Place OCE Within the House Ethics Committee 32
Take No Immediate Action 32
Appendix A. Rules Committee Amendments to H.Res. 895 33
Appendix B. Past Office of Congressional Ethics Governing Board Members 34
Author Information 37
Disclaimer 37
Table 1. Selected Legislative Proposals for a Congress-Wide Independent Ethics Entity 10
Table 2. Selected Legislative Proposals for a House Independent Ethics Entity 10
Table 3. Office of Congressional Ethics Board Membership 16
Table 4. Annual Appropriations for the Office of Congressional Ethics 26
Table 5. Office of Congressional Ethics Board Action, 2009-2022 27
Table 6. Office of Congressional Ethics Private Citizen Communications 29
Table A-1. Initial and Amended Language Creating the Office of Congressional Ethics 33
Table B-1. Past Members of the Office of Congressional Ethics Governing Board 34