Members’ Congressional Handbook

1 United States House of RepresentativesMembers Congressional HandbookCommittee on House Administration117th Congress Rodney Davis, Ranking MemberZoe Lofgren, ChairpersonThe Committee on House Administration has issued the following regulations to ensure that Members of the United States House of Representatives utilize official resources to support the conduct of the official representational duties on behalf of the district from which he or she is elected. For additional assistance, please contact the Committee at citations to the House Rules refer to the Rules of the House of RepresentativesADOPTED JULY 25, 2018 UPDATED JULY 2, 2021 Chairperson Zoe LofgrenMembers Congressional HandbookIntroduction: Members Representational Allowance General ..2 Budgeting and Disclosure ..3 Disbursements ..3 Incidental Use ..3 Overspending.

2 3 StaffGeneral ..4 Employee Ceiling ..4 Categories of Staff ..4 Interns ..5 House Paid Internship Program ..5 Part-time Employees ..6 Temporary Employees ..6 Shared Employees ..6 Consultants ..7 Contractors ..7 federal Civilian Annuitants ..7 Waivers ..7 Detailees ..7 Fellows ..7 Wounded Warrior Program and House Gold Star Family Fellowship ..7 Temporary Agencies ..8 Volunteers ..8 Telecommuting ..8 Employment Law ..8 Congressional Accountability Act ..8 Nepotism ..9 Non-Disclosure Post-Employment Restrictions ..10 Working from Home due to a Disability ..10 Pay ..10 Appointment ..10 Dual Compensation ..10 Financial Disclosure ..10 Lump Sum Payments ..11 Outside Earned Income ..11 Overtime Wage Rate Compensation ..11 Pay Adjustments ..12 Payroll Schedule ..12 Rates of Compensation ..12 Terminations.

3 12 Leave ..12 General ..12 Family and Medical Leave ..12 Furlough ..12 Jury and Witness Duty ..13 Leave Without Pay ..13 Military Leave ..14 Office ExpensesAppliances ..14 Academy Nominations ..14 Amicus Briefs ..14 Certificates ..15 Clipping Services ..15 Community Funding Projects ..15 Decorating Expenses ..15 Deposits ..16 Drug Testing ..16 Dues ..16 Educational Expenses ..16 Employment-Related Expenses ..16 Flags ..16 Food and Beverage Expenses ..17 Framing ..17 Furniture ..17 Gifts and Donations ..17 House Gift Shop ..18 Greetings ..18 Insurance ..18 Interpreting and Translating Services ..18 Late Fees ..19 Distribution Lists ..19 Mail Preparation ..19 Mass Transit Benefits ..19 Messenger Services ..19 Official Meetings ..19 Officially-sanctioned Competitions ..19 Requirements for Determination as an Officially-sanctioned Competition.

4 20 Use of Official Resources to Support an Officially-sanctioned Competition ..21 Solicitation of Donations to Support an Officially-sanctioned Competition ..21 Parades ..21 Parking ..21 Photography Expenses ..21 Publications ..22 Congressional Record ..22 Representational Programs ..22 Table of ContentsCommittee on House AdministrationStaff Meetings ..22 Supplies ..23 Storage ..23 Telecommuting ..23 Telecommunications ..23 Audio and Video Expenses ..23 Printing and Production ..24 Stationery ..24 Appearance ..24 Use ..24 Business Cards ..25 Postal Expenses ..25 Equipment ..25 District Office ..25 Booths ..25 Cable ..25 Custodial Services ..25 Furniture ..25 Leases ..26 Mobile District Offices ..26 Repairs ..26 Security ..27 Non-Capital Improvements ..27 Capital Improvements ..27 Security Personnel Support.

5 27 Security Items ..27 Security Sharing Offices ..27 Signs ..27 Storage ..28 Communications Generally ..28 Physical Town Hall Meetings ..28 Joint Physical Town Hall Meetings ..29 Virtual Town Hall Meetings ..29 Joint Virtual Town Hall Meetings ..29 Press Conferences ..30 Advertisements ..30 Inside Mail ..30 Electronic Communications ..31 Subscribed Emails ..31 Non-subscribed Emails ..31 Newspaper Inserts ..31 Unsolicited Mass Communications ..31 Websites ..32 Content ..33 Name (URL) ..33 Information Security ..33 TravelGeneral ..34 Vendor Official Travel ..34 Unexpected Official Travel ..34 Combined Travel ..35 Mixed Purpose Travel ..35 Official Travel Expenses ..35 Shared Official Travel Expenses ..36 Chartered Aircraft ..36 Corporate or Private Aircraft ..36 Government Rate Eligibility.

6 37 Officially Leased Vehicles ..37 Sh or t-Term ..37 L ong-Term ..38 Expenses ..38 Global Positioning Systems ..39 Satellite Radio Service ..39 Privately-Owned/Privately-Leased Vehicles ..39 Travel Promotional Awards ..39 Vouchers and PaymentsAdvance Payments ..40 Authorized Methods of Payment ..40 Government Travel Card ..40 Government Purchase Card ..41 Reimbursement and Direct Reimbursement: Vouchers ..41 Expired Appropriations ..41 Tax Exempt Letters ..41 Congressional OrganizationsCongressional Member Organizations ..42 General ..42 Registration ..42 Membership ..42 Funding and Resources ..42 Communications ..42 Congressional Staff Organizations ..43 General ..43 Official Resources ..43 ModificationsAdditional Changes ..44 Committee on House Administration1 Introduction: Members R epresentational A llowa nce During each session of Congress, each Member has a single Members Representational Allowance ( MRA ) available to support the conduct of official and representational duties to the district from which he or she is elected.

7 Ordinary and necessary expenses incurred by the Member or the Member s employees within the United States, its territories, and possessions in support of the conduct of the Member s official and representational duties to the district from which he or she is elected are reimbursable in accordance with the regulations contained in this Members Congressional Handbook . Ordinary and necessary means reasonable expenditures in support of official and representational duties to the district from which he or she is elected that are consistent with all applicable federal laws, Rules of the House of Representatives and regulations of the Committee on House Administration. Examples of official and representational include, but are not limited to:1. Relating to the legislative process; or2. Facilitating interaction between constituents and the federal government (including, but not limited to: info or services on laws, programs, regulations, funding, decisions, and other actions by the federal government); or3.

8 Actions taken as a representative of the district from which you are elected; or4. Issues areas or programs established by the following regulations of the Committee on House Administration, collectively known as the Members Congressional Handbook ( Handbook ), govern all expenditures from the Handbook regulations assist Members in determining whether expenses are reimbursable. Therefore, the Handbook contains broad descriptions of reimbursable expenses, but is not an exhaustive list of such about reimbursement of an expense should be directed to the Committee on House Administration at x52061 prior to incurring the questions related to official office communications content, contact the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards ( Commission ) by calling x59337 (Majority) or x60647 (Minority), visiting or clicking here.

9 For all questions relating to policies and procedures applicable to the acquisition, transfer, disposal, and maintenance of furnishings, equipment, software, and related services, please refer to the Guide to Outfitting and Maintaining an Office available from the Committee on House , financial and non-legislative support services ( , equipment purchases, technology standards and services, office supplies, room reservation and set-up) are acquired through the Office of the House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). For further information about the CAO s services, please refer to HouseNet, the House intranet ( ) or the CAO s services office, First Call, at Handbook is a collection of regulations issued by a vote of the Members of the Committee. In drafting these regulations, the Committee consults with other committees of the House, House leadership, Member office staff, and the Officers of the Congressional Handbook2 General When an expense is incurred, the Member must determine the primary purpose for the expenditure .

10 Is the primary purpose for the expenditure official and representational? Or is it primarily related to personal, campaign-related political party, campaign or committee activities? Only expenses the primary purpose of which are official and representational and which are incurred in accordance with the Handbook are The MRA may only be used for official and representational The MRA may not be used to pay a settlement or award in connection with conduct prohibited under the Congressional Accountability Act of A Member may expend personal funds in support of official and representational The MRA may not be used to pay for any expenses related to activities or events that are primarily social in nature (including but not limited to: sporting events, theme park activities, concerts, personal events, etc.).5. The MRA may not pay for personal The MRA may not pay for campaign The MRA may not pay for campaign-related political party The MRA may not be used to pay for capital improvements to the district The MRA may not pay for committee The MRA may not be used outside of the United States, its territories, and Committee resources may not pay for a Member s official and representational Except where authorized by the Committee on Ethics, campaign funds may not pay for a Member s official and representational A Member may not maintain, or have maintained for his use.