United States · United States Congress · 10 January 1977
Amends the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to increase from $250,000 to $1,000,000 the maximum amount of estimated Federal contribution to a small watershed project which will exempt the project from Congressional review and approval procedures. Increases the total amount of loans or advancements the Secretary of Agriculture may make to carry out works of improvement from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000. Stipulates that construction work which covers 15,000 acre feed or less and does not require channelization shall be exempt from filing environmental impact statements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 1977
Standards and Conduct Resolution - Title I: Provisions Relating to the Select Committee on Standard and Conduct - Amends the resolution creating the Select Committee on Standards and Conduct of the Senate to give the Senate power to appoint members of the committee in accordance with the Standing Rules of the Senate. Limits to six consecutive years the length of service of any Member on the committee. Specifies the composition of the six-member committee based on length of service in the Senate. Makes it a duty of the select committee: (1) to receive complaints and investigate violations of any Code of Conduct applicable to Members, officers or employees of the Senate; and (2) to examine all financial statements filed pursuant to this Resolution, and report to the Senate any person who has filed a statement containing any false statement or any person who has failed to file a statement. Sets forth standards for the investigation of complaints filed with the select committee. Requires each complaint to be in writing. Requires a prompt investigation of all complaints. Sets forth procedures to assure the consideration of a complaint on which no action was taken for the first 30-working days after submission. Prohibits a Member from participating in the investigation of his or her own conduct. Provides for the appointment of a substitute for a disqualified select committee member. Authorizes the select committee to employ a counsel, assistant counsel, and investigators. Title II: Financial Disclosure Requirements - Requires each individual who for a period in excess of 90 days during a calendar year is a Senator or an officer or employee of the Senate and is compensated at an annual rate in excess of $20,000 to file a complete financial statement for the preceding year. Requires individuals who seek nomination for or election to the Senate to file a report containing a complete financial statement for the preceding year. Specifies the following information to be disclosed in a financial statement: (1) the amount and source of each item of income, or reimbursement, and each gift or aggregate thereof from a single source which exceeds $100 in amount or value; (2) the fair market value of any item received in kind if such value exceeds $500; (3) the identity and category of value of each asset other than household goods, jewelry, furniture, or personal vehicle having a value in excess of $1,000; (4) the identity and category of amount of each liability owed in excess of $1,000; (5) the identity and category of value of any securities or commodities transaction in excess of $1,000; (6) the identity and category of value of any real estate transaction in excess of $1,000; (7) any patent right held; and (8) a description of any agreement between the person filing the statement and any other person concerning employment after filing the individual's term of office. Requires officers and employees of the Senate to report the identity of any person who paid such officer or employee compensation in excess of $5,000 in any of the five years before the calendar year of filing. Sets forth increments of value to be used in stating categories of value or amount of property or financial dealings. Directs the select committee to make available to the public each report filed with it. Sets forth exceptions to this requirement. Title III: Code of Conduct - Directs the select committee to recommend to the Senate a Code of Conduct for Members of the Senate. Specifies areas for the select committee to consider when developing such Code.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 1977
Committee System Reorganization Amendments - Title I: Standing Committees: Jurisdictions and Sizes - Establishes and defines, pursuant to the Standing Rules of the Senate, the jurisdictions of the Senate committees on Agriculture and Small Business; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; the Budget; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Foreign Relations; Governmental Affairs; Human Resources; the Judiciary; and Rules, Administration, and Standards in lieu of the present standing Senate committees. Title II: Committee Assignments; Chairmanships - States that no Senator may serve on more than two standing and one select, special, or ad hoc committees and no more than two subcommittees of each standing committee and one subcommittee of each select, special, or ad hoc committee of which he is a member. Allows each Senator to serve as chairman of not more than one standing, select, special, or ad hoc committee of the Senate or joint committee of Congress and not more than one subcommittee of any Senate or joint committee of which he is a member. Requires the appropriate Senate committee to report legislation not later than July 1, 1977, terminating specified joint congressional committees and prohibits the referral to or receipt of a report from any joint congressional committee by the Senate. Title III: Multiple Referral of Proposed Legislation; Establishment of Ad Hoc Committees - Requires the presiding officer of the Senate to decide which committee has jurisdiction with respect to any proposed legislation except that such decision shall be subject to appeal. States that upon motion by the Majority and Minority Leaders or their designates, proposed legislation may be referred to two or more committees jointly or sequentially. Sets forth rules for the establishment of ad hoc committees by resolution proposed by the Majority and Minority Leaders or their designates. Title IV: Scheduling of Committee Meetings - Requires the Committee on Rules, Administration, and Standards of the Senate to maintain a computerized schedule of all meetings of the committees and subcommittees of the Senate and all meetings of the joint committees of the Congress and their subcommittees to be available on-line to terminals in the offices of all Senators, committees of the Senate, and permanent joint committees of the Congress to be updated hourly. Prohibits the meeting of a Senate committee or subcommittee, without special leave, after the first two hours after a meeting of the Senate has commenced and in no case after two o'clock p.m. unless the Majority and Minority Leaders have given their consent. Prohibits Senate members of congressional joint committees from meeting at such times without special leave. Declares it the sense of the Senate that, insofar as possible, roll call votes should not be held before two o'clock p.m. on any day without 24 hours' notice. (Amends 2 U.S.C. 190b) Title V: Continuing Review of the Committee System - Requires the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate to review on a continuing basis the committee system of the Senate and to report the results of such review to the Senate during each Congress. Requires such report to include such Leaders' recommendations for change, if they have such recommendations. Title VI: Amendments not within a Committee's Jurisdiction - Makes out of order any proposed committee amendments which contains matter not within the jurisdiction of the committee proposing such amendment. Title VII: Committee Staffs - Provides for the transfer of committee staffs from the committees existing before the effective date of this Resolution to those committees created by this resolution. Specifies severance pay and other compensation for staff members whose jobs are terminated as a result of the provisions of this resolution or any other action which terminates the committee duties of the Senator for whom such staff member worked for the purposes of assisting such Senator in carrying out such committee duties. Title VIII: Miscellaneous - States that all proposed legislation and nominations referred to the standing committees of the Senate before the effective date of this resolution shall be rereferred on such effective date to the appropriate standing committee.
![Official portrait of Sen. Danforth, John C. [R-MO]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000030_200.jpg)