Number: RL32661
Title: House Committees: A Framework for Considering Jurisdictional Realignment
Authors: Michael L. Koempel, Government and Finance Division 
Abstract: The House has chosen to handle committee jurisdiction in a number of ways. It has chosen to concentrate jurisdiction over an issue in new, existing, and temporary committees. It has chosen to keep jurisdiction over components of an issue distributed among several committees. And, it has chosen to vest in one committee jurisdiction over a narrow subject matter that could just as readily have been considered a component of subject matter within another committees jurisdiction. Rules relating to referral and the Speakers referral authority have also been changed to deal with jurisdictional issues. The House is once again studying its committee organization, this time in relation to the policy area of homeland security.
Pages: 15
Date: February 23, 2005