Statement of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics Regarding the Establishment of a Working Group
The Committee on Ethics (Committee) has appointed a bipartisan working group to draft proposed regulations governing House Members, officers, and employees’ outside positions. The working group will consist of Representative Susan Wild and Representative Van Taylor.
House Resolution 6 (H. Res. 6) created a new clause in the Code of Conduct effective January 1, 2020. Under that new clause, “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not serve as an officer or director of any public company” [as defined by the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934]. H. Res. 6 also requires that, “[n]ot later than December 31, 2019, the Committee on Ethics shall develop regulations addressing other types of prohibited service or positions that could lead to conflicts of interest.”
Pursuant to H. Res. 6, the working group will study what types of service or positions with outside entities may lead to actual or perceived conflicts of interest and draft proposed Outside Position Regulations for consideration and adoption by the full Committee. The Committee encourages Members, officers, and employees who may have questions about outside positions to call the Committee for further guidance.
The Committee welcomes input from Members, officers, and employees of the House and the public during the working group’s tenure. To that end, members of the public who wish to comment on what types of service or positions with outside entities may lead to conflicts of interest are encouraged to submit written comments to the Committee. Topics may include how commenters recommend the Committee approach regulation of outside positions generally, and which outside positions are more likely to create an actual or perceived conflict of interest and why.
The Committee will accept written comments electronically (Word or PDF format only) at Ethics.Comments@mail.house.gov, or by delivery to the Committee at 1015 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Comments must be limited to 10 double-spaced, single-sided pages, and the Committee must receive submissions no later than 6:00 p.m. EDT on July 11, 2019.
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