PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 2 — The CongressRelease 119-73

§4559 Certification of indebtedness of employees of House; withholding of amount

Title 2 › Chapter CHAPTER 45— - CONGRESSIONAL PAY AND BENEFITS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES › Part Part B— - Administration › § 4559

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When a House employee owes money and doesn’t pay, the committee chair or other House officer in charge can report the debt to the Chief Administrative Officer. The Chief Administrative Officer can take that amount out of any pay to or for the employee and must put the money into the correct House account. "Employee of the House" means anyone in the legislative branch whose pay is handled by the Chief Administrative Officer.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §4559

The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whenever an employee of the House of Representatives becomes indebted to the House of Representatives and fails to pay the indebtedness, the chairman of the committee or the elected officer of the House of Representatives that has jurisdiction over the activity under which the indebtedness arises may certify to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives the amount of the indebtedness. The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives is authorized to withhold the amount so certified from any amount which is disbursed by him and which is due to, or on behalf of, such employee. Whenever an amount is withheld under this section, the appropriate account shall be credited in an amount equal to the amount so withheld. As used in this section, the term “employee of the House of Representatives” means any person in the legislative branch of the Government whose salary, wages, or other compensation is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 89a of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–186 substituted “and fails to pay the indebtedness, the chairman of the committee or the elected officer of the House of Representatives that has jurisdiction over the activity under which the indebtedness arises may certify to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives the amount of the indebtedness” for “, or to the trust fund account in the office of the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, and such employee fails to pay such indebtedness, the chairman of the committee, or the elected officer, of the House of Representatives having jurisdiction of the activity under which such indebtedness arose, is authorized to certify to the Clerk of the House of Representatives the amount of such indebtedness” in first sentence and “Chief Administrative Officer” for “Clerk” in second and last sentences.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 4559

Title 2 — The Congress

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73