Title 2 — The CongressRelease 119-73not60

§281b Functions

Title 2 › Chapter 9— OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL › Subchapter II— HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES › Part I— Purpose, Policy, and Function › § 281b

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Provide advice and drafting help to House managers, committees, and Members. The Office must help House managers when they meet with the other chamber to work out differences and must help prepare the conference report and its explanation. It must advise any House committee or joint committee that asks and help draft bills, amendments, and reports. If a Member controls time on the floor, up to two Office staff (and optionally the Legislative Counsel) can attend to advise. Any Member can ask for draft bills or drafting advice, but the Legislative Counsel, with the Speaker’s approval, can set reasonable limits on how much of the Office’s resources one Member may use. At the Speaker’s direction, the Office may also provide legal services for the House if it can do them and they do not conflict with section 281a or the earlier rules here.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §281b

The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The functions of the Office shall be as follows:

(1)Upon request of the managers on the part of the House at any conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses, to advise and assist the managers on the part of the House in the course of the conference, and to assist the committee of conference in the preparation of the conference report and any accompanying explanatory statement.

(2)Upon request of any committee of the House, or any joint committee having authority to report legislation to the House, to advise and assist the committee in the consideration of any legislation before it, and to assist the committee in the preparation of drafts of any such legislation, amendments thereto, and reports thereon.

(3)Upon request of any Member having control of time during the consideration of any legislation by the House, to have in attendance on the floor of the House not more than two members of the staff of the Office (and, in his discretion, the Legislative Counsel) to advise and assist such Member and, to the extent feasible, any other Member, in the course of such consideration.

(4)Upon request of any Member, subject to such reasonable restrictions as the Legislative Counsel may impose with the approval of the Speaker on the proportion of the resources of the Office which may be devoted to the requests of any one Member, to prepare drafts of legislation and to furnish drafting advice with respect to drafts of legislation prepared by others.

(5)At the direction of the Speaker, to perform on behalf of the House of Representatives any legal services which are within the capabilities of the Office and the performance of which would not be inconsistent with the provisions of section 281a of this title or the preceding provisions of this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 281b

Title 2 — The Congress

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60