§4503 Jury and Witness Service by Senate and House Employees

Summary

Employees paid by the Secretary of the Senate or the House’s Chief Administrative Officer must not have their pay cut when they are summoned and allowed by their House to miss work to serve as jurors or to testify in court cases where the United States, the District of Columbia, or a state or local government is a party. “Court cases” here means judicial actions in federal or similar courts (not administrative hearings), and the rule covers courts in places like the Canal Zone, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. If an employee is ordered or assigned by their House to testify or give official records for the United States or the District of Columbia, or to testify in an official role or provide official records for another party, that time counts as official duty. Employees may not keep juror or witness fees for service in federal or D.C. courts or for testifying for the U.S. or D.C.; any such money (except travel pay) must be turned over to the payroll officer and sent to the Treasury. Employees are entitled to travel expenses; who pays depends on whether the work is part of their job or is for another agency, and they don’t get travel paid if the court or party already pays. Each House committee can make rules to carry out these rules. The law does not mean either House agrees to waive privileges about producing its records or to let employees testify about their House work. Definitions: “employee” = person paid by those House officers; “court of the United States” = federal courts (and certain territorial courts named above).