2 U.S.C. § 5582: Office of Interparliamentary…

Summary

Creates an Office of Interparliamentary Affairs inside the House of Representatives to handle visits and contacts with foreign parliaments. The Office must answer questions from foreign legislators, arrange official visits to the House, work with House officers to support House members when they travel abroad, and run and coordinate interparliamentary exchanges, receptions of foreign lawmakers, and meetings with senior foreign officials. The Office is led by a Director chosen by the Speaker based only on fitness and without regard to political party; the Director serves at the Speaker’s pleasure and is paid at a yearly rate set by the Speaker. With the Speaker’s approval or under Speaker-approved rules, the Director can hire and set pay for other employees, who must also be hired for their fitness and not party reasons, and may be removed by the Director with the Speaker’s approval or under Speaker rules. Money is authorized as needed starting in fiscal year 2003 and each year after. The Office took effect on September 30, 2003.

Title 2, §5582

The Congress, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment

There is hereby established in the House of Representatives an office to be known as the “Office of Interparliamentary Affairs” (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Office”).

(b)Duties

The duties of the Office are as follows:

(1)To receive and respond to inquiries from foreign parliamentarians or foreign legislative bodies regarding official visits to the House of Representatives.

(2)To coordinate official visits to the House of Representatives by parliamentarians, officers, or employees of foreign legislative bodies.

(3)To coordinate with the Sergeant at Arms, the Clerk, and other officers of the House of Representatives in providing services for delegations of Members on official visits to foreign nations.

(4)To carry out other activities to—

(A)discharge and coordinate the activities and responsibilities of the House of Representatives in connection with participation in various interparliamentary exchanges and organizations;

(B)facilitate the interchange and reception in the United States of members of foreign legislative bodies and permanent officials of foreign governments; and

(C)enable the House to host meetings with senior government officials and other dignitaries in order to discuss matters relevant to United States relations with other nations.

(c)Director (d) Other staff

(1)Appointment

The Office shall be headed by the Director of Interparliamentary Affairs of the House of Representatives (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Director”), who shall be appointed by the Speaker without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. Any person so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Speaker.

(2)Compensation

The Director shall be paid at an annual rate determined by the Speaker.

(e)Omitted

(f)Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2003 and each succeeding fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

(g)Effective date

This section shall take effect on September 30, 2003.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 130–2 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section. Section is comprised of section 103 of Pub. L. 108–83. Subsec. (e) of section 103 of Pub. L. 108–83 amended section 5581 of this title. Section is from the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2004.

§5582 Office of Interparliamentary Affairs

Summary

Title 2, §5582

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Citations & Metadata