§5582 Office of Interparliamentary Affairs

Summary

Creates an Office of Interparliamentary Affairs in the House of Representatives. The Office must handle requests from foreign parliaments about official visits, arrange official visits to the House by foreign lawmakers and their staff, and work with House officers like the Sergeant at Arms and the Clerk to support House delegations traveling abroad. It also coordinates the House’s participation in interparliamentary groups, helps bring foreign legislators and permanent foreign officials to the United States, and helps the House host meetings with senior government officials and other dignitaries about U.S. relations. A Director leads the Office and is chosen by the Speaker based only on fitness; the Director serves at the Speaker’s pleasure and is paid at a rate the Speaker sets. With the Speaker’s approval or under Speaker policies, the Director may hire and set pay for other staff, also chosen only for fitness and without regard to political party, and may remove them with Speaker approval or under those policies. Money may be appropriated for fiscal year 2003 and each year after. The Office took effect on September 30, 2003.