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Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§3003 Commission Membership

Title 22 › CHAPTER 45 — COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE › § 3003

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Commission must have 21 members. Nine are Representatives picked by the Speaker: five from the House majority and four from the House minority chosen after talking with the House minority leader. Nine are Senators chosen by the President of the Senate: five from the Senate majority chosen after consulting the majority leader and four from the Senate minority chosen after consulting the minority leader. The President also picks one person each from the State, Defense, and Commerce Departments. There must be a Chairman and a Cochairman. At the start of every odd-numbered Congress, the President of the Senate, following the majority leader’s recommendation, picks a Senate member as Chairman and the Speaker picks a House member as Cochairman. At the start of every even-numbered Congress, the Speaker picks a House member as Chairman and the President of the Senate, following the majority leader’s recommendation, picks a Senate member as Cochairman.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §3003

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Selection and appointment of members
The Commission shall be composed of twenty-one members as follows:
(1)Nine Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Five Members shall be selected from the majority party and four Members shall be selected, after consultation with the minority leader of the House, from the minority party.
(2)Nine Members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate. Five Members shall be selected from the majority party of the Senate, after consultation with the majority leader, and four Members shall be selected, after consultation with the minority leader of the Senate, from the minority party.
(3)One member of the Department of State appointed by the President of the United States.
(4)One member of the Department of Defense appointed by the President of the United States.
(5)One member of the Department of Commerce appointed by the President of the United States.
(b)Commission Chairman and Cochairman
There shall be a Chairman and a Cochairman of the Commission.
(c)Designation of Chairman
At the beginning of each odd-numbered Congress, the President of the Senate, on the recommendation of the majority leader, shall designate one of the Senate Members as Chairman of the Commission. At the beginning of each even-numbered Congress, the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one of the House Members as Chairman of the Commission.
(d)Designation of Cochairman
At the beginning of each odd-numbered Congress, the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one of the House Members as Cochairman of the Commission. At the beginning of each even-numbered Congress, the President of the Senate, on the recommendation of the majority leader, shall designate one of the Senate Members as Cochairman of the Commission.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1985—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 99–7, § 1(a), in amending section generally, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b). Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “The Commission shall be composed of fifteen members as follows: “(1) Six Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Four members shall be selected from the majority party and two shall be selected, after consultation with the minority leader of the House, from the minority party. The Speaker shall designate one of the House Members as chairman. “(2) Six Members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate. Four members shall be selected from the majority party and two shall be selected after consultation with the minority leader of the Senate, from the minority party. “(3) One member of the Department of State appointed by the President of the United States. “(4) One member of the Defense Department appointed by the President of the United States. “(5) One member of the Commerce Department appointed by the President of the United States.” Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 99–7, § 1(b), added subsecs. (c) and (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1985 AmendmentAmendment by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 99–7 effective Apr. 15, 1985, see section 6(a) of Pub. L. 99–7, set out as a note under section 3002 of this title. Amendment by section 1(b) of Pub. L. 99–7 effective on first day of 100th Congress (which convenes in January 1987), see section 6(b)(1) of Pub. L. 99–7, set out as a note under section 3002 of this title. Designation of Chairman and Cochairman for Duration of 99th Congress Pub. L. 99–7, § 1(c), Mar. 27, 1985, 99 Stat. 19, provided that: “On the

Effective Date

of this subsection [Apr. 15, 1985], the President of the Senate, on the recommendation of the majority leader, shall designate one of the Senate Members to serve as Chairman of the Commission for the duration of the Ninety-ninth Congress, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one of the House Members to serve as Cochairman of the Commission for the duration of the Ninety-ninth Congress.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 3003

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110