Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to discourage frivolous ethics complaints.
Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 26, 1997
Amends rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives to allow the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, at any time and by an affirmative vote of a majority of its total membership, to determine that a complaint filed against a Member is frivolous and baseless if: (1) the alleged violation is of a minor and technical nature that does not discredit the House; or (2) such complaint has no basis in fact, was filed for purely partisan reasons, or is part of a pattern of abuse and misuse of the Committee. Requires the Committee: (1) to determine and report the costs of its inquiry into a frivolous complaint; and (2) if the complaint was filed by one or more Members of Congress, to charge each Member's Representational Account for such costs or, alternatively, recommend that the Members responsible be fined.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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