LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AGENCIES CLARIFICATION ACT

On 2026-06-08, Representative H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9) delivered a floor speech titled "LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AGENCIES CLARIFICATION ACT" in the House.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AGENCIES CLARIFICATION ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3938-H3943] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AGENCIES CLARIFICATION ACT Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6028) to modify the appointment and removal process for certain legislative branch officers, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6028 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act''. SEC. 2. LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS. (a) In General.--The Librarian of Congress Succession Modernization Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-86; 129 Stat. 675), is amended-- (1) by redesignating section 3 as section 5; (2) by redesignating section 2 as section 3; (3) by inserting after section 1 the following: ``SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. ``In this Act: ``(1) Commission.--The term `commission' means a congressional commission consisting of the oversight committee leadership and the House and Senate leadership. ``(2) Deputy librarian.--The term `Deputy Librarian' means the Deputy Librarian of Congress. ``(3) House and senate leadership.--The term `House and Senate leadership' means the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and the minority leader of the Senate. ``(4) Librarian.--The term `Librarian' means the Librarian of Congress. ``(5) Oversight committee leadership.--The term `oversight committee leadership' means the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.''; and (4) in section 3, as so redesignated-- (A) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: ``(a) Appointment.-- ``(1) Commission.--The Librarian shall be appointed by the commission in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph (2), without regard to political affiliation, and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the office. ``(2) Appointment procedures.-- ``(A) Recommendation of 3 individuals.--If there is a vacancy in the position of Librarian, the oversight committee leadership shall jointly recommend 3 individuals for appointment to the vacant office. ``(B) Selection by leaders.--The Librarian shall be appointed from among the 3 individuals recommended under subparagraph (A) upon a majority vote of the House and Senate leadership.''; (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``of Congress''; (C) in subsection (c), by striking ``of Congress, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,''; and (D) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following: ``(d) Removal.--The Librarian may be removed from office at any time upon a majority vote of the House and Senate leadership.''. (b) Pay.--Section 904 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1983 (2 U.S.C. 136a-2) is amended-- (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``Notwithstanding''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(b) The Librarian of Congress shall not be considered to serve under a political appointment for purposes of section 747 of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2024 (division B of Public Law 118-47; 138 Stat. 585), or any other subsequently enacted similar provision of law.''. SEC. 3. DEPUTY LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS. The Librarian of Congress Succession Modernization Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-86; 129 Stat. 675), is amended by inserting after section 3, as so redesignated, the following: ``SEC. 4. DEPUTY LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS. ``(a) Establishment of Deputy Librarian.-- ``(1) In general.--The Librarian shall appoint a suitable individual to be the Deputy Librarian of Congress. ``(2) Duties.--The Librarian may delegate to the Deputy Librarian such duties as the Librarian determines are necessary or appropriate. ``(b) Deadline.--The Librarian shall appoint a Deputy Librarian under subsection (a)(1) not later than 120 days after-- ``(1) the date on which the Librarian is appointed under section 3, if there is no Deputy Librarian on the date of the appointment; or ``(2) the date on which a vacancy arises in the office of the Deputy Librarian. ``(c) Failure to Appoint.--If the Librarian does not appoint a Deputy Librarian on or before the applicable date specified in subsection (b)-- ``(1) the oversight committee leadership shall jointly recommend an individual for appointment to the vacant office; and ``(2) upon a majority vote of the House and Senate leadership, the individual recommended under paragraph (1) shall be appointed as the Deputy Librarian. ``(d) Notification.--If the position of Deputy Librarian becomes vacant, the Librarian shall immediately notify the members of the commission. ``(e) Service as Acting Librarian.-- ``(1) In general.--The Deputy Librarian shall act as Librarian if the Librarian is absent or disabled or there is no Librarian. ``(2) Absence, disability, or vacancy in office of deputy librarian.-- ``(A) In general.--For purposes of paragraph (1), if the Deputy Librarian is also absent or disabled or there is no Deputy Librarian-- ``(i) the oversight committee leadership shall jointly recommend an individual to be designated to serve as acting Librarian; and ``(ii) upon a majority vote of the members of the House and Senate leadership, the individual recommended under clause (i) shall be designated to serve as acting Librarian. ``(B) Period of appointment.--An individual designated as acting Librarian under subparagraph (A) may serve until-- ``(i) the end of the absence or disability of the Librarian or the Deputy Librarian; or ``(ii) in the case of vacancies in both positions, a Librarian has been appointed under section 3. ``(3) Authority.--An officer serving as acting Librarian under paragraph (1) or (2) shall perform all the duties and exercise all the authorities of the Librarian, including the authority to delegate the duties and authorities of the Librarian.''. SEC. 4. DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE. (a) In General.--Chapter 3 of title 44, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by inserting before section 301 the following: ``Sec. 300. Definitions ``In this chapter-- ``(1) the term `commission' means a congressional commission consisting of the oversight committee leadership and the House and Senate leadership; ``(2) the term `House and Senate leadership' means the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, and the minority leader of the Senate; and ``(3) the term `oversight committee leadership' means the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives and the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.''; and (2) in section 301-- (A) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: ``(a)(1) The Government Publishing Office shall be headed by a Director. ``(2)(A) The Director shall be appointed by the commission in accordance with the procedures specified in subparagraph (B), without regard to political affiliation, and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the office. ``(B)(i) If there is a vacancy in the position of Director, the oversight committee leadership shall jointly recommend 3 individuals for appointment to the vacant office. ``(ii) The Director shall be appointed from among the 3 individuals recommended under clause (i), upon a majority vote of the House and Senate leadership.''; (B) in subsection (c), by striking ``, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,''; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(d) The Director may be removed from office at any time upon a majority vote of the members of the House and Senate leadership.''. (b) Pay.--Section 303 of title 44, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``The annual rate of pay for the Director of the Government Publishing Office''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(b) The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall not be considered to serve under a political appointment for purposes of section 747 of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2024 (division B of Public Law 118-47; 138 Stat. 585), or any other subsequently enacted similar provision of law.''. (c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 3 of title 44, United States Code, is amended by inserting before the item relating to section 301 the following: ``300. Definitions.''. SEC. 5. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE. (a) In General.--Section 302 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``Sec. 302. Deputy Director of the Government Publishing Office: appointment; duties ``(a) In this section-- ``(1) the term `Deputy Director' means the Deputy Director of the Government Publishing Office; and ``(2) the term `Director' means the Director of the Government Publishing Office. ``(b)(1) The Director shall appoint a suitable person to be the Deputy Director. [[Page H3939]] ``(2) The Deputy Director shall supervise the buildings occupied by the Government Publishing Office and perform any other duties required by the Director. ``(c) The Director shall appoint a Deputy Director under subsection (b)(1) not later than 120 days after-- ``(1) the date on which the Director is appointed under section 301, if there is no Deputy Director on the date of the appointment; or ``(2) the date on which a vacancy arises in the office of the Deputy Director. ``(d) If the Director does not

Referenced legislation: HR6028, HR6028