[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3196 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 766
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3196
[Report No. 118-741, Part I]
To provide for the appointment of the Architect of the Capitol, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 10, 2023
Mr. Steil (for himself and Mr. Morelle) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in
addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
November 18, 2024
Reported from the Committee on House Administration
November 18, 2024
Referral to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure extended
for a period ending not later than December 19, 2024
December 19, 2024
Additional sponsors: Mr. Loudermilk and Mrs. Bice
December 19, 2024
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure discharged; committed to
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered
to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the appointment of the Architect of the Capitol, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Architect of the Capitol Appointment
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF SERVICE OF ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL.
(a) Appointment.--The Architect of the Capitol shall be appointed,
without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of
fitness to perform the duties of the office, upon a majority vote of a
congressional commission (referred to in this section as the
``commission'') consisting of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority
leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate, the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives, the chairman and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, 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.
(b) Term of Service.--The Architect of the Capitol shall be
appointed for a term of 10 years and, upon a majority vote of the
members of the commission, may be reappointed for additional 10-year
terms.
(c) Removal.--The Architect of the Capitol may be removed from
office at any time upon a majority vote of the members of the
commission.
(d) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 319 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations
Act, 1990 (2 U.S.C. 1801) is repealed.
(2) The matter under the heading ``For the Capitol:'' under
the heading ``DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.'' of the Act of
February 14, 1902 (32 Stat. 19, chapter 17; incorporated in 2
U.S.C. 1811) is amended by striking ``, and he shall be
appointed by the President''.
(e) Effective Date.--This section, and the amendments made by this
section, shall apply with respect to appointments made on or after the
date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL; VACANCY IN
ARCHITECT OR DEPUTY ARCHITECT.
Section 1203 of title I of division H of the Consolidated
Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (2 U.S.C. 1805) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``(in this section referred to as
the `Architect')'' after ``The Architect of the
Capitol''; and
(B) by inserting ``(in this section referred to as
the `Deputy Architect')'' after ``Deputy Architect of
the Capitol'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Deadline.--The Architect shall appoint a Deputy Architect
under subsection (a) not later than 120 days after--
``(1) the date on which the Architect is appointed under
section 2 of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act of
2023, if there is no Deputy Architect on the date of the
appointment; or
``(2) the date on which a vacancy arises in the office of
the Deputy Architect.'';
(4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by striking ``of
the Capitol'' each place it appears; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Failure To Appoint.--If the Architect does not appoint a
Deputy Architect on or before the applicable date specified in
subsection (b), the congressional commission described in section 2(a)
of the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act of 2023 shall appoint
the Deputy Architect by a majority vote of the members of the
commission.
``(e) Notification.--If the position of Deputy Architect becomes
vacant, the Architect shall immediately notify the members of the
congressional commission described in section 2(a) of the Architect of
the Capitol Appointment Act of 2023.''.
SEC. 4. DEPUTY ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL TO SERVE AS ACTING IN CASE OF
ABSENCE, DISABILITY, OR VACANCY.
(a) In General.--The Deputy Architect of the Capitol (in this
section referred to as the ``Deputy Architect'') shall act as Architect
of the Capitol (in this section referred to as the ``Architect'') if
the Architect is absent or disabled or there is no Architect.
(b) Absence, Disability, or Vacancy in Office of Deputy
Architect.--For purposes of subsection (a), if the Deputy Architect is
also absent or disabled or there is no Deputy Architect, the
congressional commission described in section 2(a) shall designate, by
a majority vote of the members of the commission, an individual to
serve as acting Architect until--
(1) the end of the absence or disability of the Architect
or the Deputy Architect; or
(2) in the case of vacancies in both positions, an
Architect has been appointed under section 2(a) of this Act.
(c) Authority.--An officer serving as acting Architect under
subsection (a) or (b) shall perform all the duties and exercise all the
authorities of the Architect, including the authority to delegate the
duties and authorities of the Architect in accordance with the matter
under the heading ``Office of the Architect of the Capitol'' under the
heading ``ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL'' of the Legislative Appropriation
Act, 1956 (2 U.S.C. 1803).
(d) Conforming Amendment.--The matter under the heading
``salaries'' under the heading ``Office of the Architect of the
Capitol'' under the heading ``ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL'' of the
Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1971 (2 U.S.C. 1804) is amended
by striking ``: Provided,'' and all that follows through ``no
Architect''.
Union Calendar No. 766
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3196
[Report No. 118-741, Part I]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the appointment of the Architect of the Capitol, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 19, 2024
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure discharged; committed to
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered
to be printed