House Rule VII - Records of the House

Archiving
1.
 * (a) At the end of each Congress, the chair  of  each  committee  shall transfer  to the Clerk any noncurrent records of  such   committee,   including   the   subcommittees thereof.
 * (b) At the end of each Congress, each officer of the House elected under rule  II  shall  transfer  to  the  Clerk  any  non-  current  records  made  or  acquired  in  the course of the duties of such officer.

2. The Clerk shall deliver the records transferred   under   clause   1,   together  with  any  other  noncurrent  records  of  the   House,   to   the   Archivist   of   the  United  States  for  preservation  at  the  National Archives and Records Admin-  istration. Records so  delivered  are  the  permanent  property  of  the  House  and  remain  subject  to  this  rule  and  any  order of the House.

Public availability
3.
 * (a) The Clerk  shall  authorize  the  Archivist   to   make   records   delivered under clause 2 available for public use,  subject  to  clause  4(b)  and  any  order  of  the House.
 * (b)
 * (1) A record  shall  immediately  be  made   available   if   it   was   previously  made  available  for  public  use  by  the  House    or    a    committee    or    a    subcommittee.
 * (2) An investigative  record  that  contains  personal  data  relating  to  a  specific  living  person  (the  disclosure  of  which  would  be  an  unwarranted  invasion  of  personal  privacy),  an  administrative record relating to personnel, or  a record relating to a hearing that was  closed  under  clause  2(g)(2)  of  rule  XI  shall be made available if it has been in  existence for 50 years.
 * (3)A record for which a time, schedule,  or   condition   for   availability   is  specified by order of the House shall be  made available in accordance with that  order. Except as otherwise provided by  order  of  the  House,  a  record  of  a  com-  mittee  for  which  a  time,  schedule,  or  condition  for   availability  is  specified  by   order   of   the   committee   (entered  during   the   Congress   in   which   the  record is made or acquired by the com-  tee)  shall  be  made  available  in  ac-  corce  with  the  order  of  the  committee.
 * (4) A record  (other  than  a  record  referred to in subparagraph (1), (2), or (3))  shall be made available if it has been in  existence for 30 years.

4.
 * (a) A  record   may   not   be   made  available  for  public  use  under  clause  3  if the Clerk determines that such avail-  ability   would   be   detrimental   to   the  public interest or inconsistent with the  rights and privileges of the  House. The  Clerk  shall  notify  in  writing  the  chair  and  ranking  minority  member  of  the  Committee on House Administration of  any such determination.
 * (b) A  determination   of   the   Clerk  under  paragraph  (a)  is  subject  to  later  orders of the House and, in the case of  a record of a committee, later orders of  the committee.

5.
 * (a) This rule  does  not  supersede  rule VIII or clause 11 of rule X and does  not  authorize  the  public  disclosure  of  any record if such disclosure is prohibited  by  law  or  executive  order  of  the  President.
 * (b) The Committee on House Administration may prescribe guidelines and regulations governing the applicability and implementation of this rule.
 * (c) A committee  may  withdraw  from  the National Archives and Records Administration  any  record  of  the  com- tee delivered to the Archivist under  this  rule.  Such  a  withdrawal  shall  be  on  a  temporary  basis  and  for  official  use of the committee.

Definition of record
6.  In   this   rule   the   term   record  means  any  official,  permanent  record  of the House (other than a record of an  individual  Member,  Delegate,  or  Resident Commissioner), including--
 * (a) with respect to a committee, an official,   permanent   record   of   the  committee (including any record of a legislative, oversight, or other activity   of   such   committee   or   a   sub-  committee thereof); and
 * (b) with respect to an officer of the House  elected  under  rule  II,  an  offi-cial,  permanent  record  made  or  ac- ired  in  the  course  of  the  duties  of  such officer.

Withdrawal of papers
7. A  memorial  or  other  paper  presented  to  the  House  may  not  be  with-  drawn  from  its  files  without  its  leave. If withdrawn  certified  copies  thereof  shall  be left in  the office of the  Clerk. When an  act  passes  for  the  settlement  of  a  claim,  the  Clerk  may  transmit  to  the officer charged with the settlement  thereof  the  papers  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  relating  to  such  claim. The Clerk  may  lend  temporarily  to  an  officer  or  bureau  of  the  executive  de-  tments any papers on file in the of-  ficf the Clerk relating to any matter  pending  before  such  officer  or  bureau,  taking proper receipt therefor.

Changes to rule in the 110th Congress
There were no changes to the rule in the 110th Congress.

Archiving
1. (a) At the end of each Congress, the chairman of each committee shall transfer to the Clerk any noncurrent records of such committee, including the subcommittees thereof.
 * (b) At the end of each Congress, each officer of the House elected under rule II shall transfer to the Clerk any noncurrent records made or acquired in the course of the duties of such officer.

2. The Clerk shall deliver the records transferred under clause 1, together with any other noncurrent records of the House, to the Archivist of the United States for preservation at the National Archives and Records Administration. Records so delivered are the permanent property of the House and remain subject to this rule and any order of the House.

Public availability
3. (a) The Clerk shall authorize the Archivist to make records delivered under clause 2 available for public use, subject to clause 4(b) and any order of the House.
 * (b)(1) A record shall immediately be made available if it was previously made available for public use by the House or a committee or a subcommittee.
 * (2) An investigative record that contains personal data relating to a specific living person (the disclosure of which would be an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy), an administrative record relating to personnel, or a record relating to a hearing that was closed under clause 2(g)(2) of rule XI shall be made available if it has been in existence for 50 years.
 * (3) A record for which a time, schedule, or condition for availability is specified by order of the House shall be made available in accordance with that order. Except as otherwise provided by order of the House, a record of a committee for which a time, schedule, or condition for availability is specified by order of the committee (entered during the Congress in which the record is made or acquired by the committee) shall be made available in accordance with the order of the committee.
 * (4) A record (other than a record referred to in subparagraph (1), (2), or (3) shall be made available if it has been in existence for 30 years.

4. (a) A record may not be made available for public use under clause 3 if the Clerk determines that such availability would be detrimental to the public interest or inconsistent with the rights and privileges of the House. The Clerk shall notify in writing the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration of any such determination.
 * (b) A determination of the Clerk under paragraph (a) is subject to later orders of the House and, in the case of a record of a committee, later orders of the committee.

5. (a) This rule does not supersede rule VIII or clause 11 of rule X and does not authorize the public disclosure of any record if such disclosure is prohibited by law or executive order of the President.
 * (b) The Committee on House Administration may prescribe guidelines and regulations governing the applicability and implementation of this rule.
 * (c) A committee may withdraw from the National Archives and Records Administration any record of the committee delivered to the Archivist under this rule. Such a withdrawal shall be on a temporary basis and for official use of the committee.

Definition of record
6. In this rule the term ‘‘record’’ means any official, permanent record of the House (other than a record of an individual Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner), including—
 * (a) with respect to a committee, an official, permanent record of the committee (including any record of a legislative, oversight, or other activity of such committee or a subcommittee thereof); and
 * (b) with respect to an officer of the House elected under rule II, an official, permanent record made or acquired in the course of the duties of such officer.

Withdrawal of papers
7. A memorial or other paper presented to the House may not be withdrawn from its files without its leave. If withdrawn certified copies thereof shall be left in the office of the Clerk. When an act passes for the settlement of a claim, the Clerk may transmit to the officer charged with the settlement thereof the papers on file in his office relating to such claim. The Clerk may lend temporarily to an officer or bureau of the executive departments any papers on file in his office relating to any matter pending before such officer or bureau, taking proper receipt therefor.

Archiving
1. (a) At the end of each Congress, the chairman of each committee shall transfer to the Clerk any noncurrent records of such committee, including the subcommittees thereof.


 * (b) At the end of each Congress, each officer of the House elected under rule II shall transfer to the Clerk any noncurrent records made or acquired in the course of the duties of such officer.

2. The Clerk shall deliver the records transferred under clause 1, together with any other noncurrent records of the House, to the Archivist of the United States for preservation at the National Archives and Records Administration. Records so delivered are the permanent property of the House and remain subject to this rule and any order of the House.

Public availability
3. (a) The Clerk shall authorize the Archivist to make records delivered under clause 2 available for public use, subject to paragraph (b), clause 4, and any order of the House.


 * (b)(1) A record shall immediately be made available if it was previously made available for public use by the House or a committee or a subcommittee.


 * (2) An investigative record that contains personal data relating to a specific living person (the disclosure of which would be an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy), an administrative record relating to personnel, or a record relating to a hearing that was closed under clause 2(g)(2) of rule XI shall be made available if it has been in existence for 50 years.


 * (3) A record for which a time, schedule, or condition for availability is specified by order of the House shall be made available in accordance with that order. Except as otherwise provided by order of the House, a record of a committee for which a time, schedule, or condition for availability is specified by order of the committee (entered during the Congress in which the record is made or acquired by the committee) shall be made available in accordance with the order of the committee.


 * (4) A record (other than a record referred to in subparagraph (1), (2), or (3)) shall be made available if it has been in existence for 30 years.

4. (a) A record may not be made available for public use under clause 3 if the Clerk determines that such availability would be detrimental to the public interest or inconsistent with the rights and privileges of the House. The Clerk shall notify in writing the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration of any such determination.


 * (b) A determination of the Clerk under paragraph (a) is subject to later orders of the House and, in the case of a record of a committee, later orders of the committee.

5. (a) This rule does not supersede rule VIII or clause 9 of rule X and does not authorize the public disclosure of any record if such disclosure is prohibited by law or executive order of the President.


 * (b) The Committee on House Administration may prescribe guidelines and regulations governing the applicability and implementation of this rule.


 * (c) A committee may withdraw from the National Archives and Records Administration any record of the committee delivered to the Archivist under this rule. Such a withdrawal shall be on a temporary basis and for official use of the committee.

Definition of record
6. In this rule the term “record” means any official, permanent record of the House (other than a record of an individual Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner), including_


 * (a) with respect to a committee, an official, permanent record of the committee (including any record of a legislative, oversight, or other activity of such committee or a subcommittee thereof); and


 * (b) with respect to an officer of the House elected under rule II, an official, permanent record made or acquired in the course of the duties of such officer.

Withdrawal of papers
7. A memorial or other paper presented to the House may not be withdrawn from its files without its leave. If withdrawn certified copies thereof shall be left in the office of the Clerk. When an act passes for the settlement of a claim, the Clerk may transmit to the officer charged with the settlement thereof the papers on file in his office relating to such claim. The Clerk may lend temporarily to an officer or bureau of the executive departments any papers on file in his office relating to any matter pending before such officer or bureau, taking proper receipt therefor.

Resources

 * Rules of the 109th House of Representatives
 * "Rule VII," U.S. House of Representatives - Committee on Rules, 2005.