House of Representatives Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act
Public Law 104-186 · H.R. 2739 · 104th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Aug 20, 1996 · Congress
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA-21)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title I: Provisions Relating to Allowances and Accounts in
the House of Representatives and Other Administrative Matters
Title II: Technical and Conforming Amendments and Repeals
Relating to Administrative Reforms in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act - Title I: Provisions Relating to Allowances and Accounts in the House of Representatives and Other Administrative Matters - Establishes for the House of Representatives a single allowance, the Members' Representational Allowance (MRA), to be used to support the conduct of official and representational duties of House Members with respect to the district from which they are elected. Merges into the MRA the Clerk Hire Allowance, the Official Expenses Allowance, and the Official Mail Allowance. Makes such changes effective as of September 1, 1995.
(Sec. 102) Authorizes the Committee on House Oversight to fix and adjust the MRA (currently, all allowances of the House) for Members and various House leadership.
(Sec. 103) Allows the adjustment of MRAs for reasons other than those currently specified (price or technological changes or increases in the General Schedule) only by House resolution.
(Sec. 104) Allows each House Member to employ under the MRA no more than 18 permanent clerks and four additional clerk hire employees in specified categories. Excludes interns and temporary employees from the operation of certain Federal employment provisions and requirements.
(Sec. 105) Prohibits any payments from being made from applicable House accounts unless sanctioned by the Oversight Committee.
(Sec. 106) Directs the Chief Administrative Officer of the House to submit semiannually to the House a detailed, itemized report of the disbursements for House operations. Outlines information required in such reports, with an exception in the case of vouchers of payments to individuals for attendance as witnesses before a congressional committee in executive session.
(Sec. 107) Directs the Clerk of the House, at the request of a Member, to furnish to such Member for official use only one set of a privately published annotated version of the United States Code, including appropriate supplements and pocket parts.
(Sec. 108) Authorizes the Chief of the Capitol Police to designate a member of such Police to be responsible for citation release with respect to bonds for persons arrested on Capitol grounds.
Provides appropriate authority for D.C.'s Superior and U.S. District courts with respect to bond or collateral proceedings after such arrests.
Title II: Technical and Conforming Amendments and Repeals Relating to Administrative Reforms in the House of Representatives - Makes various technical and conforming amendments and appropriate repeals to specified Federal provisions as necessitated by administrative reforms adopted in the House, including provisions concerning: (1) the election of Representatives; (2) congressional organization; (3) Member compensation and allowances; (4) House officers and employees; (5) membership on the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946; (6) congressional and committee procedure and investigations; (7) the classification of employees; (8) payroll administration; (9) contested elections; (10) the Joint Committee on Congressional Operations; (11) the Congressional Budget Office; (12) Federal Government organization and employees; (13) commerce and trade, foreign relations and intercourse, money and finance, and the postal service; (14) public buildings and related property and public works; (15) public health and welfare; (16) public printing and documents; (17) territories and insular possessions; and (18) miscellaneous uncodified provisions relating to the House. Replaces in many cases functions and duties of: (1) the Committee on House Administration with the Committee on House Oversight; and (2) the Doorkeeper or Sergeant-at-Arms with the Chief Administrative Officer.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Aug 20, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-186.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 9, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 2, 1996Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Thomas asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendments.
- Jun 28, 1996FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 19, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- May 16, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Mar 20, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Mar 19, 1996FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Ehlers moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 14, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Committee on House Administration
- Dec 13, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Committee on House Administration
- Dec 7, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.