Rules of Procedure
Rule 1. Committee Meetings in General
(a) Regular Meeting Days: For purposes of complying with paragraph 3 of Senate Rule XXVI, the regular meeting day of the committee is the first and third Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m. If there is no business before the committee, the regular meeting shall be omitted.
(b) Additional Meetings: The chair may call additional meetings, after consulting with the ranking minority member. Subcommittee chairs may call meetings, with the concurrence of the chair, after consulting with the ranking minority members of the subcommittee and the committee.
(c) Presiding Officer:
(d) Open Meetings: Meetings of the committee and subcommittees, including hearings and business meetings, are open to the public. A portion of a meeting may be closed to the public if the committee determines by roll call vote of a majority of the members present that the matters to be discussed or the testimony to be taken-
(e) Broadcasting:
Rule 2. Quorums
(a) Business Meetings: At committee business meetings, and for the purpose of approving the issuance of a subpoena or approving a committee resolution, six members of the committee, at least three of whom are members of the minority party, constitute a quorum, except as provided in subsection (d).
(b) Subcommittee Meetings: At subcommittee business meetings, a majority of the subcommittee members, at least one of whom is a member of the minority party, constitutes a quorum for conducting business.
(c) Continuing Quorum: Once a quorum as prescribed in subsections (a) and (b) has been established, the committee or subcommittee may continue to conduct business.
(d) Reporting: No measure or matter may be reported to the Senate by the committee unless a majority of committee members cast votes in person.
(e) Hearings: One member constitutes a quorum for conducting a hearing.
Rule 3. Hearings
(a) Announcements: Before the committee or a subcommittee holds a hearing, the chair of the committee or subcommittee shall, after consultation with the ranking member, make a public announcement and provide notice to members of the date, place, time, and subject matter of the hearing. The announcement and notice shall be issued at least one week in advance of the hearing, unless the chair of the committee or subcommittee, with the concurrence of the ranking minority member of the committee or subcommittee, determines that there is good cause to provide a shorter period, in which event the announcement and notice shall be issued at least twenty-four hours in advance of the hearing. The chair and the ranking member shall seek to attain an equal balance of the two parties when selecting subjects for and scheduling hearings.
(b) Statements of Witnesses:
Rule 4. Business Meetings: Notice and Filing Requirements
(a) Notice: The chair of the committee or the subcommittee shall, after consultation with the ranking member of the committee or the subcommittee, provide notice, the agenda of business to be discussed, and the text of agenda items to members of the committee or subcommittee at least 72 hours before a business meeting. If the 72 hours falls over a weekend, all materials will be provided by close of business on Friday. The chair and the ranking member shall seek to attain an equal balance of the interests of the two parties when setting the agenda of business meetings.
(b) Amendments: First-degree amendments must be filed with the chair of the committee or the subcommittee at least 24 hours before a business meeting. After the filing deadline, the chair shall promptly distribute all filed amendments to the members of the committee or subcommittee.
(c) Modifications: The chair of the committee or the subcommittee may modify the notice and filing requirements to meet special circumstances, with the concurrence of the ranking member of the committee or subcommittee.
Rule 5. Business Meetings: Voting
(a) Proxy Voting:
(b) Subsequent Voting: Members who were not present at a business meeting and were unable to cast their votes by proxy may record their votes later, so long as they do so that same business day and their vote does not change the outcome.
(c) Public Announcement:
Rule 6. Subcommittees
(a) Regularly Established Subcommittees: The committee has four subcommittees: Transportation and Infrastructure; Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety; Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight; and Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife.
(b) Membership: The committee chair, after consulting with the ranking minority member, shall select members of the subcommittees.
Rule 7. Statutory Responsibilities and Other Matters
(a) Environmental Impact Statements: No project or legislation proposed by any executive branch agency may be approved or otherwise acted upon unless the committee has received a final environmental impact statement relative to it, in accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act, and the written comments of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in accordance with section 309 of the Clean Air Act. This rule is not intended to broaden, narrow, or otherwise modify the class of projects or legislative proposals for which environmental impact statements are required under section 102(2)(C).
(b) Project Approvals:
(c) Building Prospectuses:
(d) Naming Public Facilities: The committee may not name a building, structure or facility for any living person, except former Presidents or former Vice Presidents of the United States, former Members of Congress over 70 years of age, former Justices of the United States Supreme Court over 70 years of age, or Federal judges who are fully retired and over 75 years of age or have taken senior status and are over 75 years of age.