What This Bill Does
This bill creates a special investigative subcommittee (a smaller group within a larger committee) under the House Judiciary Committee. The subcommittee will investigate how executive branch agencies (departments run by the President) collect information on American citizens and work with private companies or other agencies to take action against citizens.
Who It Affects
Members of Congress appointed to the subcommittee, the House Judiciary Committee, executive branch agencies, private sector companies, non-profit organizations, and American citizens whose civil liberties (fundamental rights and freedoms) may have been violated.
Key Provisions
- The subcommittee will be composed of the chair and ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee plus up to 13 other members, with up to 5 appointed after consulting with the minority leader (Sec. 1(a)(2)(A))
- The subcommittee must conduct a full investigation and issue a final report to the House by January 2, 2025 (Sec. 1(b)(1))
- The subcommittee will investigate how executive branch agencies collect, compile, analyze and use information about citizens, including any illegal or unconstitutional activities (Sec. 1(b)(1)(C))
- The Judiciary Committee may issue subpoenas (formal orders demanding someone provide information or testify) to be returned to the select subcommittee (Sec. 1(c)(1)(B))
- The subcommittee will cease to exist 30 days after filing its final report (Sec. 1(f))
What Changes
A new investigative subcommittee will be created within the House Judiciary Committee with the authority to investigate executive branch information collection activities, issue interim and final reports, and receive access to intelligence information normally only available to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
H. Res. 12
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
January 10, 2023.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE WEAPONIZATION
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT; COMPOSITION.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established
for the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress a select in-
vestigative subcommittee of the Committee on the Judi-
ciary
called
the
Select
Subcommittee
on
the
Weaponization of the Federal Government (hereinafter
referred to as the ‘‘select subcommittee’’).
(2) COMPOSITION.—
(A) The select subcommittee shall be composed
of the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on the Judiciary, together with not more
than 13 other Members, Delegates, or the Resident
Commissioner appointed by the Speaker, of whom
not more than 5 shall be appointed in consultation
with the minority leader. The Speaker shall des-
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ignate one member of the select subcommittee as its
chair. Any vacancy in the select subcommittee shall
be filled in the same manner as the original ap-
pointment.
(B) Each member appointed to the select sub-
committee shall be treated as though a member of
the Committee on the Judiciary for purposes of the
select subcommittee.
(b) INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTIONS AND AUTHORITY.—
(1) INVESTIGATIVE
FUNCTIONS.—The select sub-
committee is authorized and directed to conduct a full
and complete investigation and study and, not later than
January 2, 2025, issue a final report to the House of
its findings (and such interim reports as it may deem
necessary) regarding—
(A) the expansive role of article II authority
vested in the executive branch to collect information
on or otherwise investigate citizens of the United
States, including ongoing criminal investigations;
(B) how executive branch agencies work with,
obtain information from, and provide information to
the private sector, non-profit entities, or other gov-
ernment agencies to facilitate action against Amer-
ican citizens, including the extent, if any, to which
illegal or improper, unconstitutional, or unethical
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activities were engaged in by the executive branch
or private sector against citizens of the United
States;
(C) how executive branch agencies collect, com-
pile, analyze, use, or disseminate information about
citizens of the United States, including any uncon-
stitutional, illegal, or unethical activities committed
against citizens of the United States;
(D) the laws, programs, and activities of the
executive branch as they relate to the collection of
information on citizens of the United States and the
sources and methods used for the collection of infor-
mation on citizens of the United States;
(E) any other issues related to the violation of
the civil liberties of citizens of the United States;
and
(F) any other matter relating to information
collected pursuant to the investigation conducted
under this paragraph at any time during the One
Hundred Eighteenth Congress.
(2) AUTHORITY.—
(A) The select subcommittee may report to the
House or any committee of the House from time to
time the results of its investigations and studies, to-
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gether with such detailed findings and legislative
recommendations as it may deem advisable.
(B) Any markup of legislation shall be held at
the full Committee level consistent with clause 1(l)
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representa-
tives.
(c) PROCEDURE.—
(1) Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the rules of the Committee on the Judi-
ciary shall apply to the select subcommittee in the same
manner as a subcommittee except as follows:
(A) The chair of the select subcommittee may,
after consultation with the ranking minority mem-
ber, recognize—
(i) members of the select subcommittee to
question a witness for periods longer than five
minutes
as
though
pursuant
to
clause
2(j)(2)(B) of such rule XI; and
(ii) staff of the select subcommittee to
question a witness as though pursuant to
clause 2(j)(2)(C) of such rule XI.
(B) The Committee on the Judiciary (or the
chair of the Committee on the Judiciary, if acting
in accordance with clause 2(m)(3)(A)(i) of rule XI)
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may authorize and issue subpoenas to be returned
at the select subcommittee.
(C) With regard to the full scope of investiga-
tive authority under subsection (b)(1), the select
subcommittee shall be authorized to receive infor-
mation available to the Permanent Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence, consistent with congressional
reporting requirements for intelligence and intel-
ligence-related activities, and any such information
received shall be subject to the terms and conditions
applicable under clause 11 of rule X.
(2) The provisions of this resolution shall govern
the proceedings of the select subcommittee in the event
of any conflict with the rules of the House or of the
Committee on the Judiciary.
(d) SERVICE.—Service on the select subcommittee shall
not count against the limitations in clause 5(b)(2)(A) of rule
X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
(e) SUCCESSOR.—The Committee on the Judiciary is the
‘‘successor in interest’’ to the select subcommittee for pur-
poses of clause 8(c) of rule II of the Rules of the House of
Representatives.
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(f) SUNSET.—The select subcommittee shall cease to
exist 30 days after filing the final report required under sub-
section (b).
Attest:
Clerk.