United States Code/Title 2/Chapter 9A

by the United States Government

§ 285. Establishment

There is established in the House of Representatives an office to be known as the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, referred to hereinafter in this chapter as the “Office”.

§ 285a. Purpose and policy

The principal purpose of the Office shall be to develop and keep current an official and positive codification of the laws of the United States. The Office shall maintain impartiality as to issues of legislative policy to be determined by the House.

§ 285b. Functions

The functions of the Office shall be as follows:

(1) To prepare, and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary one title at a time, a complete compilation, restatement, and revision of the general and permanent laws of the United States which conforms to the understood policy, intent, and purpose of the Congress in the original enactments, with such amendments and corrections as will remove ambiguities, contradictions, and other imperfections both of substance and of form, separately stated, with a view to the enactment of each title as positive law.

(2) To examine periodically all of the public laws enacted by the Congress and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary recommendations for the repeal of obsolete, superfluous, and superseded provisions contained therein.

(3) To prepare and publish periodically a new edition of the United States Code (including those titles which are not yet enacted into positive law as well as those titles which have been so enacted), with annual cumulative supplements reflecting newly enacted laws.

(4) To classify newly enacted provisions of law to their proper positions in the Code where the titles involved have not yet been enacted into positive law.

(5) To prepare and submit periodically such revisions in the titles of the Code which have been enacted into positive law as may be necessary to keep such titles current.

(6) To prepare and publish periodically new editions of the District of Columbia Code, with annual cumulative supplements reflecting newly enacted laws, through publication of the fifth annual cumulative supplement to the 1973 edition of such Code.

(7) To provide the Committee on the Judiciary with such advice and assistance as the committee may request in carrying out its functions with respect to the revision and codification of the Federal statutes.

§ 285c. Law Revision Counsel

The management, supervision, and administration of the Office are vested in the Law Revision Counsel, who shall be appointed by the Speaker without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. Any person so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Speaker.

§ 285d. Staff; Deputy Law Revision Counsel; delegation of functions

(1) With the approval of the Speaker, or in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Speaker, the Law Revision Counsel shall appoint such employees as may be necessary for the prompt and efficient performance of the functions of the Office. Any such appointment shall be made without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the position. Any person so appointed may be removed by the Law Revision Counsel with the approval of the Speaker, or in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Speaker.

(2)

(A) One of the employees appointed under paragraph (1) shall be designated by the Law Revision Counsel as Deputy Law Revision Counsel. During the absence or disability of the Law Revision Counsel, or when the office is vacant, the Deputy Law Revision Counsel shall perform the functions of the Law Revision Counsel.

(B) The Law Revision Counsel may delegate to the Deputy Law Revision Counsel and to other employees appointed under paragraph (1) such of his or her functions as he or she considers necessary or appropriate.

§ 285e. Compensation

The Law Revision Counsel shall be paid at a per annum gross rate not to exceed level IV of the Executive Schedule of section 5315 of title 5; and members of the staff of the Office other than the Law Revision Counsel shall be paid at per annum gross rates fixed by the Law Revision Counsel with the approval of the Speaker or in accordance with policies approved by the Speaker, but not in excess of a per annum gross rate equal to level V of such schedule.

§ 285f. Expenditures

In accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Speaker, the Law Revision Counsel is authorized to make such expenditures as may be necessary or appropriate for the functioning of the Office.

§ 285g. Availability of applicable accounts of House

Until such time as funds are appropriated by law to carry out the purpose of this chapter, the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives shall be available for such purpose.