CHAPTER 9A—OFFICE OF LAW REVISION COUNSEL

§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”.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(a) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777, provided that the enactment of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, into permanent law is effective on Jan. 2, 1975. This chapter is derived from enactment into permanent law of section 205 of House Resolution No. 988.

§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.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(b) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

§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the Congress and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary recommendations for the repeal of obsolete, superfluous, and superseded provisions contained therein.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.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777; Pub. L. 94–386, §1, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1170.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(c) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

Amendments

1976—Par. (6). Pub. L. 94–386 substituted “through publication of the fifth annual cumulative supplement to the 1973 edition of such Code” for “until such time as the District of Columbia Self–Government and Governmental Reorganization Act becomes effective”.

Preparation and Publication of District of Columbia Code Under Direction of Council of the District of Columbia

Pub. L. 94–386, §2, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1170, provided that:

“(a) After publication by the Law Revision Counsel of the fifth annual cumulative supplement to the 1973 edition of the District of Columbia Code, new editions of the District of Columbia Code (and annual cumulative supplements thereto) shall be prepared and published under the direction of the Council of the District of Columbia and shall set forth the general and permanent laws relating to or in force in the District of Columbia, whether enacted by the Congress or by the Council of the District of Columbia, except such laws as are of application in the District of Columbia by reason of being laws of the United States general and permanent in nature.

“(b) After completion of the printing of the fifth annual cumulative supplement to the 1973 edition of the District of Columbia Code, the Public Printer shall, as the Council of the District of Columbia may request, either—

“(1) furnish to the Council of the District of Columbia, on such terms as the Public Printer (in consultation with the Joint Committee on Printing) deems appropriate, the type used in preparing the 1973 edition of the District of Columbia Code and the fifth annual cumulative supplement to such edition;  or

“(2) make such arrangements with the Council of the District of Columbia as the Public Printer (in consultation with the Joint Committee on Printing) deems appropriate for the printing by the Government Printing Office of future editions of the District of Columbia Code, and annual cumulative supplements thereto, prepared under the direction of the Council of the District of Columbia.”

§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.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(d) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

§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.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(e) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

§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.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(f) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

Increases in Compensation

Increases in compensation for House officers and employees under authority of Federal Salary Act of 1967 (Pub. L. 90–206), Federal Pay Comparability Act of 1970 (Pub. L. 91–656), and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1988 (Pub. L. 100–202), see sections 60a–2 and 60a–2a of this title, and Salary Directives of Speaker of the House, set out as notes under those sections.

§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.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(g) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

§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.

(Pub. L. 93–554, title I, ch. III, §101, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1777; Pub. L. 104–186, title II, §207, Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1742.)

Codification

Section is based on section 205(h) of House Resolution No. 988, Ninety-third Congress, Oct. 8, 1974, which was enacted into permanent law by Pub. L. 93–554.

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–186 substituted “applicable accounts of the House of Representatives” for “contingent fund of the House”.

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