Information you should know before attending a House Committee on Natural Resources meeting:
Attending a Committee Meeting:
Committee hearings and markups are open to the public, except for very rare circumstances. They are held in either the main Committee Hearing Room located in 1324 Longworth House Office Building, or the secondary Hearing Room in 1334 Longworth Building. Committee Rules require that a hearing be announced one week in advance and a markup be announced three days in advance.
Doors to the hearing rooms will open 15 minutes prior to the scheduled hearing or markup. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early, particularly for high-profile hearings, and should be prepared to go through metal detectors when entering Congressional Office Buildings. Food and drinks in the hearing room are prohibited. Attendees may bring one, small personal item such as a purse, handbag, or briefcase into the hearing room. For safety reasons, large duffel bags, suitcases and other luggage are not allowed. Attendees are not permitted to hold or display signs, posters or placards in the hearing room.
The use of cellular telephones is expressly prohibited in the Committee hearing room.
Seating Availability:
Tickets are not required to attend a Committee meeting, though seating is limited. Admission to Committee hearings is on a first-come, first-served basis and seat reservations are not allowed. The Committee hearing room seats up to 60 people.
Public Transportation and Parking:
The nearest Metro stop to the Committee hearing room, located in the Longworth House Office Building, is Capitol South Metro Station.
Unfortunately, there is no parking available to the public on the Capitol grounds. Street parking and metered parking are available near the Capitol grounds, but options are limited. The best drop-off location for access to the Longworth House Office Building is the corner of Independence and New Jersey Avenues, South East.
Live Videos of Committee Meetings:
Streaming video of Committee meetings in the Committee hearing room are webcast live on the Committee website. The live video webcast will begin streaming approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of each meeting.
The Committee's video streams use the free Adobe Flash Player and Windows Media Player software. An error message may appear if you do not have the latest software installed on your computer. You may download this free software from the Adobe website and the Microsoft website. Apple users can install Windows Media Components for Quicktime, which is also available for free from Microsoft.
Archived Videos of Committee Meetings:
The Committee provides video coverage of proceedings for each public meeting to the maximum extent practicable and it maintains recordings of such coverage in a manner that is easily accessible to the public. Archived video webcasts of Committee meetings are made available online approximately 24 hours following the conclusion of each meeting. Digital archives (video or audiocasts) of Committee meetings are available from 2007 to present.
The duplication of broadcast coverage of the Committee on Natural Resources is governed by Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. Proceedings of the House Committee on Natural Resources, including any recording of such proceedings, may not be used for any political purpose or in any commercial advertisement, and may not be broadcast with commercial sponsorship except as part of a bona fide news program or public affairs documentary program.
Video and Photography in the Hearing Rooms:
With the exception of credentialed members of the press displaying their House I.D. badge, video and flash photography are prohibited once the Committee meeting begins. The Committee asks that reporters contact our communications office at (202) 226-9019 at least one business day prior to the scheduled Committee meeting. In order to provide an uninterrupted recording of Committee proceedings, no one, except Committee staff and Members of Congress, is permitted above the steps or behind the Committee Members on the dais.
List of Committee Members:
The House Committee on Natural Resources is comprised of 43 Representatives, 25 Republicans and 18 Democrats. The ratio of majority to minority Members on the Committee is based on the ratio of majority to minority Members of the House of Representatives. Representatives are assigned to specific committees by their party conference. Seniority and regional balance are some of the factors used to determine committee assignments.
Committee Hearings and Markups:
A hearing is convened to gather information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or review the operation or other aspects of a federal agency or program. A markup is convened to debate, amend and rewrite proposed legislation before reporting the bill to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
The most up-to-date information on all of the Committee's activities can be found on the Committee Calendar or the Newsroom. In addition, visitors may subscribe to news updates and upcoming Committee activities through our e-Newsletter and RSS Feeds.
Legislation Referred to the Committee:
Hundreds of bills are referred to the Committee on Natural Resources each Congress. When the Committee considers legislation, all related material, including amendments, will be posted to the Committee Calendar on this website. The text and status of all legislation referred to the Committee is available on the Referred Legislation page. All bills are available online through THOMAS, a legislative search engine operated by the Library of Congress. THOMAS also provides the current status of each introduced bill and links to Committee Reports filed in conjunction with reported legislation.
Committee Votes:
All Committee roll call votes are posted on the Committee Votes page within 48 hours of a Committee Markup.
Witnesses for a Committee Meeting:
Witness lists are posted online between 24 and 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting. Visit the Committee Calendar and click on the hearing title to view the list of witnesses testifying before the Committee. If no list is present, the list has not been officially announced. Please check back prior to the start of the hearing to view the witness list.
Witness Testimony:
Prepared testimony is made available online after the start of each scheduled Committee meeting. Visit the respective Committee Meeting page to read witness testimony and watch archived video footage of the meeting.
Committee Transcripts and Reports:
Transcripts are not immediately available following a hearing because correction of transcription errors need to be made, submissions for the record to be included, and witness responses to questions for the record must be received and included. Once those edits and supplements are included and the transcripts are completed, the official transcript is available at no cost from the Government Publication Office (GPO). Official transcripts are also linked on each individual hearing page, once they are published by the GPO. Committee reports are available through THOMAS.
Unofficial transcripts are also available from CQ Transcripts approximately 24-72 hours after the Committee meeting. Factiva, Lexis/Nexis, and WestLaw can also be used to access unofficial transcripts. If you do not subscribe to these services, you can get free access to them from many public libraries.
Accessibility and Accommodations:
All of the public hearing rooms in the House are wheelchair accessible. The wheelchair accessible entrance to the Longworth Building is the main entrance, located near the corner of Independence and New Jersey Avenues, SE. For additional information on accessing Congressional Office Buildings, visit The Office of Congressional Accessibility Services website.
Individuals who are planning to attend a Committee hearing or markup and require an auxiliary aid or service should contact the Committee at (202) 225-2761 at least four business days in advance of the scheduled meeting.
Among other things, staff can arrange for ASL interpreters, convert hearing testimony to Braille, and reserve seating for individuals who have service animals. The Committee’s hearing room in 1324 Longworth Building has a hearing induction loop installed to assist visitors with hearing aids. Individual wireless hearing amplifiers are also available.
Have another question? Contact us:
The Committee on Natural Resources
U.S. House of Representatives
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2761
Fax: (202) 225-5929
Click here to e-mail the Committee
