SUBCHAPTER V—GENERAL COUNSEL

§5571. Office of General Counsel of House; administrative provisions

(a) Compliance with admission requirements

The General Counsel of the House of Representatives and any other counsel in the Office of the General Counsel of the House of Representatives, including any counsel specially retained by the Office of General Counsel, shall be entitled, for the purpose of performing the counsel's functions, to enter an appearance in any proceeding before any court of the United States or of any State or political subdivision thereof without compliance with any requirements for admission to practice before such court, except that the authorization conferred by this subsection shall not apply with respect to the admission of any such person to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

(b) Notification by Attorney General

The Attorney General shall notify the General Counsel of the House of Representatives as required by section 530D of title 28.

(c) General Counsel definition

In this section, the term "General Counsel of the House of Representatives" means—

(1) the head of the Office of General Counsel established and operating under clause 8 of rule II of the Rules of the House of Representatives;

(2) the head of any successor office to the Office of General Counsel which is established after September 29, 1999; and

(3) any other person authorized and directed in accordance with the Rules of the House of Representatives to provide legal assistance and representation to the House in connection with the matters described in this section.

(d) Effective date

The provisions of this section shall become effective beginning with September 29, 1999.

(Pub. L. 106–57, title I, §101, Sept. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 414; Pub. L. 107–273, div. A, title II, §202(b)(5), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1775; Pub. L. 108–7, div. H, title I, §110(a), Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 355.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 130f of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Section is from the Congressional Operations Appropriations Act, 2000, which is title I of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000.

Amendments

2003—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–7 amended Pub. L. 107–273. See 2002 Amendment note below.

2002—Pub. L. 107–273, as amended by Pub. L. 108–7, substituted "as required by section 530D of title 28" for "with respect to any proceeding in which the United States is a party of any determination by the Attorney General or Solicitor General not to appeal any court decision affecting the constitutionality of an Act or joint resolution of Congress within such time as will enable the House to direct the General Counsel to intervene as a party in such proceeding pursuant to applicable rules of the House of Representatives".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2003 Amendment

Pub. L. 108–7, div. H, title I, §110(c), Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 355, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 288k of this title] shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act [Pub. L. 107–273]."