2 U.S.C. § 25b — Repealed. Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 202(1),

Page 14 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 23 § 23. Presiding officer of Senate may administer oaths The presiding officer, for the time being, of the Senate of the United States, shall have power to administer all oaths and affirmations that are or may be required by the Constitution, or by law, to be taken by any Senator, officer of the Senate, witness, or other person, in respect to any matter within the jurisdiction of the Senate. (Apr. 18, 1876, ch. 66, § 1, 19 Stat. 34.) § 24. Secretary of Senate or assistant secretary may administer oaths The Secretary of the Senate, and the assistant secretary thereof, shall, respectively, have power to administer any oath or affirmation re- quired by law, or by the rules or orders of the Senate, to be taken by any officer of the Senate, and to any witness produced before it. (Apr. 18, 1876, ch. 66, § 2, 19 Stat. 34; Pub. L. 92–51, July 9, 1971, 85 Stat. 125.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Assistant secretary of the Senate deemed successor in references to chief clerk of the Senate in all laws, rules, resolutions, and orders, effective July 1, 1971, under provisions of Pub. L. 92–51, July 9, 1971, 85 Stat. 125. § 25. Oath of Speaker, Members, and Delegates At the first session of Congress after every general election of Representatives, the oath of office shall be administered by any Member of the House of Representatives to the Speaker; and by the Speaker to all the Members and Dele- gates present, and to the Clerk, previous to en- tering on any other business; and to the Mem- bers and Delegates who afterward appear, pre- vious to their taking their seats. The Clerk of the House of Representatives of the Eightieth and each succeeding Congress shall cause the oath of office to be printed, fur- nishing two copies to each Member and Delegate who has taken the oath of office in accordance with law, which shall be subscribed in person by the Member or Delegate, who shall thereupon deliver them to the Clerk, one to be filed in the records of the House of Representatives, and the other to be recorded in the Journal of the House and in the Congressional Record; and such signed copies, or certified copies thereof, or of either of such records thereof, shall be admis- sible in evidence in any court of the United States, and shall be held conclusive proof of the fact that the signer duly took the oath of office in accordance with law. (R.S. § 30; Feb. 18, 1948, ch. 53, 62 Stat. 20.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION R.S. § 30 derived from act June 1, 1789, ch. 1, § 2, 1 Stat. 23. The last paragraph of this section, which permitted Members and Delegates of the House of Representatives of the Eightieth Congress to subscribe and deliver two signed copies of the printed oath of office at any time before the expiration of the Eightieth Congress, was omitted. AMENDMENTS 1948—Act Feb. 18, 1948, added last two paragraphs to provide a way by which any Member of House of Rep- resentatives can establish by record evidence the fact that the Member took the oath of office and so became a Member. § 25a. Delegate to House of Representatives from District of Columbia (a) The people of the District of Columbia shall be represented in the House of Representa- tives by a Delegate, to be known as the ‘‘Dele- gate to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia’’, who shall be elected by the voters of the District of Columbia in accord- ance with the District of Columbia Election Act. The Delegate shall have a seat in the House of Representatives, with the right of debate, but not of voting, shall have all the privileges grant- ed a Representative by section 6 of Article I of the Constitution, and shall be subject to the same restrictions and regulations as are im- posed by law or rules on Representatives. The Delegate shall be elected to serve during each Congress. (b) No individual may hold the office of Dele- gate to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia unless on the date of his election— (1) he is a qualified elector (as that term is defined in section 2(2) of the District of Colum- bia Election Act) of the District of Columbia; (2) he is at least twenty-five years of age; (3) he holds no other paid public office; and (4) he has resided in the District of Columbia continuously since the beginning of the three- year period ending on such date. He shall forfeit his office upon failure to main- tain the qualifications required by this sub- section. (Pub. L. 91–405, title II, § 202, Sept. 22, 1970, 84 Stat. 848.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The District of Columbia Election Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(1), is act Aug. 12, 1955, ch. 862, 69 Stat. 699, which is not classified to the Code. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Pub. L. 91–405, title II, § 206(b), Sept. 22, 1970, 84 Stat. 855, provided that: ‘‘This title and the amendments made by this title [enacting this section and section 25b of this title and amending section 2106 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, sections 4342, 6954, and 9342 of Title 10, Armed Forces, sections 201, 203, 204, 591, 594, and 595 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and section 10307 of Title 52, Vot- ing and Elections] shall take effect on the date of its enactment [Sept. 22, 1970].’’ § 25b. Repealed. Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 202(1), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1724 Section, Pub. L. 91–405, title II, § 204(a), Sept. 22, 1970, 84 Stat. 852, related to application of certain Federal laws to Delegate to House of Representatives from Dis- trict of Columbia. Page 15 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 28a § 26. Roll of Representatives-elect Before the first meeting of each Congress the Clerk of the next preceding House of Represent- atives shall make a roll of the Representatives- elect, and place thereon the names of those per- sons, and of such persons only, whose creden- tials show that they were regularly elected in accordance with the laws of their States respec- tively, or the laws of the United States. In case of a vacancy in the office of Clerk of the House of Representatives, or of the absence or inability of the Clerk to discharge the duties imposed on him by law or custom relative to the prepara- tion of the roll of Representatives or the organi- zation of the House, those duties shall devolve on the Sergeant at Arms of the next preceding House of Representatives. (R.S. §§ 31–33; Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 202(2), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1724.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION R.S. § 31 derived from acts Feb. 21, 1867, ch. 56, § 1, 14 Stat. 397 and Mar. 3, 1863, ch. 108, 12 Stat. 804. R.S. §§ 32 and 33 derived from act Feb. 21, 1867, ch. 56, § 2, 14 Stat. 397. R.S. § 31 constitutes first sentence; R.S. § 32 con- stitutes second sentence; and R.S. § 33 constituted the third sentence, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104–186. See 1996 Amendment note below. AMENDMENTS 1996—Pub. L. 104–186 struck out third sentence which read as follows: ‘‘In case of vacancies in the offices of both the Clerk and the Sergeant at Arms, or of the ab- sence or inability of both to act, the duties of the Clerk relative to the preparation of the roll of the House of Representatives or the organization of the House shall be performed by the Doorkeeper of the next preceding House of Representatives.’’ See Codification note above. § 27. Change of place of meeting Whenever Congress is about to convene, and from the prevalence of contagious sickness, or the existence of other circumstances, it would, in the opinion of the President, be hazardous to the lives or health of the members to meet at the seat of Government, the President is author- ized, by proclamation, to convene Congress at such other place as he may judge proper. (R.S. § 34.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION R.S. § 34 derived from act Apr. 3, 1794, ch. 17, 1 Stat. 353. § 28. Parliamentary precedents of House of Rep- resentatives (a) Periodic compilation; other useful materials; index digest; date of completion The Parliamentarian of the House of Rep- resentatives, at the beginning of the fifth fiscal year following the completion and publication of the parliamentary precedents of the House au- thorized by the Legislative Branch Appropria- tion Act, 1966 (79 Stat. 270; Public Law 89–90), and at the beginning of each fifth fiscal year thereafter, shall commence the compilation and preparation for printing of the parliamentary precedents of the House of Representatives, to- gether with such other materials as may be use- ful in connection therewith, and an index digest of such precedents and other materials. Each such compilation and preparation for printing of the parliamentary precedents of the House shall be completed by the close of the fiscal year im- mediately following the fiscal year in which such work is commenced. (b) Form, number, and distribution of compila- tion As so compiled and prepared, such precedents and other materials and index digest shall be printed on pages of such size, and in such type and format, as the Parliamentarian may deter- mine and shall be printed in such numbers and for such distribution as may be provided by law enacted prior to printing. (c) Appointment and compensation of personnel; utilization of services of personnel of Federal agencies For the purpose of carrying out each such compilation and preparation, the Parliamen- tarian may— (1) subject to the approval of the Speaker, appoint (as employees of the House of Rep- resentatives) clerical and other personnel and fix their respective rates of pay; and (2) utilize the services of personnel of the Li- brary of Congress and the Government Pub- lishing Office. (Pub. L. 91–510, title III, § 331, Oct. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 1186; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, § 1301(b), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1966, re- ferred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 89–90, July 27, 1965, 79 Stat. 265. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME ‘‘Government Publishing Office’’ substituted for ‘‘Government Printing Office’’ in subsec. (c)(2) on au- thority of section 1301(b) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note preceding section 301 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents. EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective immediately prior to noon on Jan. 3, 1971, see section 601(1) of Pub. L. 91–510, set out as an Effective Date of 1970 Amendment note under section 4301 of this title. § 28a. Compilation of the Precedents of House of Representatives; date of completion; biennial update; printing and availability of copies The Speaker is authorized and directed to complete the Compilation of the Precedents of the House of Representatives by January 1, 1977, and prepare an updated compilation of such precedents every two years thereafter. Copies of the Compilation of Precedents shall be printed in sufficient quantity to be available to every