Contempt Act

Contempt Act - Prohibits the head of a federal agency from paying any agency officer or employee during a pay period in which such officer or employee is in a period of contempt of Congress. Defines "period of contempt of Congress" as: (1) the period which begins on the date on which a resolution holding such officer or employee in contempt is adopted by the House of Representatives or Senate and ends on the date on which such resolution is revoked; or (2) the period which begins on the date on which a statement of contempt (i.e., statement of fact that an officer or employee has failed to appear, testify, produce information, or answer pertinent questions when summoned by Congress or a committee of Congress) is filed in the House of Representatives or Senate and ends on the date such statement is withdrawn.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4447 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4447

  To direct the employing authority of any officer or employee of the 
     Federal Government who is in contempt of Congress to not pay 
 compensation to the officer or employee while the officer or employee 
              remains in contempt, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2014

    Mr. Farenthold (for himself, Mr. DesJarlais, and Mr. Lankford) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                    Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the employing authority of any officer or employee of the 
     Federal Government who is in contempt of Congress to not pay 
 compensation to the officer or employee while the officer or employee 
              remains in contempt, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Contempt Act''.

SEC. 2. NO PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES IN CONTEMPT OF 
              CONGRESS.

    (a) No Payment Permitted.--If an officer or employee of the Federal 
Government is in a period of contempt of Congress during any pay 
period, the head of the employing authority of the employee shall not 
pay the compensation otherwise required to be paid to the officer or 
employee for such pay period.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act--
            (1) the term ``officer'' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 2104 of title 5, United States Code; and
            (2) the term ``employee'' has the meaning given such term 
        in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 3. PERIOD OF CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS DESCRIBED.

    (a) Period Described.--For purposes of this Act, a ``period of 
contempt of Congress'' is, with respect to an officer or employee of 
the Federal Government, any of the following:
            (1) The period which begins on the date on which a 
        resolution holding the officer or employee in contempt is 
        adopted by the House of Representatives or Senate and ends on 
        the date on which a resolution revoking such contempt is 
        adopted by the House or Senate (as the case may be).
            (2) The period which begins on the date on which a 
        statement of contempt described in subsection (b) is filed in 
        the House of Representatives or Senate with respect to the 
        officer or employee and which ends on the date on which a 
        statement withdrawing such statement of contempt is filed with 
        the House or Senate (as the case may be).
    (b) Statement of Contempt Described.--In this Act, a ``statement of 
contempt'' is, with respect to an individual, a statement of fact which 
has been filed with the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives under section 104 of the Revised Statutes (2 
U.S.C. 194) that the individual has failed to appear, testify, produce 
information, or answer pertinent questions when summoned by Congress or 
a committee of Congress.
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