H.R. 8422 — CLEAN Act

This section enacts into permanent law House Resolution 895 of the 110th Congress—which established the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), a board-appointed entity that conducts preliminary reviews of alleged misconduct by House Members, officers, and employees and refers findings to the House Committee on Ethics—subject to the following modifications: (1) treating OCE as a standing House committee for purposes of funding under section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946; (2) construing references to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct as references to the Committee on Ethics; (3) limiting board members to no more than four 2-year terms; (4) requiring vacancies, including those due to term limits, to be filled not later than 60 calendar days after occurring; (5) allowing the board to operate despite an unfilled vacancy unless fewer than three members remain; (6) requiring removal within 30 days of enactment of any current board member exceeding the new term limits; (7) requiring notification to review subjects of their right to counsel, with invocation not held against them; and (8) prohibiting OCE actions that deny constitutional rights.