H.Res. 997 — Enabling the House of Representatives to be responsive to its membership.

This section revises clause 2 of rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) of the House Rules to require a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House to adhere to the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House and the rules of duly constituted committees thereof (replacing the prior requirement to behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House).

This section revises clause 1 of Rule XV of the House Rules governing suspension of the rules by striking the existing text and inserting new subsections (a) through (c). New subsection (a) consolidates the requirement for a two-thirds vote of Members voting, a quorum being present, with the existing restriction that the Speaker entertain such a motion only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and during the last six days of a session of Congress; subsection (b) retains the existing allowance for one motion to adjourn pending the vote; and subsection (c) retains the existing 40 minutes of equally divided debate.

This section directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to place clocks displaying each United States time zone in real time in the House Chamber in clear view of the Members, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Committee on House Administration.