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Strengthening House Powers to Enforce Subpoenas

This resolution strengthens the House of Representatives' ability to obtain information from government officials and other individuals. It introduces new rules for subpoenas, including financial penalties and potential detention for non-compliance. The aim is to ensure Congress can more effectively oversee the executive branch and gather necessary data for lawmaking.
Key points
The House can now impose monetary penalties up to $100,000 on officials or individuals who fail to comply with subpoenas for testimony or documents.
Non-compliant individuals may also face detention until they comply or until the current Congress adjourns.
Government officials and other subpoenaed individuals have the right to private counsel, and public funds cannot be used to pay imposed penalties.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 118_HRES_136
Sponsor: Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
Process start date: 2023-02-17
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Congressional Inherent Contempt Resolution of 2023

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 118_HRES_136.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2023-02-17.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • The House can now impose monetary penalties up to $100,000 on officials or individuals who fail to comply with subpoenas for testimony or documents.
  • Non-compliant individuals may also face detention until they comply or until the current Congress adjourns.
  • Government officials and other subpoenaed individuals have the right to private counsel, and public funds cannot be used to pay imposed penalties.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-24.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

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