Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “No Couches for Congress Act”.
No Couches for Congress Act
A BILL
To prohibit Members of the House of Representatives from using their congressional offices for personal overnight accommodations and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for living expenses incurred by Members of the House of Representatives, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prohibiting Members of the House of Representatives from using offices for personal overnight accommodations; requiring Ethics Committee to respond to complaints filed by Members
Prohibiting Members from using offices for personal overnight accommodations— Rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended—
by redesignating clause 18 as clause 19; and
by inserting after clause 17 the following new clause:
Requiring House Ethics Committee To respond to complaints filed by Members— Clause 3(b)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by striking the period at the end of the first sentence in the matter following subdivision (C) and inserting the following: “, and, in the case of a complaint from a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner, shall promptly transmit to such Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner a written response containing an explanation for the delay in disposing of the complaint and the results of any investigation of the complaint.”.
Exercise of rulemaking powers— The provisions of this section are enacted—
as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of Representatives, and as such they shall be considered as part of the rules of the House, and such rules shall supersede other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and
with full recognition of the constitutional right of the House of Representatives to change such rules (so far as relating to the House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of the House.
Sec. 3 Reinstating limited deduction for living expenses incurred by Members of the House of Representatives
In general— The second sentence of section 162(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after “for income tax purposes” the following: “in any amount in the case of a Senator or in excess of $3,000 in the case of a Member of the House of Representatives or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress”.
Inflation adjustment— Section 162 of such Code is amended by redesignating subsection (s) as subsection (t) and by inserting after subsection (r) the following new subsection:
“(s) Inflation adjustment—In the case of a taxable year beginning after 2018, the $3,000 amount in subsection (a) shall be increased by an amount equal to—
“(1) such dollar amount, multiplied by
“(2) the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, determined by substituting “calendar year 1954” for “calendar year 2016” in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.”
Effective date— The amendment made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2018.