---
kind: "section"
citation: "2 U.S.C. § 5306"
title: "2"
title_heading: "The Congress"
number: "5306"
heading: "Deductions for absence"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/2/5306"
units:
  - "Chapter 53 — House of Representatives Members"
  - "Subchapter I — Member Pay"
---

# §5306. Deductions for absence


The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives (upon certification by the Clerk of the House of Representatives) shall deduct from the monthly payments (or other periodic payments authorized by law) of each [Member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) or Delegate the amount of his salary for each day that he has been absent from the House, unless such [Member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) or Delegate assigns as the reason for such absence the sickness of himself or of some [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of his family.


## Source credit

(R.S. § 40; Pub. L. 97–51, § 112(d), Oct. 1, 1981, 95 Stat. 963; Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 203(7), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1726; Pub. L. 109–55, title I, § 5, Aug. 2, 2005, 119 Stat. 568.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 39 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

R.S. § 40 derived from act Aug. 16, 1856, ch. 123, § 6, 11 Stat. 49.

### Amendments

2005—Pub. L. 109–55 struck out “Secretary of the Senate and the” before “Chief Administrative Officer”, “, respectively,” before “shall deduct from”, “, respectively” before “, unless such Member”, and “Senate or” after “absent from the”.

1996—Pub. L. 104–186 substituted “the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives (upon certification by the Clerk of the House of Representatives)” for “Sergeant-at-Arms of the House”.

1981—Pub. L. 97–51 substituted “from the monthly payments (or other periodic payments authorized by law)” for “from the monthly payments”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97–51 effective in the case of compensation payable for months after December 1981, see section 112(e) of Pub. L. 97–51, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.