tee shall not initiate procedures leading to criminal or civil enforcement proceedings for a witness's failure to appear unless the deposition notice was accompanied by a Committee subpoena. 2. COUNSEL. Witnesses may be accompanied at a deposition by counsel to advise them of their rights, subject to the provisions of Rule V.4. 3. PROCEDURE. Witnesses shall be examined upon oath administered by an individual authorized by local law to administer oaths. Questions shall be propounded orally by Committee staff. Objections by the witnesses as to the form of questions shall be noted by the record. If a witness objects to a question and refuses to testify on the basis of relevance or privilege, the Committee staff may proceed with the deposition, or may at that time or at a subsequent time, seek a ruling by telephone or otherwise on the objection from a Member of the Committee. If the Member overrules the objection, he may refer the matter to the Committee or he may order and direct the witness to answer the question, but the Committee shall not initiate the procedures leading to civil or criminal enforcement unless the witness refuses to testify after he has been ordered and directed to answer by a Member of the Committee. 4. FILING. The Committee staff shall see that the testimony is transcribed or electronically recorded. If it is transcribed, the witness shall be furnished with a copy for review. No later than five days thereafter, the witness shall return a signed copy, and the staff shall enter the changes, if any, requested by the witness in accordance with Rule V.6. If the witness fails to return a signed copy, the staff shall note on the transcript the date a copy was provided and the failure to return it. The individual administering the oath shall certify on the transcript that the witness was duly sworn in his presence, the transcriber shall certify that the transcript is a true record to the testimony, and the transcript shall then be filed with the Committee clerk. Committee staff may stipulate with the witness to changes in this procedure; deviations from the procedure which do not substantially impair the reliability of the record shall not relieve the witness from his obligation to testify truthfully. 5. COMMISSIONS. The Committee may authorize the staff, by issuance of commissions, to fill in prepared subpoenas, conduct field hearings, inspect locations, facilities, or systems of records, or otherwise act on behalf of the Committee. Commissions shall be accompanied by instructions from the Committee regulating their use. VII. SUBCOMMITTEES 1. ESTABLISHMENT. The Committee will operate as a Committee of the Whole, reserving to itself the right to establish temporary subcommittees at any time by majority vote. The Chairman of the full Committee and the Ranking Minority Member shall be exofficio Members of all subcommittees. 2. JURISDICTION. Within its jurisdiction, as described in the Standing Rules of the Senate, each subcommittee is authorized to conduct investigations, including use of subpoenas, depositions, and commissions. 3. RULES. A subcommittee shall be governed by the Committee rules, except that its quorum for all business shall be one-third of the subcommittee Membership, and for hearings shall be one Member. VIII. REPORTS Committee reports incorporating Committee findings and recommendations shall be printed only with the prior approval of the Committee, after an adequate period for review and comment. The printing, as Committee documents, of materials prepared by staff for informational purposes, or the printing of materials not originating with the Committee or staff, shall require prior consultation with the minority staff; these publications shall have the following language printed on the cover of the document: "Note: This document has been printed for informational purposes. It does not represent either findings or recommendations formally adopted by the Committee." IX. AMENDMENT OF RULES The rules of the Committee may be amended or revised at any time, provided that not less than a majority of the Committee present so determine at a Committee meeting preceded by at least 3 days notice of the amendments or revisions proposed. COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, Jurisdiction Rule XXV, Standing Rules of the Senate 1. The following standing committees shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress, and shall continue and have the power to act until their successors are appointed, with leave to report by bill or otherwise on matters within their respective jurisdictions: (a)(1) Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, to which committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating primarily to the following subjects: 1. Agricultural economics and research. 2. Agricultural extension services and experiment stations. 3. Agricultural production, marketing, and stabilization of prices. 4. Agriculture and agricultural commodities. 5. Animal industry and diseases. 6. Crop insurance and soil conservation. 7. Farm credit and farm security. 8. Food from fresh waters. 9. Food stamp programs. 10. Forestry, and forest reserves and wilderness areas other than those created from the public domain. 11. Home economics. 12. Human nutrition. 13. Inspection of livestock, meat, and agricultural products. 14. Pests and pesticides. 15. Plant industry, soils, and agricultural engineering. 16. Rural development, rural electrification, and watersheds. 17. School nutrition programs. (2) Such committee shall also study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to food, nutrition, and hunger, both in the United States and in foreign countries, and rural affairs, and report thereon from time to time. Rules of Procedure 141 Cong. Rec. S927 (daily ed. Jan. 13, 1995) RULE 1-MEETINGS 1.1 REGULAR MEETINGS.-Regular meetings shall be held on the first and third Wednesday's of each month when Congress is in session. 1.2 ADDITIONAL MEETINGS.-The Chairman, in consultation with the Ranking Minority Member, may call such additional meetings as he deems necessary. 1.3 NOTIFICATION.-In the case of any meeting of the Committee, other than a regularly scheduled meeting, the Clerk of the Committee shall notify every member of the Committee of the time and place of the meeting and shall give reasonable notice which, except in extraordinary circumstances, shall be at least 24 hours in advance of any meeting held in Washington, D.C. and at least 48 hours in the case of any meeting held outside Washington, D.C. 1.4 CALLED MEETING.-If three members of the Committee have made a request in writing to the Chairman to call a meeting of the Committee, and the Chairman fails to call such a meeting within seven calendar days thereafter, including the day on which the written notice is submitted, a majority of the members may call a meeting by filing a written notice with the Clerk of the Committee who shall promptly notify each member of the Committee in writing of the date and time of the meeting. 1.5 ADJOURNMENT OF MEETINGS.-The Chairman of the Committee or a subcommittee shall be empowered to adjourn any meeting of the Committee or a subcommittee if a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes of the time scheduled for such meeting. RULE 2-MEETINGS AND HEARINGS IN GENERAL 2.1 OPEN SESSIONS.-Business meetings and hearings held by the Committee or any subcommittee shall be open to the public except as otherwise provided for in Senate Rule XXVI, paragraph 5. 2.2 TRANSCRIPTS.-A transcript shall be kept of each business meeting and hearing of the Committee or any subcommittee unless a majority of the Committee or the subcommittee agrees that some other form of permanent record is preferable. 2.3 REPORTS.-An appropriate opportunity shall be given the Minority to examine the proposed text of Committee reports prior to their filing or publication. In the event there are supplemental, minority, or additional views, an appropriate opportunity shall be given the Majority to examine the proposed text prior to filing or publication. 2.4 ATTENDANCE.—(a) MEETINGS. Official attendance of all markups and executive sessions of the Committee shall be kept by the Committee Clerk. Official attendance of all subcommittee markups and executive sessions shall be kept by the subcommittee Clerk. (b) HEARINGS.-Official attendance of all hearings shall be kept, provided that, Senators are notified by the Committee Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, in the case of Committee hearings, and by the subcommittee Chairman and Ranking Minority Mem |