July 21, 2026
Mr. Crank submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ethics
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit Members of the House from entering inappropriate relationships with House employees.
That clause 18 of rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended—
(1)
by amending paragraph (a) to read as follows:
(a)
A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House, except that—
(1)
this paragraph does not apply with respect to any relationship between two people who are married to each other; and
(2)
the Committee on Ethics may grant an exemption under paragraph (d) with respect to an employee who—
(A)
does not work under the supervision of the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner; and
(B)
is not an employee of a committee on which the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner serves.; and
(2)
by adding at the end, the following:
(d)
(1)
Not later than 60 days after the adoption of this resolution, the Committee on Ethics shall issue regulations establishing procedures for the confidential submission and review of requests for exemptions under paragraph (a)(2).
(2)
The regulations issued under paragraph (1) shall—
(A)
require confidential disclosure of the relationship by the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner;
(B)
establish standards for determining whether the relationship creates an actual or apparent conflict of interest or otherwise violates this Code of Official Conduct;
(C)
authorize the Committee on Ethics to take any action it sees necessary to protect the integrity of the House; and
(D)
require prompt notification to the Committee of any material change in circumstances affecting an exemption granted under this paragraph.