H.Res. 1443House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit Members of the House from entering inappropriate relationships with House employees.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 22, 2026 at 8:42 AM UTC

This resolution amends the House Rules to bar members, delegates, and resident commissioners from entering sexual relationships with House employees, aiming to prevent conflicts of interest and protect the institution’s integrity. It includes narrow exceptions for married couples and allows the Ethics Committee to grant exemptions when the employee is not under the member’s supervision or on the member’s committee. The resolution also directs the Ethics Committee to create confidential disclosure and review procedures within 60 days.

Key Provisions

Adds a rule that a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may not have a sexual relationship with any House employee, unless the two people are married.
Allows the Committee on Ethics to grant an exemption if the employee does not work under the member’s supervision and is not on a committee the member serves on.
Requires the Committee on Ethics to issue regulations within 60 days that set up a confidential process for members to disclose such relationships and request exemptions.
The regulations must define how to assess whether a relationship creates a real or perceived conflict of interest, give the Ethics Committee authority to act to protect the House’s integrity, and require members to promptly report any material changes affecting an approved exemption.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Ethics.

Ethics Committee

July 21, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Submitted in House

July 21, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Ethics.

Ethics Committee

July 21, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 21, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 1443

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 21, 2026

Mr. Crank submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ethics

RESOLUTION

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.