H.R. 84: Contempt of the House of Representatives Subpoena Authority Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-01-05 · Law · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-01-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Contempt of the House of Representatives Subpoena Authority Act of 2011

Plain summary

Contempt of the House of Representatives Subpoena Authority Act of 2011 - Grants the U.S. district court for the District of Columbia original jurisdiction over any civil action brought by the House of Representatives (or any authorized committee or subcommittee) to enforce, to secure a declaratory judgment concerning the validity of, or to prevent a threatened refusal or failure to comply with, any subpoena or order issued by it to any entity acting or purporting to act under color or authority of state law, or to any natural person, to secure the production of: (1) documents or other materials of any kind, or the answering of any deposition or interrogatory; (2) testimony; or (3) any combination of such things. Requires the district court, upon application by the House (or any authorized committee or subcommittee), to issue a mandatory compliance order to an entity or person refusing, or failing to comply with, or threatening to refuse or not to comply with, a subpoena or order. Authorizes the court to hold in contempt any refusal or failure to obey a lawful order. Authorizes the General Counsel of the House of Representatives to bring a civil action under any statute conferring jurisdiction on any U.S. court to enforce, to secure a declaratory judgment concerning the validity of, or to prevent a threatened failure or refusal to comply with, any subpoena or order issued by the House (or a committee or a subcommittee). Prescribes a procedure for consideration in the House of a resolution to direct the General Counsel to bring such an action.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Contempt of the House of Representatives Subpoena Authority Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr84.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr84 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112