Cord Byrd: “on October 3, 1996, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 321, which I introduced, and which had the bipartisan support…”

“on October 3, 1996, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 321, which I introduced, and which had the bipartisan support of both the Majority and Minority Leaders. The resolution authorizes a Senator to accept pro bono legal services when challenging the constitutionality of a Federal statute, and then only when the statute in question expressly authorizes the Senator to file such a suit. In addition, Senate Resolution 321 required the Select Committee on Ethics to establish regulations providing for the public disclosure of information relating to the acceptance of pro bono legal services performed as authorized by the resolution. Those regulations were adopted by the Committee on February 13, 1997, and were subsequently printed on page S1485 of the Congressional Record dated February 24, 1997. Specifically, those regulations state, in relevant part: A Member who accepts pro bono legal services with respect to a civil action challenging the validity of a Federal statute as authorized by S. Res. 321 shall submit a report to the Office of Public Records of the Secretary of the Senate and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.”