Memo (Partial), Re: Reopening of the Capitol and House Office Buildings

TO:                  All Members and Staff of the House of Representatives

FROM:            William J. Walker         Sergeant at Arms

DATE:            December 30, 2022

SUBJECT:      Reopening of the Capitol and House Office Buildings

On Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 12:00 PM, the Capitol and the House Office Buildings will reopen to tour and official business visitor (OBV) access. Access to the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) will fully reopen, to include Saturdays, in March 2023. Please be aware of the following information.

Group Tours

Guide-led tour hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The last guide-led tour begins at 3:20 PM.

Reservations are recommended but not required. Offices may schedule reservations up to 150 days in advance. To schedule tours, Congressional staff should use the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) internal website: https://Members.visitthecapitol.gov or call Visitor Services at (202) 593-1762.

The public may reserve tours directly through the public CVC website: https://www.visitthecapitol.gov

Tour groups should be directed to enter via the main entrance of the CVC and check in at Emancipation Hall.

Groups should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to their reservation time.

The Old Senate Chamber and the Old Supreme Court Chamber are open to tours.

Staff-led Tours

Staff-led tours are permitted Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Staff-led tours may have a maximum of 15 guests.

Staff-led tour participants who are not entering via the CVC must use the Cannon Tunnel. Visitor Services personnel will be posted in the Cannon Tunnel to issue badges and direct staff-led tours to the CVC.

Visitor Services provides comprehensive tour training virtually. Congressional staff may register by emailing Leeann.brackett@aoc.gov.

Beginning January 7, staff are permitted to lead tours on Saturdays. Saturday staff-led tours must enter the South Door and are permitted to visit only the public areas of the Capitol (Hall of Columns, Crypt, Rotunda, and Statuary Hall). All other areas in the Capitol and CVC are restricted on Saturdays. It is anticipated that the CVC will reopen to Saturday visitation on March 4, 2023. At that time, staff-led tours will resume entering via the CVC.

Member-led and Former Member-led Tours

·    Members of Congress, current Congressional spouses, and former Members of Congress may personally lead tours through the public spaces of the Capitol at any time. Members, Congressional spouses, and former Members must remain with their tour groups at all times when inside the Capitol.

·    Members will be notified by the Office of the Sergeant at Arms (SAA) when particular rooms and/or the Capitol is unavailable for tours due to large-scale special events.

·    Members of Congress and current Congressional spouses are encouraged to notify the Office of the SAA when they wish to conduct an after-hours tour by sending an email with the date, time, and number of guests to:  SAA.ChamberOperations@mail.house.gov  The Office of the SAA will in turn notify U.S. Capitol Police.

House Floor Tours
Member and Former Member Access
When the House is out of session, Members of Congress, both current and former, may lead tours onto the House Floor. In order to ensure Floor availability, Members should continue to reserve tours of the Floor in advance. Access to the Floor is controlled and determined by the Office of the Speaker.

·    To make a reservation, please send an email to cullen.murphy2@mail.house.gov with the date, time, and number of guests expected. Please also copy the Office the SAA: SAA.ChamberOperations@mail.house.gov

·    The Floor may not be reserved for any other type of seminar, briefing, or meeting.

·    Members are reminded that remarks should be limited to the history of the Chamber and/or operations of Congress.

·    Please note that tours of the Floor must be completed 30 minutes prior to the beginning of legislative business. Members and their guests should enter the House Chamber through the East Speaker’s Lobby Door.

 Staff Access

·    The House Floor will reopen to staff-led tours when the House is not in session, starting January 4.

·    Staff-led floor tours are only available when the House is out of session, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The Floor is unavailable to staff-led tours 30 minutes before and after legislative business, and on federal holidays. Staff-led tours are subject to temporary closures for Member-led tours and other floor activities.

·    Staff-led Floor tours must be led by permanent House staff (interns not permitted) from a Member office. Member offices may lead one tour per day with no more than nine (9) persons (including staff).

·    A staff-led Floor tour card is issued to each Member office. The Floor tour card and a valid House ID is required for staff-led Floor tour access. Each Member office may pick up the card starting January 3 at 2:00 PM in the House Gallery Check-in room (HVC-136) and will continue Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM in HVC-136.

·    Staff-led Floor tours should check in at any House Appointments Desk with their House ID and Member office staff-led Floor tour card to obtain badges for access to the House Floor. Security protocols require that each group check in with Sergeant at Arms staff located at the East Speaker’s Lobby Door.

House Galleries

·    The House Galleries will reopen to the public on January 3, at the conclusion of the Opening Session of the House.

·    When the House is in session, the Galleries open to visitors 30 minutes prior to the start of each session and remain open until adjournment.

·    When the House is not in session, the Galleries are open from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The House Galleries are closed on federal holidays and are subject to unplanned, temporary closures when the House is out of session.

·    House Gallery passes are required for public visitor access to the House Gallery, both in and out of session. House Gallery passes will be available for distribution and pick up by each Member office starting January 3 at 2:00 PM in the House Gallery Check-in room (HVC-136). House Gallery pass distribution will continue Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM in HVC-136. Each Member office is responsible for distribution of Gallery passes to constituents and guests.

·    Staff-led visitor tours and general public visitor access into the House Galleries should enter at the House Gallery Check-in room (HVC-136), located on the upper level of the Capitol Visitor Center.

·    Staff without public visitors may access the House Galleries directly at the third floor of the Capitol.

·    All staff and visitors are subject to security screening prior to entering the House Galleries.

Dome Tours

·    Dome tours may be scheduled for a maximum of eight (8) individuals, including the Member. Members must personally accompany their Dome tour guests. Dome tour reservations are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and may be scheduled by calling Visitor Services at (202) 593-1762.

Capitol Building Access
A staff member may escort up to 15 OBVs within the Capitol Building and must remain with their guests at all times. The number of guests and meeting information must be provided to the House Appointments desk via the online OBV form at: https://housenet.house.gov/campus/meetings-and-events/appointments-desk/forms/official-business-visitor-obv-notification-form or by emailing Houseappointmentsdesk@mail.house.gov.

Staff must check in with their guests at the following Appointments Desks locations to receive OBV badges:

·    Capitol – located at the South Door entrance (7:30 AM – 5:00 PM)

·    Cannon – located in the basement rotunda (7:30 AM – 5:00 PM)

·    Rayburn – located at the entrance to the Rayburn Subway (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM)

House Office Building Access
House Office Buildings will reopen to the public on January 3. Staff are no longer required to escort guests. The following entrances will reopen January 3:

·    The Longworth Independence Avenue door will be open on both in and out of session days from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM or 30 minutes after adjournment.

·    The Rayburn Independence Avenue door will be open on both in and out of session from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

The decision to fully reopen has been made in coordination with Congressional Leadership, the Capitol Police Board, the Attending Physician, the U.S. Capitol Police, and Visitor Services.

If you have specific questions about tours, please call Visitor Services at (202) 593-1762. For questions regarding OBV access or other questions, please contact the Office of the Sergeant at Arms at (202) 225-2456.