U.S. Senate Vehicle and Alternate Vehicle Parking Regulations

Floor Speech

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Senate vehicle and alternate vehicle parking regulations, adopted by the Committee on Rules and Administration on May 17, 2023, in the Record.

Senate Vehicle and Alternate Vehicle Parking Regulations

adopted by the committee on rules and administration on May 17, 2023

1.0 Scope--These regulations describe the eligibility and processes Senators and eligible staff shall use to request, register, and obtain parking permits for vehicles and alternate vehicles to be parked in Senate garages.

2.0 Definitions--For purposes of these regulations, the following terms shall have the meaning specified.

2.1 Rules Committee means the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

2.2 Alternate vehicle means a personally owned vehicle, other than an automobile, motorcycle, personal assistance mobility access device, or rental vehicle, including but not limited to bicycles, motorized skateboards, and manual and electric scooters.

2.3 Committee office means the office of a standing, select, or joint committee of the U.S. Senate.

2.4 Congressional ID means a current congressional identification badge issued by the Senate Sergeant at Arms.

2.5 Disbursing office means the Secretary of the Senate's Disbursing Office.

2.6 Eligible staff means employees of the Senate, employees of the Superintendent's Office, or employees of the United States Capitol Police.

2.7 Leadership office means the office of the U.S. Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, Majority and Minority Whips, party conferences, and party policy committees.

2.8 Member office means the office of a U.S. Senator.

2.9 Permit means an identification sticker affixed to a vehicle or alternate vehicle authorizing parking in a Senate garage.

2.10 Permit holder means an eligible staffer that is registered with and issued a permit by the Rules Committee.

2.11 SAA means the Senate Sergeant at Arms.

2.12 Senate garage means the underground parking areas in the Dirksen, Hart, and Russell Senate Office Buildings administered by the Superintendent's Office.

2.13 Senate support office means the office of an internal congressional entity that provides services to the Senate, including the Architect of the Capitol, the Senate Sergeant at Arms, the Secretary of the Senate, Senate Legal Counsel, Senate Legislative Counsel, and the United States Capitol Police.

2.14 Superintendent's office means the Architect of the Capitol's Senate Superintendent Office.

2.15 TranSAAct means the web-based program administered by the Senate Sergeant at Arms that allows eligible offices to request vehicle and alternate vehicle parking permits.

2.16 USCP means the United States Capitol Police.

2.17 Vehicle means a personally owned, leased, or rented automobile or motorcycle.

3.0 General Use of Garage Vehicle Parking Spaces and Alternate Vehicle Parking Racks--The use of the garage parking spaces for vehicles and parking racks for alternate vehicles is on a first-come, first-served basis.

3.1 Permit holders must park in their assigned garage and parking level.

3.2 Permit holders must present their Congressional ID and display their parking permit to USCP at their assigned garage entrances.

3.3 Permit holders assigned a Member parking permit must park in a Member parking space.

3.4 Permit holders must park vehicles in the designated garage parking spaces and alternate vehicles in the designated garage parking racks in a manner that does not interfere with others' ability to utilize the racks and that does not interfere with adjacent parking spaces.

3.4.1 Personal property, vehicles, and alternate vehicles that obstruct access to a parking space or parking rack will be moved immediately

3.5 Permits shall only be used by the permit holder and are not transferrable to other vehicles or alternate vehicles.

3.6 Alternate vehicles may not use garage electric chargers.

3.7 SAA outdoor Member license plates are not authorized garage parking permits and cannot be used to park in the Senate garages.

3.7.1 A driver for a Senator may use the SAA outdoor Member license plate to enter a Senate garage to drop off or pick up a Senator at an interior garage door, but must exit the garage after doing so.

3.8 The Senate, the Superintendent's Office, and the USCP are not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen personal property.

4.0 Permit Eligibility--Senators and eligible staff with a valid Congressional ID granting 24-hour building access are eligible for a vehicle or alternate vehicle permit. In no case shall the number of permits issued by the Rules Committee exceed the number of available spaces in any Senate garage.

4.1 Member offices are provided five vehicle parking spaces based on the location of their base suite assignment each Congress.

4.2 Committee offices are provided six vehicle parking spaces based on the location of their official reception room.

4.3 Leadership offices and Senate support offices are provided parking spaces at the discretion of the Rules Committee.

4.4 The Rules Committee issues alternate vehicle permits on a first-come, first-served basis.

4.5 Eligibility for alternate vehicle parking permits is in addition to other vehicle parking and federal transit benefits.

4.6 A permit holder may register up to two vehicles under one vehicle permit.

4.7 A permit holder may register up to two alternate vehicles under one alternate vehicle permit.

5.0 Permit Registration--Eligible staff must submit a permit application through their employing office's TranSAAct account.

5.1 The TranSAAct permit application requires the registrant's name, office phone number, cell phone number, email address, employing office, license plate number (if applicable), and the make, model/style, and color of the vehicle or alternate vehicle.

5.2 Approved permit holders must provide their Congressional ID and vehicle or alternate vehicle to the Senate Garage Administrative Office, SH-G12, to receive the approved permit.

5.3 The Superintendent's Office will attach the permit in an easily identifiable location.

6.0 Permit Renewal--Permits must be renewed by a permit holder's employing office each Congress.

6.1 The Rules Committee will contact each office for permit renewal information.

6.2 Permit holders approved for renewed permits must bring their Congressional ID and vehicle or alternate vehicle to the Superintendent's Senate Garage Administrative office for the new permit.

6.3 Permit holders may request the Superintendent's office either place the new permit over the previous permit or remove the previous permit and place the new permit in the same position. The Superintendent's office is not responsible for damage caused by removal or placement of a permit.

6.4 Permit holders who either leave Senate employment or whose permits are not renewed must immediately stop using the garage parking spaces and parking racks and bring their vehicle or alternate vehicle to the Superintendent's Senate Garage Administrative office for permit removal.

7.0 Individually Assigned Parking--Any permit holder may submit a written request to the Rules Committee for approval to have an assigned parking space. Upon approval, the Rules Committee shall notify the Disbursing office for the purposes of determining the taxable income, if any, pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.

8.0 Parking Space Loans--A Member or Committee office is permitted to loan their assigned vehicle parking spaces to another Member, Committee, Leadership, or Senate support office with a written request to, and approval of, the Rules Committee.

8.1 Vehicle parking space loans must be renewed by the loaning office each Congress with a written request to, and approval of, the Rules Committee.

9.0 Noncompliance--Vehicles and alternate vehicles may not be stored in a Senate garage. The Superintendent's Office conducts regular inspections and will notify vehicle and alternate vehicle owners of noncompliance with these regulations, including for the following: failure to display a valid permit; parking outside of a designated area; and storing or abandoning a vehicle or alternate vehicle in a Senate garage.

9.1 Any vehicle or alternate vehicle that remains unmoved for more than five weeks will be considered as being stored.

9.2 Notice of violation(s) will be placed on the vehicle or alternate vehicle.

9.3 After the fourth notice of violation within a 30-day period without subsequent cure by the permit holder, the Superintendent's office will notify the USCP to remove the vehicle or alternate vehicle and process it as abandoned property.

9.4 Owners of vehicles or alternate vehicles removed from Senate garages should contact the USCP for information regarding its abandoned property policy.

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