Under the Members’ Representational Allowance, each Member of the House of Representatives may employ not more than 18 permanent employees and a total of not more than 4 additional employees in the following categories:

(1) Interns.

(2) Part-time employees.

(3) Shared employees.

(4) Temporary employees.

(5) Employees on leave without pay.

For purposes of this section, interns and temporary employees shall be excluded from the operation of the following provisions of title 5:

(1) Chapter 84 (relating to the Federal Employees’ Retirement System).

(2) Chapter 87 (relating to life insurance).

(3) Chapter 89 (relating to health insurance).

As used in this section—

(1) the term “Member of the House of Representatives” means a Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;

(2) the term “intern” means, with respect to a Member of the House of Representatives, an individual who serves in the office of the Member for not more than 120 days in a 12-month period and whose service is primarily for the educational experience of the individual;

(3) the term “part-time employee” means, with respect to a Member of the House of Representatives, an individual who is employed by the Member and whose normally assigned work schedule is not more than the equivalent of 15 full working days per month;

(4) the term “temporary employee” means, with respect to a Member of the House of Representatives, an individual who is employed for a specific purpose or task and who is employed for not more than 90 days in a 12-month period, except that the term of such employment may be extended with the written approval of the Committee on House Oversight; and

(5) the term “shared employee” means an employee who is paid by more than one employing authority of the House of Representatives.

The Committee on House Oversight shall have authority to prescribe regulations to carry out this section.

(Pub. L. 104–186, title I, § 104, Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1720; Pub. L. 105–55, title I, § 104(a), Oct. 7, 1997, 111 Stat. 1183; Pub. L. 106–57, title I, § 103(b), Sept. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 416.)