USE OF U.S. CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER ROOMS AND SPACES

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1 INTRODUCTION: USE OF U.S. CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER ROOMS AND SPACES The purpose of this document is to ensure all events that take place in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) are consistent with the mission of the CVC and will support the objectives of Congress. CVC events must be Congressional and official in nature, not for the promotion or benefit of an outside group. The Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate (hereinafter, the oversight committees ) have jurisdiction over assignment and use of event spaces in the CVC. Important! Any conditions or circumstances not covered by the following regulations must be approved by the oversight committees of the CVC. U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Rooms and Spaces Room Booking Controls Approximate Max Capacity (Theater Style) * CVC AV Technician handles all AV; must be Congressional present at event Auditorium No food or beverage permitted 450 CVC AV Technician handles all AV; must be Orientation Theaters present at event North and South Non-operating hours only 244 each No food or beverage permitted Congressional CVC AV Technician handles all AV; must be Meeting Rooms present at event 82 each North and South CVC may request to use for public programs Restaurant Side Intended for education groups during CVC Rooms operating hours 69/56 North and South Non-dining peaks only Restaurant Dining Area Non-operating hours only 281 * Room capacities as approved by the Fire Marshal. Under no circumstances will an event be planned to exceed the legal occupancy limits of the CVC spaces. 1

2 POLICY FOR USE OF U.S. CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER ROOMS AND SPACES It may be necessary to cancel or move a function on short notice based on the official business of Congress. Additionally, under extraordinary circumstances, waivers to the subsequent clauses may be considered by the oversight committees. The requesting Member s or Officer s office must coordinate their request with the CVC Special Events staff. Any requests or circumstances not covered by these regulations must be submitted to the oversight committees in writing through the CVC Special Events Office. 1. Booking a U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Room or Space a) Requests for the use of any space in the CVC must be made by a current Member of the U.S. Congress or an Officer of Congress. If he or she ceases to be a Member of the U.S. Congress or Officer of Congress before the event occurs, the event will be cancelled. The Chief Executive Officer of the CVC may also sponsor events related to the CVC s mission. b) The requesting Member s or Officer s signature must appear on the reservation request. c) The Member or Officer sponsoring the function is expected to be in attendance. d) Space is ONLY available for events that have a clear connection to Congressional legislative business. e) Specific and accurate information must be provided including the date and time of the event, full name of any internal or external group(s) involved (no acronyms), a complete description of the function, purpose, and its direct legislative connection to congressional business, number of people attending, type of set-up required, and indication of catering needs. A staff contact name and telephone number is required. Additional information must be made available upon request. f) Event space requests may be made up to a maximum of 4 months in advance. Each subsequent month becomes available on the first day of a new month beginning at 8:30 am. g) Each Congressional staff scheduler will have access to the CVC RSVP reservation program available online at all requests will be processed on a first come, first served basis. h) The CVC staff will not discuss event space availability prior to submission of an official request form. i) Requests for CVC rooms are subject to availability and approval by the oversight committees. CVC room requests by Members and Officers, on behalf of outside groups, may take up to 15 business days to process; outside groups should be mindful of this when planning events. An event space reservation is not confirmed until written confirmation has been received by the office of the requesting Member or Officer. 2

3 j) Event space reservation information is available to staff only. Offices requesting event space are responsible for all communications with external groups. The CVC staff will not discuss events, events arrangements, or room availability with external groups. k) To accommodate the event space requests of all Members and Officers, more than one booking in a single calendar month, for the same outside group, will be denied. l) Cancellations should be reported immediately to the CVC Special Events Office. 2. Use of U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Rooms and Spaces a) The Member or Officer sponsoring the function will be held accountable for enforcement of all regulations governing event spaces. Groups disregarding the Policy for Use of CVC Rooms and Spaces, as set forth by the oversight committees, may have their reservation cancelled or event terminated, or may be prohibited from scheduling future events. b) All event space requests for official use by a Committee, or under the auspices of a Committee, must be made or approved by the Chairman of that Committee. If the Committee is a joint committee, the request must be made by the Chairman or Vicechairman of that Joint Committee. c) Events may be booked Monday-Saturday and begin no earlier than 8:00 am. Evening events must conclude by 10:30 pm. Offices must strictly adhere to the precise time period scheduled for use of an event space. d) Sponsors for events held outside of normal business hours (8:30 am 4:30 pm) must provide the CVC Special Events staff, prior to the event, a list of attendees other than Congressional staff or Members. U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Rooms and Spaces Hours of Operation Summary Area Hours of Operation Comments Congressional Auditorium 8:00 am 10:30 pm Subject to approval by the Orientation Theaters North and South Congressional Meeting Rooms North and South Restaurant Side Rooms North and South 6:00 pm 10:30 pm 8:00 am 10:30 pm 8:00 am 10:00 am 6:00 pm 10:30 pm oversight committees. Not available during 8:30 am - 4:30 pm daily operations. Subject to approval by the oversight committees. Subject to approval by the oversight committees. Furniture configuration is as is. Not available during 8:30 am - 4:30 pm daily operations. Subject to approval by the oversight committees. 3

4 2.1 NOTES a) Event space for outside groups is only available for Congressional legislative business. Exhibits must be educational in nature. b) Core public access hours are 8:30 am 4:30 pm. c) Evening program participants may access the CVC through the main CVC entrance, located off First Street. d) The CVC is closed on Sundays, and on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year s Day, and Presidential Inauguration Days. e) Staff who are in the CVC after closing must remain in the area of the event. All staff must properly display their identification badges and are subject to identification procedures by United States Capitol Police personnel. f) Specific event arrangements (setup, catering) must be discussed directly between the sponsoring Member s or Officer s office and those responsible for providing those services for the function. g) No charge may be levied for use of event space in the CVC. h) No charge may be levied on participants for any purpose while in the CVC. i) No money or any other items may be collected in the CVC for any purpose, including charitable causes. j) No fundraising is permitted in CVC event space. k) CVC event space may not be used for political party, political action committee, or campaign activities. l) No weddings, funerals, memorial services, award ceremonies or other events of a personal nature are permitted. m) Booking and use of CVC event space for any commercial, promotional, or profit making purpose is strictly prohibited. n) Organizations may not reference CVC events in promotional, campaign or funding materials. o) No trade fairs that include or advertise commercial services are permitted. p) No signs, placards, photographs, brochures, step and repeat backdrops, table banners, or pamphlets displaying a group or company name or logo are permitted outside of the event space. No materials may be attached anywhere in CVC event space, including walls, statues, and columns. 4

5 q) Educational or informational brochures and pamphlets, easel mounted posters or photographs, and one banner not to exceed 6 feet by 3 feet (72 x 36 ) are permitted inside the event space. r) Only podium signs (Official Seals) of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Congressional Officers, President of the United States and Vice President of the United States are permitted. s) No events that may endanger the public or create an unreasonable risk or liability for the United States Congress are permitted. t) External groups are not permitted to use CVC event space to conduct events intended to simulate Congressional hearings or legislative meetings. u) Solicitation of membership by an outside group, in association with the event, is strictly prohibited. v) No demonstrations, disruptive behavior or excessive noise are permitted. w) No animals, except service animals providing assistance to individuals with disabilities, are allowed. x) External groups are responsible for providing communication and sign language interpreters. y) The CVC is not responsible for any belongings brought into the CVC or onto Capitol grounds. 3. Audio Visual Presentations a) Audio visual presentations must have a clear connection to Congressional legislative business and be incidental to the overall program or event. b) Excerpts of films, rather than full-length showings, are encouraged. c) No audio visual presentations may be used in the CVC for any campaign, commercial, promotional, or profit making purpose. d) Notwithstanding prior use of films for promotional, profit making or fundraising purposes at other venues, a film may be shown in the CVC if the film conforms with the requirements of 3(c). e) Audio Visual Presentations must be educational in nature. f) No audio visual presentations in the CVC may premiere, preview, showcase, or publicize a film. Film festivals are not permitted as they are promotional in nature. 5

6 g) No credits or other promotional materials may be shown or distributed at the event. h) No reference to the presentation being shown in the U.S. Capitol may be used in printed materials, websites, or any other medium as this is promotional in nature. i) Each audio visual presentation must comply with all applicable laws, including those governing copyright and royalties. 4. Financial Obligations a) External groups are expected to make arrangements for payment for any catering expenses in advance of the event date and in accordance with contractual requirements. b) The Member or Officer sponsoring the function is responsible for any loss of or damage to CVC property and for any financial obligation incurred. 5. Food and Beverage a) Food and beverages for events in CVC rooms and spaces are available from the exclusive contracted caterer. Restaurant Associates is the exclusive caterer for the CVC. An outside caterer may be hired with a flat fee of $500 paid to Restaurant Associates. b) The CVC Special Events Office has the final approval of all vendors conducting business in the CVC rooms and spaces. The sponsoring office must provide the CVC Special Events staff with full vendor selection details at least 15 business days prior to the event. Approval for a vendor is not confirmed until written confirmation has been received by the office of the requesting Member or Officer. c) All vendors must have the proper liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 and must submit the relevant documentation naming the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center as Additional Insured for the entire duration of which services are rendered at the CVC. d) Catering arrangements must be made directly by the sponsoring office with the designated food and beverage service provider(s). e) No food or beverages are permitted in the corridors outside event spaces. All food and beverages served at a function must be consumed within the scheduled event space. f) Decorations, entertainment and lighting are permissible as long as they are appropriate for the CVC and are approved in advance in writing by the CVC Special Events Office. The items may not detract from the aesthetics or decorum of the environment, or affect areas and/or exhibitions that have restrictive lighting or food and beverage limitations, including, but not limited to, Exhibition Hall. 6

7 g) The Member or Officer and outside group(s) are responsible for the actions of any vendors including, but not limited to, photographers, entertainers, decorators, florists, and audio-visual companies contracted for the event. h) All vendors and their personnel are subject to United States Capitol Police administrative screening. 6. Music a) A musical or live performance may be considered as part of an event when it is appropriate to the nature of the function, and must have a clear connection to Congressional legislative business as the stated purpose of the event. b) A musical or live performance must be incidental to the event, not the sole focus. c) No concerts, recitals or sing-alongs are permitted. d) The North and South Meeting Rooms, the Congressional Auditorium, and the Orientation Theaters are the sole venues for musical or live performances. e) Amplified music shall not be disruptive to other events held in the CVC. f) Each event must comply with all applicable laws, including those governing copyright and royalties. 7. Parking a) No parking accommodations are provided for guests. 8. Photographing and Filming a) Use of CVC space to create or promote commercial goods, entertainment or programming is prohibited. i) No commercial filming. ii) No commercial photography. 9. Press Conferences & Broadcasting a) Only Members may conduct press conferences. External groups may not hold press conferences in CVC event spaces. 7

8 b) No press conferences related to political parties, political action committees or campaign activities are permitted. c) News broadcasting, webcasting, or videotaping at events, notwithstanding Member press conferences, requires special permission from the oversight committees. The requesting office must coordinate the request for these services with the CVC Special Events staff. 10. Safety Considerations a) All events, employees, vendors and contractors are required to comply with all Architect of the Capitol Safety Policies and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards. b) The Member or Officer and external sponsoring group(s) shall indemnify and hold harmless the United States and the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, their agents and employees, against any and all damages, claims, or other liability due to personal injury or death, or damage to, or loss of, the property of others, arising out of use of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center facilities. 8