Amend HR 5 by striking Section 2(a) of Rule 4 and substituting the following: (a) Membership on the standing committees shall be determined at the beginning of each regular session in the following manner: (1) A maximum of one-half of the membership on each standing substantive committee, exclusive of the chair and vice-chair, shall be determined by seniority. The remaining membership of the committee shall be appointed by the speaker. (2) Each member of the house, in order of seniority, may designate three committees on which he or she desires to serve, listed in order of preference. The member is entitled to become a member of the committee of his or her highest preference on which there remains a vacant seniority position. (3) If members of equal seniority request the same committee, the speaker shall appoint the member from among those requesting that committee. Seniority, as the term is used in this subsection, shall mean years of cumulative service as a member of the house of representatives. (4) After each member of the house has selected one committee on the basis of seniority, the remaining membership on each standing committee shall be filled by appointment of the speaker, subject to the limitations imposed in this chapter. (5) Seniority shall not apply to a procedural committee. For purposes of these rules, the procedural committees are the Committee on Calendars, the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, the Committee on Rules and Resolutions, the General Investigating Committee, the Committee on House Administration, and the Committee on Redistricting. The entire membership of these committees shall be appointed by the speaker. (6) In announcing the membership of committees, the speaker shall designate those appointed by the speaker and those acquiring membership by seniority. (7) The speaker shall designate the chair and vice-chair from the total membership of the committee. (8) Each of the members of the Committee on Appropriations may be designated by the speaker as chair for budget and oversight of a substantive committee, as determined by the speaker.