U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Washington DC)

The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. It has many functions, but they all revolve around the standards of ethical conduct for members of the House.

Under this authority, it:

Agrees on a set of rules that regulate what behavior is considered ethical for members (rules relating to gifts, travel, campaign activities, treatment of staff, conflicts of interest, etc. are typical)

Conducts investigations into whether members have violated these standards Makes recommendations to the whole House on what action, if any, should be taken as a result of the investigations (e.g. censure, expulsion from the House, or nothing if the member is found not to be violating a rule)

Provides advice to members before they (the members) take action, so as to avoid uncertainty over ethical culpability