the person appointed pursuant to such a request under subsection (a) may serve in addition to any other professional staff members authorized by such subsection and may be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate until such time as such a vacancy occurs, at which time such person shall be considered to have been appointed to such vacancy; and

the person appointed pursuant to such a request under subsection (c) may serve in addition to any other clerical staff members authorized by such subsection and may be paid, until otherwise provided, from the contingent fund of the Senate.

Each standing committee of the Senate or House of Representatives is authorized, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration in the case of standing committees of the Senate, or the Committee on House Oversight in the case of standing committees of the House of Representatives, within the limits of funds made available from the contingent fund of the Senate or the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives pursuant to resolutions which, in the case of the Senate, shall specify the maximum amounts which may be used for such purpose, approved by the appropriate House, to procure the temporary services (not in excess of one year) or intermittent services of individual consultants, or organizations thereof, to make studies or advise the committee with respect to any matter within its jurisdiction or with respect to the administration of the affairs of the committee.

Such services in the case of individuals or organizations may be procured by contract as independent contractors, or in the case of individuals by employment at daily rates of compensation not in excess of the per diem equivalent of the highest gross rate of compensation which may be paid to a regular employee of the committee. Such contracts shall not be subject to the provisions of section 6101 of title 41 or any other provision of law requiring advertising.

With respect to the standing committees of the Senate, any such consultant or organization shall be selected by the chairman and ranking minority member of the committee, acting jointly. With respect to the standing committees of the House of Representatives, the standing committee concerned shall select any such consultant or organization. The committee shall submit to the Committee on Rules and Administration in the case of standing committees of the Senate, and the Committee on House Oversight in the case of standing committees of the House of Representatives, information bearing on the qualifications of each consultant whose services are procured pursuant to this subsection, including organizations, and such information shall be retained by that committee and shall be made available for public inspection upon request.

Each standing committee of the Senate or House of Representatives is authorized, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration in the case of standing committees of the Senate, and the committee involved in the case of standing committees of the House of Representatives, and within the limits of funds made available from the contingent fund of the Senate or the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives pursuant to resolutions, which, in the case of the Senate, shall specify the maximum amounts which may be used for such purpose, approved by the appropriate House, to provide assistance for members of its professional staff in obtaining specialized training, whenever that committee determines that such training will aid the committee in the discharge of its responsibilities. Any joint committee of the Congress whose expenses are paid out of funds disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Majority Policy Committee and Minority Policy Committee of the Senate are each authorized to expend, for the purpose of providing assistance in accordance with paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this subsection for members of its staff in obtaining such training, any part of amounts appropriated to that committee.

Such assistance may be in the form of continuance of pay during periods of training or grants of funds to pay tuition, fees, or such other expenses of training, or both, as may be approved by the Committee on Rules and Administration or the Committee on House Administration, as the case may be.

A committee providing assistance under this subsection shall obtain from any employee receiving such assistance such agreement with respect to continued employment with the committee as the committee may deem necessary to assure that it will receive the benefits of such employee’s services upon completion of his training.