"How could I attend a Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., as a private citizen?" -- Amy Stefancic, Washington, D.C.

Nearly all Congressional committee meetings are required by law to be open to the public, except for the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which is never open to the public.

Committee members can vote to close meetings to the public, and sometimes do. The decision to close the doors is usually made when members decide that the testimony, evidence, or other matters on the agenda could endanger national security, leak sensitive information, or violate a law or House rules.

Standing committees are required to have regular meeting days at least once a month. Sometimes, additional meeting days will be added on when members determine that a special meeting is required.

Private citizens looking to attend these hearings should peruse the committee's Web site to find out in which building the committee’s room is located. Navigating the Capitol Hill buildings can be difficult, so be sure to consult this mapand ask the Capitol Police for directions if you get lost.

Committee rooms designate a portion of the seats to the public, and the seats are distributed on a first come first serve basis. If the hearing is particularly high profile, be sure to get there early because seats will fill up.

In order to find out more information about the committee's schedule, it is a good idea to check out the committee’s Web site. Often times, the committee will list upcoming hearings, as well as transcripts of former hearings.

Check out upcoming House and Senate committee meetings on this Congress.org schedule search.

-- Leah Carliner, Congress.org

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