This week the House voted to establish the Office of Congressional Ethics.  Rep. Holt offers a short description of the new body.  His floor statement explains:

• The legislation establishes an Independent Office of Congressional Ethics, composed of six members jointly appointed by the Speaker and the Minority Leader. Three of the members of the office will be nominated by the Speaker with the concurrence of the Minority Leader; three members would be nominated by the Minority Leader with the concurrence of the Speaker. The members, who cannot be current Members of the House, Federal employees or lobbyists, would serve four-year terms with one reappointment possible. The Office would have the ability to initiate review by written notice provided by two Office members, one of which must be appointed by the Speaker, the other by the Minority Leader. The Office would have the ability to refer a matter if three members affirmatively vote to move it to the Ethics Committee.

Rep. Capuano has a one-pager.  The office will not undertake any review of a matter before 120 days after the passage of H.Res. 895.  It passed on March 11, 2008.