[106th Congress House Rules Manual -- House Document No. 106-320]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office Online Database]
[DOCID:hrulest-31]

[Page 210-211]

[[Page 210]]


                     sec. xxvii--report of committee

  The <> chairman of the committee, standing in his place, informs the
House that the committee to whom was referred such a bill, have,
according to order, had the same under consideration, and have directed
him to report the same without any amendment, or with sundry amendments
(as the case may be), which he is ready to do when the House pleases to
receive it. And he or any other may move that it be now received; but
the cry of ``now, now,'' from the House, generally dispenses with the
formality of a motion and question. He then reads the amendments, with
the coherence in the bill, and opens the alterations and the reasons of
the committee for such amendments, until he has gone through the whole.
He then delivers it at the Clerk's table, where the amendments reported
are read by the Clerk without the coherence; whereupon the papers lie
upon the table till the House, at its convenience, shall take up the
report. Scob., 52; Hakew., 148.

  This provision is to a large extent obsolete so far as the practice of
the House is concerned. Most of the reports of committees are made by
filing them with the Clerk without reading (clause 2 of rule XIII), and
only the reports of committees having leave to report at any time are
made by the chairman or other member of the committee from the floor
(clause 5 of rule XIII). Committee reports must be submitted while the
House is in session, and this requirement may be waived by unanimous
consent only, and not by motion (Dec. 17, 1982, p. 31951). All reports
privileged under clause 5 of rule XIII at one time could be called up
for consideration immediately after being filed, but since January 3,
1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34406), such reports--
with certain exceptions--are subject to the requirement of clause 4 of
rule XIII and cannot be considered in the House until the third calendar
day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays,

[[Page 211]]

and legal holidays) on which they are available to Members. The
exceptions from the three-day rule include, an exception for
declarations of war, actions on certain executive determinations,
certain reports from the Committee on Rules, primary expense resolutions
reported from the Committee on House Administration, and bills on the
Corrections Calendar. Reports not filed as privileged under clause 5 of
rule XIII are subject to the three-day rule unless specifically exempted
therefrom (in clause 4 of rule XIII) or unless privileged under rule IX.
It has been held, for example, that a privileged report involving the
privileges of the House under rule IX (such as a report from a committee
on the contemptuous conduct of a witness before the committee) would not
be subject to the three-day rule (Speaker Albert, July 13, 1971, pp.
24720-23). The general rule (clause 1 of rule XIII) is that reports
shall be placed on the calendars of the House to await action under the
rules for the order of business (rule XIV).

  The <> report being made, the committee is dissolved and can act
no more without a new power. Scob. 51. But it may be revived by a vote,
and the same matter recommitted to them. 4 Grey, 361.

  This provision does not apply now to the Committees of the Whole or to
the standing committees. It does apply to select committees, which
expire when they report finally, but may be revived by the action of the
House in referring in open House a new matter (IV, 4404, 4405). The
provision does not preclude a standing committee from reporting a bill
similar to one previously reported by such committee (VIII, 2311).