Rules of The House of Representatives of The United States
RULE XII: RECEIPT AND REFERRAL OF MEASURES AND MATTERS
Messages
1. Messages received from the Senate, or from the President, shall be entered on the Journal and published in the Congressional Record of the proceedings of that day.
Referral
2. (a) The Speaker shall refer each
bill, resolution, or other matter that
relates to a subject listed under a
standing committee named in clause 1
of rule X in accordance with the provisions
of this clause.
(b) The Speaker shall refer matters
under paragraph (a) in such manner as
to ensure to the maximum extent feasible
that each committee that has jurisdiction
under clause 1 of rule X over
the subject matter of a provision thereof
may consider such provision and report
to the House thereon. Precedents,
rulings, or procedures in effect before
the Ninety-Fourth Congress shall be
applied to referrals under this clause
only to the extent that they will contribute
to the achievement of the objectives
of this clause.
(c) In carrying out paragraphs (a) and
(b) with respect to the referral of a
matter, the Speaker—
(1) shall designate a committee of primary jurisdiction (except where he determines that extraordinary circumstances justify review by more than one committee as though primary);
(2) may refer the matter to one or more additional committees for consideration in sequence, either initially or after the matter has been reported by the committee of primary jurisdiction;
(3) may refer portions of the matter reflecting different subjects and jurisdictions to one or more additional committees;
(4) may refer the matter to a special, ad hoc committee appointed by the Speaker with the approval of the House, and including members of the committees of jurisdiction, for the specific purpose of considering that matter and reporting to the House thereon;
(5) may subject a referral to appropriate time limitations; and
(6) may make such other provision as may be considered appropriate.
(d) A bill for the payment or adjudication of a private claim against the Government may not be referred to a committee other than the Committee on Foreign Affairs or the Committee on the Judiciary, except by unanimous consent.
Petitions, memorials, and private bills
3. If a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner has a petition, memorial,
or private bill to present, he shall
endorse his name, deliver it to the
Clerk, and may specify the reference or
disposition to be made thereof. Such
petition, memorial, or private bill (except
when judged by the Speaker to be
obscene or insulting) shall be entered
on the Journal with the name of the
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner
presenting it and shall be
printed in the Congressional Record.
4. A private bill or private resolution
(including an omnibus claim or pension
bill), or amendment thereto, may not
be received or considered in the House
if it authorizes or directs—
(a) the payment of money for property damages, for personal injuries or death for which suit may be instituted under the Tort Claims Procedure provided in title 28, United States Code, or for a pension (other than to carry out a provision of law or treaty stipulation);
(b) the construction of a bridge across a navigable stream; or
(c) the correction of a military or naval record.
Prohibition on commemorations
5.(a) A bill or resolution, or an
amendment thereto, may not be introduced
or considered in the House if it
establishes or expresses a commemoration.
(b) In this clause the term ‘‘commemoration’’
means a remembrance,
celebration, or recognition for any purpose
through the designation of a specified
period of time.
Excluded matters
6. A petition, memorial, bill, or resolution
excluded under this rule shall be
returned to the Member, Delegate, or
Resident Commissioner from whom it
was received. A petition or private bill
that has been inappropriately referred
may, by direction of the committee
having possession of it, be properly referred
in the manner originally presented.
An erroneous reference of a petition
or private bill under this clause
does not confer jurisdiction on a committee
to consider or report it.
Sponsorship
7.(a) Bills, memorials, petitions, and
resolutions, endorsed with the names
of Members, Delegates, or the Resident
Commissioner introducing them, may
be delivered to the Speaker to be referred.
The titles and references of all
bills, memorials, petitions, resolutions,
and other documents referred under
this rule shall be entered on the Journal
and printed in the Congressional
Record. An erroneous reference may be
corrected by the House in accordance
with rule X on any day immediately
after the Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag by unanimous consent or motion.
Such a motion shall be privileged if offered
by direction of a committee to
which the bill has been erroneously referred
or by direction of a committee
claiming jurisdiction and shall be decided
without debate.
(b)(1) The primary sponsor of a public
bill or public resolution may name cosponsors.
The name of a cosponsor
added after the initial printing of a bill
or resolution shall appear in the next
printing of the bill or resolution on the
written request of the primary sponsor.
Such a request may be submitted to
the Speaker at any time until the last
committee authorized to consider and
report the bill or resolution reports it
to the House or is discharged from its
consideration.
(2) The name of a cosponsor of a bill or resolution may be deleted by unanimous consent. The Speaker may entertain such a request only by the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner whose name is to be deleted or by the primary sponsor of the bill or resolution, and only until the last committee authorized to consider and report the bill or resolution reports it to the House or is discharged from its consideration. The Speaker may not entertain a request to delete the name of the primary sponsor of a bill or resolution. A deletion shall be indicated by date in the next printing of the bill or resolution.
(3) The addition or deletion of the name of a cosponsor of a bill or resolution shall be entered on the Journal and printed in the Congressional Record of that day.
(4) A bill or resolution shall be reprinted on the written request of the primary sponsor. Such a request may be submitted to the Speaker only when 20 or more cosponsors have been added since the last printing of the bill or resolution.
(5) When a bill or resolution is introduced ‘‘by request,’’ those words shall be entered on the Journal and printed in the Congressional Record.
Executive communications
8. Estimates of appropriations and all
other communications from the executive
departments intended for the consideration
of any committees of the
House shall be addressed to the Speaker
for referral as provided in clause 2 of
rule XIV.
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Rule XV
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Rule XXVII
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