Rules of The House of Representatives of The United States
RULE XIII: CALENDARS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
Calendars
1. (a) All business reported by committees
shall be referred to one of the
following three calendars:
(1) A Calendar of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, to which shall be referred public bills and public resolutions raising revenue, involving a tax or charge on the people, directly or indirectly making appropriations of money or property or requiring such appropriations to be made, authorizing payments out of appropriations already made, releasing any liability to the United States for money or property, or referring a claim to the Court of Claims.
(2) A House Calendar, to which shall be referred all public bills and public resolutions not requiring referral to the Calendar of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
(3) A Private Calendar as provided in clause 5 of rule XV, to which shall be referred all private bills and private resolutions.
(b) There is established a Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees as provided in clause 2 of rule XV.
Filing and printing of reports
2. (a)(1) Except as provided in subparagraph
(2), all reports of committees
(other than those filed from the
floor as privileged) shall be delivered to
the Clerk for printing and reference to
the proper calendar under the direction
of the Speaker in accordance with
clause 1. The title or subject of each report
shall be entered on the Journal
and printed in the Congressional
Record.
(2) A bill or resolution reported adversely
shall be laid on the table unless
a committee to which the bill or resolution
was referred requests at the
time of the report its referral to an appropriate
calendar under clause 1 or
unless, within three days thereafter, a
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner
makes such a request.
(b)(1) It shall be the duty of the
chairman of each committee to report
or cause to be reported promptly to the
House a measure or matter approved
by the committee and to take or cause
to be taken steps necessary to bring
the measure or matter to a vote.
(2)In any event, the report of a committee
on a measure that has been approved
by the committee shall be filed
within seven calendar days (exclusive
of days on which the House is not in
session) after the day on which a written
request for the filing of the report,
signed by a majority of the members of
the committee, has been filed with the
clerk of the committee. The clerk of
the committee shall immediately notify
the chairman of the filing of such
a request. This subparagraph does not
apply to a report of the Committee on
Rules with respect to a rule, joint rule,
or order of business of the House, or to
the reporting of a resolution of inquiry
addressed to the head of an executive
department.
(c) All supplemental, minority, or additional
views filed under clause 2(l) of
rule XI by one or more members of a
committee shall be included in, and
shall be a part of, the report filed by
the committee with respect to a measure
or matter. When time guaranteed
by clause 2(l) of rule XI has expired (or,
if sooner, when all separate views have
been received), the committee may arrange
to file its report with the Clerk
not later than one hour after the expiration of such time. This clause and
provisions of clause 2(l) of rule XI do
not preclude the immediate filing or
printing of a committee report in the
absence of a timely request for the opportunity
to file supplemental, minority,
or additional views as provided in
clause 2(l) of rule XI.
Content of reports
3. (a)(1) Except as provided in subparagraph
(2), the report of a committee
on a measure or matter shall be
printed in a single volume that—
(A) shall include all supplemental, minority, or additional views that have been submitted by the time of the filing of the report; and
(B) shall bear on its cover a recital that any such supplemental, minority, or additional views (and any material submitted under paragraph (c)(3)) are included as part of the report.
(2) A committee may file a supplemental report for the correction of a technical error in its previous report on a measure or matter. A supplemental report only correcting errors in the depiction of record votes under paragraph (b) may be filed under this subparagraph and shall not be subject to the requirement in clause 4 or clause 6 concerning the availability of reports.
(b) With respect to each record vote
on a motion to report a measure or
matter of a public nature, and on any
amendment offered to the measure or
matter, the total number of votes cast
for and against, and the names of members
voting for and against, shall be included
in the committee report. The
preceding sentence does not apply to a
report by the Committee on Rules on a
rule, joint rule, or the order of business
or to votes taken in executive session
by the Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct.
(c) The report of a committee on a
measure that has been approved by the
committee shall include, separately set
out and clearly identified, the following:
(1) Oversight findings and recommendations under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X.
(2) The statement required by section 308(a) of the Congressional Bud get Act of 1974, except that an estimate of new budget authority shall include, when practicable, a comparison of the total estimated funding level for the relevant programs to the appropriate levels under current law.
(3) An estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 if timely submitted to the committee before the filing of the report.
(4) A statement of general performance goals and objectives, including outcome-related goals and objectives, for which the measure authorizes funding.
(d) Each report of a committee on a public bill or public joint resolution shall contain the following:
(1) A statement citing the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the law proposed by the bill or joint resolution.
(2)(A) An estimate by the committee of the costs that would be incurred in carrying out the bill or joint resolution in the fiscal year in which it is reported and in each of the five fiscal years following that fiscal year (or for the authorized duration of any program authorized by the bill or joint resolution if less than five years);
(B) a comparison of the estimate of costs described in subdivision (A) made by the committee with any estimate of such costs made by a Government agency and submitted to such committee; and
(C) when practicable, a comparison of the total estimated funding level for the relevant programs with the appropriate levels under current law.
(3)(A) In subparagraph (2) the term ‘‘Government agency’’ includes any department, agency, establishment, wholly owned Government corporation, or instrumentality of the Federal Government or the government of the District of Columbia.
(B) Subparagraph (2) does not apply to the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on House Administration, the Committee on Rules, or the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, and does not apply when a cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been included in the report under paragraph (c)(3).
(e)(1) Whenever a committee reports a bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or amend a statute or part thereof, it shall include in its report or in an accompanying document—
(A) the text of a statute or part thereof that is proposed to be repealed; and
(B) a comparative print of any part of the bill or joint resolution proposing to amend the statute and of the statute or part thereof proposed to be amended, showing by appropriate typographical devices the omissions and insertions proposed.
(2) If a committee reports a bill or
joint resolution proposing to repeal or
amend a statute or part thereof with a
recommendation that the bill or joint
resolution be amended, the comparative
print required by subparagraph (1)
shall reflect the changes in existing
law proposed to be made by the bill or
joint resolution as proposed to be
amended.
(f)(1) A report of the Committee on
Appropriations on a general appropriation
bill shall include—
(A) a concise statement describing the effect of any provision of the accompanying bill that directly or indirectly changes the application of existing law; and
(B) a list of all appropriations contained in the bill for expenditures not currently authorized by law for the period concerned (excepting classified intelligence or national security programs, projects, or activities), along with a statement of the last year for which such expenditures were authorized, the level of expenditures authorized for that year, the actual level of expenditures for that year, and the level of appropriations in the bill for such expenditures.
(2) Whenever the Committee on Appropriations reports a bill or joint resolution including matter specified in clause 1(b)(2) or (3) of rule X, it shall include—
(A) in the bill or joint resolution, separate headings for ‘‘Rescissions’’ and ‘‘Transfers of Unexpended Balances’’; and
(B) in the report of the committee, a separate section listing such rescissions and transfers.
(g) Whenever the Committee on Rules reports a resolution proposing to repeal or amend a standing rule of the House, it shall include in its report or in an accompanying document—
(1) the text of any rule or part thereof that is proposed to be repealed; and
(2) a comparative print of any part of the resolution proposing to amend the rule and of the rule or part thereof proposed to be amended, showing by appropriate typographical devices the omissions and insertions proposed.
(h)(1) It shall not be in order to consider a bill or joint resolution reported by the Committee on Ways and Means that proposes to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 unless—
(A) the report includes a tax complexity analysis prepared by the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation in accordance with section 4022(b) of the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998; or
(B) the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means causes such a tax complexity analysis to be printed in the Congressional Record before consideration of the bill or joint resolution.
(2)(A) It shall not be in order to consider a bill or joint resolution reported by the Committee on Ways and Means that proposes to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 unless—
(i) the report includes a macroeconomic impact analysis;
(ii) the report includes a statement from the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation explaining why a macroeconomic impact analysis is not calculable; or
(iii) the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means causes a macroeconomic impact analysis to be printed in the Congressional Record before consideration of the bill or joint resolution.
(B) In subdivision (A), the term ‘‘macroeconomic impact analysis’’ means—
(i) an estimate prepared by the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation of the changes in economic output, employment, capital stock, and tax revenues expected to result from enactment of the proposal; and
(ii) a statement from the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation identifying the critical assumptions and the source of data underlying that estimate.
Availability of reports
4. (a)(1) Except as specified in subparagraph
(2), it shall not be in order
to consider in the House a measure or
matter reported by a committee until
the third calendar day (excluding Saturdays,
Sundays, or legal holidays except
when the House is in session on
such a day) on which each report of a
committee on that measure or matter
has been available to Members, Delegates,
and the Resident Commissioner.
(2) Subparagraph (1) does not apply
to—
(A) a resolution providing a rule, joint rule, or order of business reported by the Committee on Rules considered under clause 6;
(B) a resolution providing amounts from the applicable accounts described in clause 1(j)(1) of rule X reported by the Committee on House Administration considered under clause 6 of rule X;
(C) a resolution presenting a question of the privileges of the House reported by any committee;
(D) a measure for the declaration of war, or the declaration of a national emergency, by Congress; and
(E) a measure providing for the disapproval of a decision, determination, or action by a Government agency that would become, or continue to be, effective unless disapproved or otherwise invalidated by one or both Houses of Congress. In this subdivision the term ‘‘Government agency’’ includes any department, agency, establishment, wholly owned Government corporation, or instrumentality of the Federal Government or of the government of the District of Columbia.
(b) A committee that reports a measure
or matter shall make every reasonable
effort to have its hearings thereon
(if any) printed and available for distribution
to Members, Delegates, and
the Resident Commissioner before the
consideration of the measure or matter
in the House.
(c) A general appropriation bill reported
by the Committee on Appropriations
may not be considered in the
House until the third calendar day (excluding
Saturdays, Sundays, and legal
holidays except when the House is in
session on such a day) on which printed
hearings of the Committee on Appropriations
thereon have been available
to Members, Delegates, and the Resident
Commissioner.
Privileged reports, generally
5. (a)The following committees shall have leave to report at any time on the following matters, respectively:
(1) The Committee on Appropriations, on general appropriation bills and on joint resolutions continuing appropriations for a fiscal year after September 15 in the preceding fiscal year.
(2) The Committee on the Budget, on the matters required to be reported by such committee under titles III and IV of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
(3) The Committee on House Administration, on enrolled bills, on contested elections, on matters referred to it concerning printing for the use of the House or the two Houses, on expenditure of the applicable accounts of the House described in clause 1(j)(1) of rule X, and on matters relating to preservation and availability of noncurrent records of the House under rule VII.
(4) The Committee on Rules, on rules, joint rules, and the order of business.
(5) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, on resolutions recommending action by the House with respect to a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House as a result of an investigation by the committee relating to the official conduct of such Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee.
(b) A report filed from the floor as privileged under paragraph (a) may be called up as a privileged question by direction of the reporting committee, subject to any requirement concerning its availability to Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner under clause 4 or concerning the timing of its consideration under clause 6.
Privileged reports by the Committee on Rules
6. (a) A report by the Committee on
Rules on a rule, joint rule, or the order
of business may not be called up for
consideration on the same day it is presented
to the House except—
(1) when so determined by a vote of two-thirds of the Members voting, a quorum being present;
(2) in the case of a resolution proposing only to waive a requirement of clause 4 or of clause 8 of rule XXII concerning the availability of reports; or
(3) during the last three days of a session of Congress.
(b) Pending the consideration of a report
by the Committee on Rules on a
rule, joint rule, or the order of business,
the Speaker may entertain one
motion that the House adjourn but
may not entertain any other dilatory
motion until the report shall have been
disposed of.
(c) The Committee on Rules may not report—
(1) a rule or order proposing that business under clause 6 of rule XV be set aside by a vote of less than twothirds of the Members voting, a quorum being present; or
(2) a rule or order that would prevent the motion to recommit a bill or joint resolution from being made as provided in clause 2(b) of rule XIX, including a motion to recommit with instructions to report back an amendment otherwise in order, if offered by the Minority Leader or a designee, except with respect to a Senate bill or resolution for which the text of a House-passed measure has been substituted.
(d) The Committee on Rules shall
present to the House reports concerning
rules, joint rules, and the order
of business, within three legislative
days of the time when they are ordered.
If such a report is not considered
immediately, it shall be referred to the
calendar. If such a report on the calendar
is not called up by the member of
the committee who filed the report
within seven legislative days, any
member of the committee may call it
up as a privileged question on the day
after the calendar day on which the
member announces to the House his intention
to do so. The Speaker shall recognize
a member of the committee who
rises for that purpose.
(e)An adverse report by the Committee
on Rules on a resolution proposing
a special order of business for
the consideration of a public bill or
public joint resolution may be called
up as a privileged question by a Member,
Delegate, or Resident Commissioner
on a day when it is in order to
consider a motion to discharge committees
under clause 2 of rule XV.
(f) If the House has adopted a resolution
making in order a motion to consider
a bill or resolution, and such a
motion has not been offered within
seven calendar days thereafter, such a
motion shall be privileged if offered by
direction of all reporting committees
having initial jurisdiction of the bill or
resolution.
(g) Whenever the Committee on
Rules reports a resolution providing for
the consideration of a measure, it shall
(to the maximum extent possible)
specify in the resolution the object of
any waiver of a point of order against
the measure or against its consideration.
Resolutions of inquiry
7. A report on a resolution of inquiry
addressed to the head of an executive
department may be filed from the floor
as privileged. If such a resolution is not
reported to the House within 14 legislative
days after its introduction, a motion
to discharge a committee from its
consideration shall be privileged.
Rule XV Rule XVI Rule XVII Rule XVIII Rule XIX Rule XX Rule XXI Rule XXII Rule XXIII Rule XXIV Rule XXV Rule XXVI
Rule XXVII Rule XXVIII