[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 441 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                        March 16, 2000.
    Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker 
may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the 
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the 
bill (H.R. 2372) to simplify and expedite access to the Federal courts for 
injured parties whose rights and privileges, secured by the United States 
Constitution, have been deprived by final actions of Federal agencies, or other 
government officials or entities acting under color of State law; to prevent 
Federal courts from abstaining from exercising Federal jurisdiction in actions 
where no State law claim is alleged; to permit certification of unsettled State 
law questions that are essential to resolving Federal claims arising under the 
Constitution; and to clarify when government action is sufficiently final to 
ripen certain Federal claims arising under the Constitution. The first reading 
of the bill shall be dispensed with. General debate shall be confined to the 
bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. After 
general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute 
rule. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill. The 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. 
No amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be 
in order except those printed in the report of the Committee on Rules 
accompanying this resolution. Each amendment may be offered only in the order 
printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, 
shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the 
report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall 
not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division 
of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of 
order against the amendments printed in the report are waived. The Chairman of 
the Committee of the Whole may: (1) postpone until a time during further 
consideration in the Committee of the Whole a request for a recorded vote on any 
amendment; and (2) reduce to five minutes the minimum time for electronic voting 
on any postponed question that follows another electronic vote without 
intervening business, provided that the minimum time for electronic voting on 
the first in any series of questions shall be 15 minutes. At the conclusion of 
consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the 
bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may 
demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of 
the Whole to the bill or to the committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and 
amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion 
to recommit with or without instructions.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.