[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1613 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1613

 To provide for expedited congressional consideration of ``Freedom to 
Manage'' legislative proposals transmitted by the President to Congress 
to eliminate or reduce barriers to efficient government operations that 
    are posed by laws that apply to one or more agencies, including 
                         government-wide laws.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 1, 2001

 Mr. Thompson introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
           referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for expedited congressional consideration of ``Freedom to 
Manage'' legislative proposals transmitted by the President to Congress 
to eliminate or reduce barriers to efficient government operations that 
    are posed by laws that apply to one or more agencies, including 
                         government-wide laws.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom to Manage Act of 2001''

SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSMISSION OF ``FREEDOM TO MANAGE'' LEGISLATIVE 
              PROPOSALS.

    (a) In General.--Whenever the President transmits a set of 
legislative proposals to Congress in accordance with the requirements 
of subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the congressional 
consideration of those legislative proposals shall be governed by 
section 3 of this Act. The President may transmit one or more sets of 
legislative proposals to Congress for congressional consideration under 
section 3 of this Act.
    (b) Format of Legislative Proposals.--A set of legislative 
proposals shall be in the form of a bill, consisting of up to four 
sections.
            (1) One of the sections may consist of repeals of existing 
        law. Such a section shall be entitled ``Repeals.'', shall begin 
        with the introductory phrase ``The following provisions of law 
        are repealed:'', and shall then set forth the citations to each 
        of the provisions of law to be repealed.
            (2) Another of the sections may consist of amendments to 
        existing law. Such a section shall be entitled ``Amendments.'', 
        shall begin with the introductory phrase ``The following 
        provisions of law are amended as follows:'', and shall then set 
        forth each of the provisions of law and how it is proposed to 
        be amended.
            (3) Another of the sections may consist of new authorities. 
        Such a section shall be entitled ``New Authorities.'', shall 
        begin with the introductory phrase ``The following provisions 
        are enacted into law:'', and shall then set forth each of the 
        provisions to be enacted into law.
            (4) A final section shall set forth the effective date (or 
        dates) of the repeals, amendments and enactments made in the 
        prior sections, and include any ``transition'' and ``savings'' 
        provisions that are determined to be necessary or appropriate 
        in connection with carrying out these repeals, amendments, and 
        enactments.
    (c) Subject of Legislative Proposals.--The President's legislative 
proposals under this section may only relate to the elimination or 
reduction of barriers to efficient government operations that are posed 
by existing laws that apply to one or more agencies, including 
government-wide laws, or new authorities that will allow for more 
efficient government operations.
    (d) Accompanying Message To Congress.--When transmitting 
legislative proposals under this section, the President shall also 
transmit an accompanying Message to Congress that provides an 
explanation for each of his legislative proposals and its expected 
impact on Federal operations. In the Message, the President shall 
expressly state that he is making the transmission in accordance with 
section 2 of the Freedom to Manage Act.
    (e) Publication.--The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the 
Secretary of the Senate shall ensure that the President's set of 
legislative proposals and accompanying Message to Congress are printed 
as a document of each House.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF THE PRESIDENT'S ``FREEDOM TO 
              MANAGE'' LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS.

    (a) Definitions.--
            (1) Resolution of approval.--For the purposes of this 
        section, the term ``resolution'' means only a joint resolution 
        which is introduced within the 10 legislative days beginning on 
        the date on which the President transmits his legislative 
        proposals to the Congress under section 2 of this Act, and--
                    (A) which does not have a preamble;
                    (B) the title of which is as follows: ``Joint 
                resolution approving the legislative proposals of the 
                President under the Freedom to Manage Act.'';
                    (C) the matter after the resolving clause of which 
                is as follows: ``That Congress approves the legislative 
                proposals of the President, as follows, that were 
                transmitted on ________ under the Freedom to Manage 
                Act:'', the blank space being filled in with the 
                appropriate date; and
                    (D) the remaining text which consists of the 
                complete text of the President's legislative proposals 
                submitted under section 2 of this Act.
            (2) Legislative day.--For the purposes of this section, the 
        term ``legislative day'' refers to any day on which either 
        House of Congress is in session.
    (b) Introduction of Resolution of Approval.--In order for the 
resolution to be considered under the procedures set forth in this 
section, the resolution must meet the definition set forth in 
subsection (a) and must be introduced no later than 10 legislative days 
after the President transmits his legislative proposals to the Congress 
under section 2 of this Act.
    (c) Referral of Resolution of Approval.--A resolution of approval 
for the President's legislative proposals transmitted under section 2 
of this Act shall be referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs 
in the Senate and the Committee on Government Reform in the House of 
Representatives.
    (d) Consideration in the House of Representatives.--
            (1) The Committee on Government Reform shall report the 
        resolution without amendment, and with or without 
        recommendation, not later than the 30th legislative day after 
        the date of its introduction. If the committee fails to report 
        the resolution within that period, it is thereafter in order 
        for a Member to move that the House discharge the committee 
        from further consideration of the resolution. A motion to 
        discharge may be made only by a Member favoring the resolution 
        (but only at a time or place designated by the Speaker in the 
        legislative schedule of the day after the calendar day on which 
        the Member offering the motion announces to the House his 
        intention to do so and the form of the motion). The motion is 
        privileged. Debate thereon shall be limited to not more than 
        one hour, the time to be divided in the House equally between a 
        proponent and an opponent. The previous question shall be 
        considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption without 
        intervening motion. A motion to reconsider the vote by which 
        the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order.
            (2) After the approval resolution is reported or the 
        committee has been discharged from further consideration, it 
        shall be in order to consider the resolution in the House. If 
        the resolution is reported and the report has been available 
        for at least one calendar day, all points of order against the 
        resolution and against consideration of the resolution are 
        waived. If the committee has been discharged from further 
        consideration of the resolution, all points of order against 
        the resolution and against consideration of the resolution are 
        waived. The motion is privileged. A motion to reconsider the 
        vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not 
        be in order. During consideration of the resolution in the 
        House, the first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. 
        Debate on the resolution shall be confined to the resolution, 
        and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by 
        a proponent and an opponent of the resolution. Amendments to 
        the resolution are not in order. Only one motion to rise shall 
        be in order, except if offered by the manager. The previous 
        question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution 
        without intervening motion. A motion to reconsider the vote on 
        passage of the resolution shall not be in order.
            (3) Appeals from decisions of the Chair regarding 
        application of the rules of the House of Representatives to the 
        procedure relating to the approval resolution shall be decided 
        without debate.
            (4) Consideration of senate message.--Consideration in the 
        House of all motions or appeals necessary to dispose of a 
        message from the Senate on the resolution shall be limited to 
        not more than one hour. Debate on each motion shall be limited 
        to 20 minutes. Debate on any appeal or point of order that is 
        submitted in connection with the disposition of the Senate 
        message shall be limited to 10 minutes. Any time for debate 
        shall be equally divided and controlled by the proponent and 
        the majority manager, unless the majority manager is a 
proponent of the motion, appeal, or point of order, in which case the 
minority manager shall be in control of the time in opposition.
    (e) Consideration in the Senate.--
            (1) The Committee on Governmental Affairs shall report the 
        resolution not later than the 30th legislative day following 
        the date of introduction of the resolution. If the committee 
        fails to report the resolution within that period, the 
        committee shall be automatically discharged from further 
        consideration of the resolution and the resolution shall be 
        placed on the Calendar.
            (2) Resolution of approval from house.--When the Senate 
        receives from the House of Representatives the approval 
        resolution, such resolution shall not be referred to committee 
        and shall be placed on the Calendar.
            (3) Motion nondebatable.--A motion to proceed to 
        consideration of the resolution under this subsection shall not 
        be debatable It shall not be in order to move to reconsider the 
        vote by which the motion to proceed was adopted or rejected, 
        although subsequent motions to proceed may be made under this 
        paragraph.
            (4) Limit on consideration.--
                    (A) Amendments to the resolution are not in order.
                    (B) After no more than 10 hours of consideration of 
                the resolution, the Senate shall proceed, without 
                intervening action or debate, to vote on the final 
                disposition thereof to the exclusion of all motions, 
                except a motion to reconsider or to table.
                    (C) A single motion to extend the time for 
                consideration under subparagraph (B) for no more than 
                an additional five hours is in order prior to the 
                expiration of such time and shall be decided without 
                debate.
                    (D) The time for debate on the resolution shall be 
                equally divided between the Majority Leader and the 
                Minority Leader or their designees.
            (5) No motion to recommit.--A motion to recommit the 
        resolution shall not be in order.
            (6) Consideration of house message.--Consideration in the 
        Senate of all motions or appeals necessary to dispose of a 
        message from the House of Representatives on the resolution 
        shall be limited to not more than four hours. Debate on each 
        motion shall be limited to 30 minutes. Debate on any appeal or 
        point of order that is submitted in connection with the 
        disposition of the House message shall be limited to 20 
        minutes. Any time for debate shall be equally divided and 
        controlled by the proponent and the majority manager, unless 
        the majority manager is a proponent of the motion, appeal, or 
        point of order, in which case the minority manager shall be in 
        control of the time in opposition.
    (f) Rules of the Senate and House.--This section is enacted by 
Congress--
            (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate 
        and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it is 
        deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but 
        applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in 
        that House in the case of a resolution described in subsection 
        (a), and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that it 
        is inconsistent with such rules; and
            (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 
        either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the 
        procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and 
        to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that 
        House.
                                 <all>