[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 554 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 554
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that
legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72
hours before consideration by the House, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 17, 2009
Mr. Baird (for himself and Mr. Culberson) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that
legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72
hours before consideration by the House, and for other purposes.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this resolution is to:
(1) Modernize the operations of the House of
Representatives using information technology that has
transformed and increased the efficiency of many aspects of
American society such as financial services and markets,
transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and commerce with
consumers and businesses.
(2) Slow the explosive growth of the $11,000,000,000,000
national debt of the United States, reduce excessive annual
budget deficits, and control the size and scope of government
by ensuring that there is adequate scrutiny of proposals for
new and amended laws, taxes, and expenditures.
(3) Enhance public participation in American democracy and
improve the quality of proposed legislation by allowing the
opportunity for its review by State and local government
officials, small business owners, large business leaders,
journalists, scientists, academics, labor leaders, nonprofit
organization leaders, authors of weblogs, and interested
citizens.
(4) Help restore public trust in government and enhance
respect for the House of Representatives and the Congress by
ensuring that their operations are conducted with the openness,
order, and dignity befitting the world's oldest democracy.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XIII REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF LEGISLATION
AND REPORTS.
(a) Clause 4 of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended--
(1) in its side heading, by inserting ``legislation and''
before ``reports'';
(2) in paragraph (a) by striking subparagraph (1) and
inserting the following new subparagraph:
``(1) Except as specified in subparagraph (2), it shall not be in
order to consider in the House a measure or matter until 72 hours
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except when the House is in
session on such a day) after the text of such measure or matter (and,
if the measure or matter is reported, the text of all accompanying
reports) have been made available to Members, Delegates, the Resident
Commissioner, and the general public pursuant to subparagraph (3).'';
(3) by adding at the end of paragraph (a) the following new
subparagraph:
``(3) Without further amendment before floor consideration, the
full text of the measure or matter and each committee report thereon
shall be posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a manner
that they are conveniently accessible using existing technology,
anonymously and at no cost, in a format that is searchable by text.'';
and
(4) in paragraph (c), by striking ``the third calendar
day'' and inserting ``at least 72 hours'' and by striking
``on'' and inserting ``after''.
(b) Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is
further amended--
(1) in clause 5(b), by striking ``and the Resident
Commissioner'' and inserting ``the Resident Commissioner, and
the general public''; and
(2) in clause 6(c), by striking ``or'' at the end of
subparagraph (1), by striking the period at the end of
subparagraph (2) and inserting ``; or'', and by inserting
before the period ``a rule or order proposing a waiver of
clause 4(a) of rule XIII or of clause 8(a) or 8(b) of rule
XXII, unless a question of consideration of the rule is adopted
by a vote of two-thirds of the Members voting, a quorum being
present''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XXII REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF CONFERENCE
REPORTS AND AMENDMENTS REPORTED IN DISAGREEMENT.
Clause 8 of rule XXII of the Rules of the House of Representatives
is amended--
(1) by striking subparagraph (a) and inserting the
following new paragraph:
``(a)(1) It shall not be in order to consider a conference report
until 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except when
the House is in session on such a day) after the conference report and
the accompanying joint explanatory statement have been available to
Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and the general public
pursuant to subparagraph (2).
``(2) Without further amendment before floor consideration, the
full texts of the conference report and the accompanying signed joint
explanatory statement shall be posted continuously by means of the
Internet in such a manner that they are conveniently accessible using
existing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format that can
be searched by text.'';
(2) in paragraph (b), by striking subparagraphs (1) and (2)
and inserting the following new subparagraphs:
``(1) It shall not be in order to consider a motion to dispose of a
Senate amendment reported in disagreement by a conference committee
until at least 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
except when the House is in session on such a day) after the report in
disagreement and any accompanying statement have been available to
Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and the general public
pursuant to subparagraph (2).
``(2) Without further amendment before floor consideration, the
full texts of a Senate amendment reported in disagreement and any
accompanying statement shall be posted continuously by means of the
Internet in such a manner that they are conveniently accessible using
existing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format that can
be searched by text.''.
SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
Nothing in this resolution or any amendment made by it shall be
interpreted to require or permit the declassification or posting on the
Internet of classified information in the custody of the House of
Representatives. Such classified information shall be made available to
Members in a timely manner as appropriate under existing laws and
rules.
SEC. 5. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING AMENDMENTS.
It is the sense of the House that, with the objective of preventing
circumvention of clause 4(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives that the Committee on Rules should develop standardized
policies and procedures to require that proposed amendments (except
those offered under an open rule) that are major in size, scope, or
cost be posted on the Internet for an appropriate number of hours.
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