[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 724 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 724

  Amending rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate to limit the 
time during which a nomination shall be confirmed or rejected, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 13, 2018

 Mr. Merkley submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
               the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Amending rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate to limit the 
time during which a nomination shall be confirmed or rejected, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. PROCEEDINGS ON NOMINATIONS.

    Rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``A covered nominee 
        shall submit the basic requirements to the appropriate 
        committee within 30 legislative days of the covered nomination 
        being transmitted to the Senate. The appropriate committee 
        shall vote on the covered nomination within 30 legislative days 
        of receipt of the basic requirements. By agreement of the 
        chairman and ranking minority member, the committee may extend 
        or suspend the deadline on the committee to vote. If the 
        committee does not hold a vote, the nominee is deemed reported 
        to the full Senate. For a covered nomination for a position 
        described in section 5312 of title 5, United States Code, the 
        Senate shall vote on the covered nomination within 40 
        legislative days of the committee reporting the covered 
        nomination. For a covered nomination other than for a position 
        described in section 5312 of title 5, United States Code, if 
        not fewer than 10 Senators, within 30 legislative days of the 
        committee reporting on the covered nomination, have submitted 
        written requests for the record that the covered nomination be 
        considered by the full Senate in executive session within 40 
        days of the committee reporting the covered nomination, the 
        Senate shall vote on the covered nomination. If the covered 
        nomination is not confirmed or rejected within 40 days of the 
        committee reporting the covered nomination, the nomination 
        shall be deemed to be confirmed. Debate on any covered 
        nomination other than for a position described in section 5312 
        of title 5, United States Code, debate shall be limited to not 
        more than 2 hours.'' after ``consent.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``8. (a) In paragraph (1)--
            ``(1) the term `basic requirements' means--
                    ``(A) an agreement with the Office of Government 
                Ethics;
                    ``(B) a financial disclosure form;
                    ``(C) a background check conducted by the Federal 
                Bureau of Investigation;
                    ``(D) responses to a questionnaire of each relevant 
                committee;
                    ``(E) tax forms, if required by a relevant 
                committee; and
                    ``(F) any other requirements of a relevant 
                committee; and
            ``(2) the term `covered nomination' means a nomination of 
        an individual to a position in an executive agency, as defined 
        in section 105 of title 5, United States Code.''.
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