[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 98 (Tuesday, June 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3704-H3707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1715
         NO HIDDEN FEES ON EXTRA EXPENSES FOR STAYS ACT OF 2023

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6543) to prohibit unfair and deceptive advertising of prices 
for hotel rooms and other places of short-term lodging, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6543

       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 ``No Hidden Fees on Extra 
     Expenses for Stays Act of 2023'' or the ``No Hidden FEES Act 
     of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING OF 
                   HOTEL ROOM AND OTHER SHORT-TERM LODGING PRICES.

       (a) In General.--A covered provider may not advertise, 
     display, market, or otherwise offer for sale in interstate 
     commerce, including through a direct offering, third-party 
     distribution, or metasearch referral, a price of a 
     reservation for a place of short-term lodging that does not 
     include each mandatory fee.
       (b) Exclusion.--Subsection (a) does not prohibit a covered 
     provider from displaying any individual component, including 
     any fee or tax, that is part of the total price, if such 
     total price is clearly and conspicuously disclosed to the 
     consumer.

     SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT.

       (a) Enforcement by Federal Trade Commission.--
       (1) Unfair or deceptive acts or practices.--A violation of 
     section 2(a) shall be treated as a violation of a regulation 
     under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)) regarding unfair or deceptive acts 
     or practices.
       (2) Powers of commission.--The Commission shall enforce 
     section 2(a) in the same manner, by the same means, and with 
     the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all 
     applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade 
     Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into 
     and made a part of this Act. Any covered provider who 
     violates section 2(a) shall be subject to the penalties and 
     entitled to the privileges and immunities provided in the 
     Federal Trade Commission Act.
       (3) Authority preserved.--Nothing in this Act may be 
     construed to limit the authority of the Commission under any 
     other provision of law.
       (b) Enforcement by States.--
       (1) In general.--If the attorney general of a State, or an 
     official or agency of a State, has reason to believe that an 
     interest of the residents of the State has been or is being 
     threatened or adversely affected by a practice that violates 
     section 2(a), the State may bring a civil action on behalf of 
     the residents of the State in an appropriate district court 
     of the United States to obtain appropriate relief.
       (2) Rights of commission.--
       (A) Notice to commission.--
       (i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (iii), an 
     attorney general, official, or agency of a State, before 
     initiating a civil action under paragraph (1), shall provide 
     written notification to the Commission that the attorney 
     general, official, or agency intends to bring such civil 
     action.
       (ii) Contents.--The notification required under clause (i) 
     shall include a copy of the complaint to be filed to initiate 
     the civil action.
       (iii) Exception.--If it is not feasible for an attorney 
     general, official, or agency of a State to provide the 
     notification required under clause (i) before initiating a 
     civil action under paragraph (1), the attorney general, 
     official, or agency shall notify the Commission immediately 
     upon instituting the civil action.
       (B) Intervention by commission.--The Commission may--
       (i) intervene in any civil action brought by an attorney 
     general, official, or agency of a State under paragraph (1); 
     and
       (ii) upon intervening--

       (I) be heard on all matters arising in the civil action; 
     and
       (II) appeal a decision in the civil action.

       (C) Limitation on state action while federal action is 
     pending.--If the Commission or the Attorney General of the 
     United States has instituted a civil action for violation of 
     section 2(a) (referred to in this subparagraph as the 
     ``Federal action''), no State attorney general, official, or 
     agency may bring an action under paragraph (1) during the 
     pendency of the Federal action against any defendant named in 
     the complaint in the Federal action for any violation of such 
     section alleged in such complaint.
       (3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
     be construed to prevent an attorney general, official, or 
     agency of a State from exercising the powers conferred on the 
     attorney general, official, or agency by the laws of the 
     State to conduct investigations, to administer oaths or 
     affirmations, or to compel the attendance of witnesses or the 
     production of documentary or other evidence.

     SEC. 4. ONE NATIONAL STANDARD.

       (a) In General.--A State, or political subdivision of a 
     State, may not maintain, enforce, prescribe, or continue in 
     effect any law, rule, regulation, requirement, standard, or 
     other provision having the force and effect of law of the 
     State, or political subdivision of the State, that prohibits 
     a covered provider from advertising, displaying, marketing, 
     or otherwise offering, or otherwise affects the manner in 
     which a covered provider may advertise, display, market, or 
     otherwise offer, for sale in interstate commerce, including 
     through a direct offering, third-party distribution, or 
     metasearch referral, a price of a reservation for a place of 
     short-term lodging that does not include each mandatory fee.
       (b) Rule of Construction.--This section may not be 
     construed to--
       (1) preempt any law of a State or political subdivision of 
     a State relating to contracts or torts; or
       (2) preempt any law of a State or political subdivision of 
     a State to the extent that such law relates to an act of 
     fraud, unauthorized access to personal information, or 
     notification of unauthorized access to personal information.

     SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
     Trade Commission.
       (2) Corporate, government, or institutional travel 
     management program.--The term ``corporate, government, or 
     institutional travel management program'' means--
       (A) a program used by a company, government entity, or not-
     for-profit institution for the travel of the officers, 
     directors, or employees of such company, government entity, 
     or not-for-profit institution; or
       (B) a program purchased by a company, government entity, or 
     not-for-profit institution and used for the travel of the 
     officers, directors, or employees of such company, government 
     entity, or not-for-profit institution.
       (3) Covered provider.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``covered provider'' means a 
     provider of a place of short-term lodging, a provider of an 
     internet website or other centralized platform, or any other 
     entity who advertises, displays, markets, or otherwise offers 
     a price of a reservation for a place of short-term lodging.
       (B) Exclusion.--The term ``covered provider'' does not 
     include any entity who advertises, displays, markets, or 
     otherwise offers a price of a reservation for a place of 
     short-term lodging for purchase pursuant to a corporate, 
     government, or institutional travel management program.
       (4) Mandatory fee.--The term ``mandatory fee''--
       (A) means each mandatory fee required to complete the 
     booking or stay that is assessed by the covered provider and 
     paid directly by the consumer; and
       (B) does not include any tax or fee imposed on the consumer 
     by a governmental or quasi-governmental entity or assessment 
     fees of a government-created special district or program.
       (5) Place of short-term lodging.--The term ``place of 
     short-term lodging'' means a hotel, motel, inn, short-term 
     rental, or other place of lodging that advertises at a price 
     that is a nightly, hourly, or weekly rate.

[[Page H3705]]

       (6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
     States, the District of Columbia, and each territory or 
     possession of the United States.

     SEC. 6. APPLICATION TO PRIOR BOOKINGS.

       Section 2(a) shall apply only to a reservation for a place 
     of short-term lodging made on or after the effective date of 
     this Act.

     SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. Bilirakis. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 6543, the No 
Hidden FEES Act, and urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on 
this piece of legislation.
  After spending their hard-earned money on a vacation for their 
family, Americans don't need to be hit with unexpected fees added to 
their hotel room bookings, which happens all the time. These resort 
fees often confuse and deceive consumers, which is why the House needs 
to pass this bill sponsored by my good friend and colleague, 
Representative Young Kim.
  H.R. 6543 will protect consumers from unfair and deceptive 
advertising of prices for hotel rooms and other places for short-term 
lodging. Last month, we passed similar legislation for live event 
ticketing when we overwhelmingly passed the TICKET Act, which was my 
bill, bringing price transparency to the market.
  Representative Kim's bill will take this commonsense approach in the 
lodging space. Such price transparency is needed for consumers so they 
know how much they will be paying for lodging upfront, and this is 
exactly what H.R. 6543 does.
  I thank the stakeholders for working with us on this initiative to 
ensure that consumers know exactly the price they are going to pay 
upfront. I applaud Representative Kim, as well as my fellow Floridian, 
Representative Castor, for introducing this important piece of 
legislation, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 6543, the No Hidden 
FEES Act.
  Far too often, when consumers go to check out of their hotel rooms, 
they are hit with surprise fees. Hotels and online travel agencies have 
many names for these types of fees, such as resort fees, amenities 
fees, facilities fees, to name just a few. Regardless of what they are 
called, surprise fees that consumers do not expect make it impossible 
to comparison shop and impose undue burdens on household finances.
  That is why I am proud that President Biden and House Democrats are 
working to prevent junk fees like these. H.R. 6543, the No Hidden FEES 
Act, is a bipartisan bill that will ensure that companies make 
available all mandatory fee information when they advertise a hotel 
room or other place of short-term lodging.
  The bill would also require hotels and other providers of short-term 
lodging to provide the total cost of a room to any internet website or 
other third party that the provider has allowed to advertise, market, 
display, or otherwise offer the short-term lodging for sale.
  By ensuring everyone in the short-term lodging ecosystem displays the 
full price of a stay, we will protect consumers from being caught 
paying extra when they go to check out. I commend my colleagues on the 
Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative Castor and Representative 
Kim, for their leadership on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Kim), a great Member of Congress.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Bilirakis 
for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my legislation, H.R. 6543, the No 
Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays Act, or No Hidden FEES Act.
  Hidden fees on short-term lodging stays, such as hotels, inns, and 
resorts, make budgeting for a trip much harder for families who are 
already struggling from persistent inflation and rising living costs.
  Customers often find themselves paying more for their overnight stay 
than what was advertised online. These unexpected, deceptive fees hurt 
families' bottom lines.
  According to a 2023 Consumer Reports survey, 37 percent of Americans 
found themselves paying an extra hidden fee, with more than half 
expressing that this additional cost took them over budget. The No 
Hidden FEES Act requires hotels, motels, and travel and lodging sites 
to disclose upfront the full cost of a short-term stay, including all 
mandatory and resort fees.
  Currently, the way prices are advertised across the lodging industry 
is fragmented and not uniform. My bill would require all stakeholders 
in the lodging and booking industries and third-party distributors to 
clearly display the final price. This provides clarity for consumers 
and improves the quality of the American hospitality and tourism 
industries.
  I thank Chairwoman Rodgers from the Energy and Commerce Committee for 
her leadership and the rest of the House Energy and Commerce staff for 
their tireless work on this bipartisan and commonsense legislation.
  I thank Representative Castor for making this a bipartisan bill.
  I also thank all the outside stakeholders and consumer advocacy 
groups who worked with us on this pro-consumer initiative.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to lead this commonsense bill and urge my 
colleagues to vote in support of it.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), who is the ranking member of our 
Oversight and investigations Subcommittee and the Democratic sponsor of 
the bill.

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone 
for yielding the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the No Hidden FEES Act, H.R. 
6543, and I thank my partner, the gentlewoman of California (Mrs. Kim), 
for leading the effort here.
  Mr. Speaker, the No Hidden FEES Act would outlaw junk fees in hotel 
lodging. It would outlaw that unfair and misleading price advertising, 
whether it is motels or short-term rentals, or privately owned vacation 
rentals. It will require an accurate price listing that has to include 
all fees.
  Mr. Speaker, I think all too often a family goes online when they are 
planning their vacation to the Gulf beaches of The Sunshine State for a 
lovely vacation, or anywhere across the country, too often, as they 
search online and try to do comparison shopping, not all of the fees 
are displayed. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bilirakis would probably agree.
  That is not fair because oftentimes, at the end their vacation, 
consumers will go to check out of their hotel or wherever they are 
staying, and they will tack on these extra fees. It is not fair. It is 
not right.
  That is why we want to tackle this industrywide to make sure that 
there is a level playing field for all families ready to take their 
vacation and use their hard-earned dollars to do it.
  These hidden fees also stifle competition because one thing consumers 
want when they are comparison shopping is that level playing field. 
They want all the information at their fingertips. This would provide 
those ground rules across everywhere. In many cases, the platforms are 
hiding these fees. That is why this legislation is so important.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the support letters from the 
American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Florida Restaurant and 
Lodging Association, and a statement from Airbnb.


[[Page H3706]]


                                                  American Hotel &


                                          Lodging Association,

                                                 December 4, 2023.
     Hon. Cathy McMorris Rodgers,
     Chair, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Frank Pallone Jr.,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chair McMorris Rodgers and Ranking Member Pallone: On 
     behalf of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), 
     and the undersigned organizations, we are writing to express 
     our support for the passage of Congresswoman Young Kim's (CA-
     40) and Congresswoman Kathy Castor's (FL-14) legislation, the 
     No Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays Act (H.R. 6543).
       AHLA is the singular voice representing every segment of 
     the hotel industry including major chains, independent 
     hotels, management companies, REITs, bed and breakfasts, 
     industry partners, and more. The industry is made up of more 
     than 62,000 hotels, 33,000 of which are small businesses, 
     comprising 5.6 million rooms across the United States. These 
     hotels generate more than $300 billion in sales every year 
     and support more than 8.3 million jobs. Hotels are integral 
     contributors to communities across the country and annually 
     generate nearly $75 billion in tax revenue at the federal, 
     state, and local levels.
       We, along with the undersigned organizations, are extremely 
     grateful to Representatives Kim and Castor for recognizing 
     the need for consistent and broadly applicable mandatory fee 
     disclosure and display requirements across the entire lodging 
     booking and advertising ecosystem. This bill would create a 
     national standard for display of lodging prices and require 
     that any mandatory fees be included in prices wherever they 
     are advertised, distributed, and sold. As written, this bill 
     would also ensure compliance throughout the complex lodging 
     distribution ecosystem.
       While hotels disclose mandatory additional fees to 
     consumers in accordance with existing FTC guidance now, it is 
     critical that any updated display requirements apply across 
     the competitive lodging advertising and booking landscape. 
     Recently, many of the largest hotel chains that AHLA 
     represents have implemented, or announced plans to imminently 
     implement, changes to ensure that mandatory fees are 
     displayed upfront in the pricing consumers are offered 
     through their owned channels.
       Critically, as consumers shop for and book lodging through 
     a wide variety of channels and providers, this proposed 
     legislation would apply to third-party distributors, such as 
     online travel agencies (e.g., Expedia), metasearch sites and 
     search engines (e.g., Google), as well as short-term rental 
     platforms (e.g., Airbnb). Any regulation mandating fee 
     display and disclosure must be consistently applied to all 
     accommodation providers, advertisers, and broader industry 
     participants to ensure consumers see the same information, in 
     a consistent manner, anywhere they shop. A level competitive 
     playing field for industry participants paired with clear and 
     consistent display for consumers is of paramount importance 
     and we believe this legislation achieves those goals.
       We thank Representatives Kim and Castor for introducing 
     this legislation and working together in a bipartisan fashion 
     to craft a strong bill that will ensure compliance across the 
     industry. We ask that the committee report it favorably and 
     as written.
       We look forward to working with you and your colleagues to 
     support America's hotel and lodging industry, employees, 
     guests, and local communities.
           Sincerely,
       American Hotel and Lodging Association, California Hotel 
     and Lodging Association, Florida Restaurant and Lodging 
     Association, The Broadmoor, BWH Hotels, Choice Hotels 
     International, Hilton, Host Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, IHG 
     Hotels & Resorts, Loews Hotels & Co., Marriott International, 
     MGM Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Park Hotels & Resorts, 
     Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Sea Island Resort, Wyndham Hotels & 
     Resorts, Inc.
                                  ____

                                              Florida Restaurant &


                                          Lodging Association,

                                Tallahassee, FL, December 4, 2023.
     Hon. Kathy Castor,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Castor: On behalf of the Florida 
     Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA), I am writing to 
     express our support for your legislation, the No Hidden Fees 
     on Extra Expenses for Stays Act (H.R. 6543), and our 
     gratitude for your leadership on this issue.
       The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is 
     Florida's premier non-profit hospitality industry trade 
     association. Founded in 1946 as the Florida Restaurant 
     Association, FRLA merged with the Florida Hotel and Motel 
     Association in 2006. FRLA's more than 10,000 members include 
     independent hoteliers and restaurateurs, household name 
     franchises, theme parks and suppliers. The association's 
     mission is to protect, educate and promote Florida's nearly 
     $112 billion hospitality industry, which represents 1.3 
     million employees. Dedicated to safeguarding the needs of the 
     membership, FRLA provides legislative advocacy to ensure the 
     voices of its members are heard and their interests are 
     protected.
       FRLA is extremely grateful for your work in recognizing the 
     need for consistent and broadly applicable mandatory fee 
     disclosure and display requirements across the entire lodging 
     booking and advertising ecosystem. This bill would create a 
     national standard for the display of lodging prices, and it 
     would require that any mandatory fees be included in prices 
     wherever lodging is advertised, distributed, and sold. As 
     written, this bill would also ensure compliance throughout 
     the complex and fragmented lodging distribution ecosystem.
       While hotels currently disclose mandatory additional fees 
     to consumers in accordance with existing FTC guidance, it is 
     critical that any updated display requirements apply across 
     the competitive lodging advertising and booking landscape. 
     Recently, many of the largest hotel chains that include FRLA 
     members--including Marriott International, Hilton, Choice 
     Hotels International, Omni Hotels & Resorts, and Hyatt--have 
     implemented, or announced plans to soon implement, changes to 
     ensure that mandatory fees are clearly displayed at the 
     outset in the pricing consumers are offered through their 
     owned channels.
       Critically, as consumers shop for and book lodging through 
     a wide variety of channels and providers, this proposed 
     legislation would apply to third-party distributors, such as 
     online travel agencies (e.g., Expedia), metasearch sites and 
     search engines (e.g., Google), as well as short-term rental 
     platforms (e.g., Airbnb). Any regulation mandating fee 
     display and disclosure must be consistently applied to all 
     accommodation providers, advertisers, and broader industry 
     participants to ensure consumers see the same information, in 
     a consistent manner, everywhere they shop. A level 
     competitive playing field for industry participants paired 
     with clear and consistent display for consumers is critical, 
     and we believe this drafted legislation achieves those goals.
       We thank you for introducing this legislation and working 
     together with Representative Kim in a bipartisan fashion to 
     craft a strong bill that will ensure compliance across the 
     industry.
       We look forward to working with you and your colleagues to 
     support Florida's hotel and lodging industry, employees, 
     guests, and local communities.
           Sincerely,
                                              Carol B. Dover, FMP,
                                                  President & CEO,
     Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
                                  ____


           Support for Federal Price Transparency Legislation

       Airbnb today announced support for the No Hidden Fees on 
     Extra Expenses for Stays (No Hidden FEES) Act of 2023 (H.R 
     6543) introduced by U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) 
     and Kathy Castor (FL-14). The bill would create a national 
     standard for price transparency across the accommodation 
     industry, including short-term rentals and hotels.
       ``Last year, Airbnb launched total price display to make it 
     easier for guests to find stays that fit their budget, and 
     help our Hosts set competitive prices. We believe giving 
     guests the ability to see a fee-inclusive price when they 
     search makes for a better experience, and that's why we are 
     proud to support the No Hidden Fees Act to create a national 
     industry-wide standard for price transparency at a time when 
     affordability is top of mind for consumers. We applaud 
     Representatives Kim and Castor for their work on this 
     legislation and we look forward to helping raise support for 
     its passage,'' said Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb's Global Policy 
     Director.
       Last December, Airbnb launched the option to display total 
     pricing in the US and other countries without existing price 
     display requirements. US guests can now view total pricing 
     with fees, before taxes, across the entire app. Since we 
     launched the tool, over 8 million guests have booked travel 
     on Airbnb using total price display.
       In June, Airbnb's Chief Financial Officer Dave Stephenson 
     joined President Joe Biden for a meeting at the White House 
     to highlight private sector companies that have launched 
     price display improvements for consumers.

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, let me read what they say.
  American Hotel and Lodging Association says: ``While hotels disclose 
mandatory additional fees to consumers in accordance with existing FTC 
guidance now, it is critical that any updated display requirements 
apply across the competitive lodging advertising and booking landscape. 
Recently, many of the largest hotel chains . . . have implemented, or 
announced plans to imminently implement, changes to ensure that 
mandatory fees are displayed upfront in the pricing consumers are 
offered through their owned channels.
  ``Critically, as consumers shop for and book lodging through a wide 
variety of channels and providers, this proposed legislation would 
apply to third-party distributors, such as online travel agencies . . . 
metasearch sites and search engines . . . as well as short-term rental 
platforms. . . . Any regulation mandating fee display and disclosure 
must be consistently applied to all

[[Page H3707]]

accommodation providers, advertisers, and broader industry participants 
to ensure consumers see the same information, in a consistent manner, 
anywhere they shop.''
  Airbnb weighs in and says that they agree: ``We believe giving guests 
the ability to see a fee-inclusive price when they search makes for a 
better experience, and that's why we are proud to support the No Hidden 
FEES Act to create a national industrywide standard for price 
transparency at a time when affordability is top of mind for 
consumers.''
  I also thank my Energy and Commerce colleagues for passing this 
bipartisan bill out of the committee in a unanimous fashion and urge 
the House to also pass this unanimously. Let's get this relief to 
consumers so that, when they shop for their vacation, they understand 
exactly what they are getting.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge all my colleagues to 
support this bipartisan bill. It is important that we get at junk fees, 
and this is one of those bills that comes out of our committee that 
will accomplish that goal.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank the chairman of the 
full committee and the ranking member of the full committee and, of 
course, the ranking member of the subcommittee, which I chair. This is 
a great commonsense bill. It is all about transparency. I encourage 
final passage, and let's get it to the Senate as soon as possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6543.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________