[House Report 109-577]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



109th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     109-577

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PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2389, PLEDGE PROTECTION ACT OF 2005

                                _______
                                

   July 18, 2006.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

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   Mr. Gingrey, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 920]

    The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration 
House Resolution 920, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to 
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be 
adopted.

                SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

    The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 2389, the 
Pledge Protection Act of 2005, under a structured rule. The 
rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided and 
controlled by the Majority Leader and Minority Leader or their 
designees. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill.
    The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in 
this report. The rule provides that the amendments printed in 
this report may be offered only in the order printed in this 
report, may be offered only by a Member designated in this 
report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the 
time specified in this 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. The 
rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed 
in this report.
    Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions.

                         EXPLANATION OF WAIVERS

    The Committee is not aware of any points of order against 
consideration of the bill or the amendments made in order under 
the rule. The waivers of all points of order against 
consideration of the bill and against the amendments made in 
order under the rule are prophylactic in nature.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    Pursuant to clause 3(b) of House rule XIII the results of 
each record vote on an , amendment or motion to report, 
together with the names of those voting for and against shall 
be printed in the committee report. No record votes were taken 
by the committee; however, the committee did adopt by voice 
vote an amendment offered by Mr. Hastings of Florida to reduce 
the amount of debate time on the amendment offered by Mr. Watt 
of North Carolina from 20 minutes to 10 minutes.

                  SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER

    (Summaries derived from information provided by sponsors)
    1. Watt (NC): Preserves the authority of the United States 
Supreme Court to hear or decide any question pertaining to the 
interpretation of, or the validity under the Constitution of, 
the Pledge of Allegiance, as defined in section 4 of title 4, 
or its recitation. (10 minutes).
    2. Jackson-Lee (TX): Requires that Federal courts have 
jurisdiction when free exercise of religion is violated due to 
coerced or mandatory recitation of the Pledge. (10 minutes).
    3. Akin (MO): Adds language making it explicit that the Act 
is effective immediately and applies to all pending and future 
litigation. (10 minutes).

                    TEXT OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER

1. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Watt of North Carolina, 
               or His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

    Page 2, lines 12 and 13, strike ``, and the Supreme Court 
shall have no appellate jurisdiction,''.
                              ----------                              


 2. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Jackson-Lee of Texas, 
               or Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

    Page 3, line 2, insert after ``recitation'' the following: 
``, except in a case in which the claim involved alleges 
coerced or mandatory recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, 
including coercion in violation of the protection of the free 
exercise of religion''.
                              ----------                              


 3. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Akin of Missouri, or 
                 His Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

    Add at the end the following:

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act take effect on 
the date of the enactment of this Act and apply to any case 
that--
          (1) is pending on such date of enactment; or
          (2) is commenced on or after such date of enactment.

                                  
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