[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 7, Chapters 22 - 25]
[Chapter 22. Calendars]
[A. Introductory]
[Â§ 1. Calendars of the House]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 4465-4466]
 
                               CHAPTER 22
 
                               Calendars
 
                            A. INTRODUCTORY
 
Sec. 1. Calendars of the House


    There are five legislative calendars in the House of 
Representatives. They are: (1) the Calendar of the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union (Union Calendar); (2) the House 
Calendar; (3) the Calendar of the Committee of the Whole House (Private 
Calendar); (4) the Consent Calendar; and (5) the Calendar of Motions to 
Discharge Committees.(1) Rule XIII provides that there shall 
be three calendars for the reference of bills reported from committees: 
(1) a Calendar of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the 
Union for ``. . . bills raising revenue, general appropriation bills, 
and bills of a public character directly or indirectly appropriating 
money or property''; (2) a House Calendar for ``. . . bills of a public 
character not raising revenue nor directly or indirectly appropriating 
money or property''; and (3) a Calendar of the Committee of the Whole 
House for private bills.(2)
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 1. The calling up of motions to discharge committees is treated in Ch. 
        18, supra.
 2. Rule XIII clause 1, House Rules and Manual Sec. 742 (1981).
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    Favorably reported bills are referred to a calendar by the Speaker. 
Bills adversely reported from a committee are laid on the table unless 
request is made by the committee at the time or by a Member within 
three days that they be referred to a calendar.(3) And bills 
favorably reported and referred to either the House or Union Calendars 
may be placed on the Consent Calendar under a notice procedure at the 
request of any Member.(4)
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 3. Rule XIII clause 2, House Rules and Manual Sec. 744 (1981).
 4. Rule XIII clause 4, House Rules and Manual Sec. 746 (1981).
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    A point of order (5) may be raised that a bill is on the 
wrong calendar when it is called up for consideration.(6) 
However, such a point of order comes too late when consideration of a 
bill in question has begun.(7)
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 5. Generally, see Ch. 31, infra.
 6. 6 Cannon's Precedents Sec. Sec. 746, 747.
 7. 7 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 856.

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[[Page 4466]]

    When the Speaker directs the transfer of an erroneously referred 
bill it is transferred to the proper calendar as of the date of its 
original reference.(8)
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 8. 6 Cannon's Precedents Sec. Sec. 744-748; see also Sec. 1.2, 
        infra.                          -------------------
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Adversely Reported Measures

Sec. 1.1 Measures adversely reported from a committee are not referred 
    to a calendar unless a request is made that they be referred to a 
    calendar.

    On July 15, 1959,(9) Mr. William H. Meyer, of Vermont, 
asked that House Concurrent Resolutions 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 251, 
and 254, which had been reported adversely, be referred to the 
calendar.
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 9. 105 Cong. Rec. 13493, 86th Cong. 1st Sess.
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     The Speaker (10) ordered the measures referred to the 
Union Calendar.(11)
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10. Sam Rayburn (Tex.).
11. This procedure was carried out pursuant to Rule XIII clause 2: ``. 
        . . bills reported adversely shall be laid on the table, unless 
        the committee reporting a bill, at the time, or any Member 
        within three days thereafter, shall request its reference to 
        the calendar, when it shall be referred, as provided in clause 
        1 of this rule.'' House Rules and Manual Sec. 744 (1981).
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Improperly Referred Bills

Sec. 1.2 When a bill has been erroneously referred to the Union 
    Calendar the Speaker directs its transfer to the proper calendar as 
    of the date it was originally reported from committee.

    On Dec. 7, 1950,(12) Mr. Andrew J. Biemiller, of 
Wisconsin, raised a parliamentary inquiry:
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12. 96 Cong. Rec. 16307, 81st Cong. 2d Sess.
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        Mr. Biemiller: Mr. Speaker, on the 7th of August the bill H.R. 
    7789, which was reported by the Committee on Interstate and Foreign 
    Commerce, was referred to the Union Calendar. I believe that this 
    was done in error and that the bill should have been referred to 
    the House Calendar.
        The Speaker: (13) The Chair has examined the bill 
    and finds that it is not chargeable to the Treasury. Therefore, the 
    reference to the Union Calendar was in error and the bill is now 
    referred to the House Calendar as of the date it was originally 
    reported by the committee.
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13. Sam Rayburn (Tex.).
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