[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 104th Congress]
[104th Congress]
[House Document 103-342]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 202-203]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 202]]

 

                    SEC. XXVII.--REPORT OF COMMITTEE.




Sec. 418. Parliamentary method of submitting 
reports.

  The  chairman of the committee, standing in his place, informs the 
House that the committee to whom was referred such a bill, have, 
according to order, had the same under consideration, and have directed 
him to report the same without any amendment, or with sundry amendments 
(as the case may be), which he is ready to do when the House pleases to 
receive it. And he or any other may move that it be now received; but 
the cry of ``now, now,'' from the House, generally dispenses with the 
formality of a motion and question. He then reads the amendments, with 
the coherence in the bill, and opens the alterations and the reasons of 
the committee for such amendments, until he has gone through the whole. 
He then delivers it at the Clerk's table, where the amendments reported 
are read by the Clerk without the coherence; whereupon the papers lie 
upon the table till the House, at its convenience, shall take up the 
report. Scob., 52; Hakew., 148.



[[Page 203]]
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) on which they are 
available to Members. The exceptions from the three-day rule, in 
addition to the exceptions stated in the rule for declarations of war 
and actions on certain executive determinations, are certain reports 
from the Committee on Rules (see clause 2(l)(6) of rule XI) and primary 
expense resolutions reported from the Committee on House Oversight (see 
clause 5 of rule XI). Reports not filed as privileged under clause 4(a) 
of rule XI are subject to the three-day rule unless specifically 
exempted therefrom (in clause 2(l)(6) of rule XI) or unless privileged 
under rule IX. It has been held, for example, that a privileged report 
involving the privileges of the House under rule IX (such as a report 
from a committee on the contemptuous conduct of a witness before the 
committee) would not be subject to the three-day rule (Speaker Albert, 
July 13, 1971, pp. 24720-23). The general rule (clause 1 of rule XIII) 
is that reports shall be placed on the calendars of the House, there to 
await action under the rules for the order of business (rule XXIV).

  This provision is to a large extent obsolete so far as the practice of 
the House of Representatives is concerned. Most of the reports of 
committees are made by filing them with the Clerk without reading 
(clause 2 of rule XIII), and only the reports of committees having leave 
to report at any time are made by the chairman or other member of the 
committee from the floor (clause 4(a) of rule XI). Committee reports 
must be submitted while the House is in session, and this requirement 
may be waived by unanimous consent only, and not by motion (Dec. 17, 
1982, p. 31951). All reports privileged under clause 4 of rule XI at one 
time could be called up for consideration immediately after being filed, 
but since January 3, 1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. ----
), such reports--with two exceptions--are subject to the requirement of 
clause 2(l)(6) of rule XI and cannot be considered in the House until 
the third calendar day 




Sec. 419. Reports; dissolution, and revival of select 
committees.

  The  report being made, the committee is dissolved and can act 
no more without a new power. Scob. 51. But it may be revived by a vote, 
and the same matter recommitted to them. 4 Grey, 361.





  This provision does not apply now to the Committees of the Whole or to 
the standing committees. It does apply to select committees, which 
expire when they report finally, but may be revived by the action of the 
House in referring in open House a new matter (IV, 4404, 4405). The 
provision does not preclude a standing committee from reporting a bill 
similar to one previously reported by such committee (VIII, 2311).