    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 105th Congress]
    [105th Congress]
    [House Document 104-272]
    [Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
    [Pages 204-205]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                        sec. xxvii.--report of committee.

    [[Page 205]]

    venience, shall take up the report. Scob., 52; Hakew., 148.

    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 con-

      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.
    34406), 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 (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).

    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).