    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 106th Congress]
    [106th Congress]
    [House Document 105-358]
    [Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
    [Pages 209-211]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                        sec. xxix--bill, reports taken up

    Sec. 422. Consideration and action on reports.

      When  the
    report of a paper originating with a committee is taken up by the House,
    they proceed exactly as in committee. Here, as in committee, when the
    paragraphs have, on distinct questions, been agreed to seriatim, 5 Grey,
    366; 6 Grey, 368; 8 Grey, 47, 104, 360; 1 Torbuck's Deb., 125; 3 Hats.,
    348, no question needs be put on the whole report. 5 Grey, 381.

    [[Page 210]]

    during debate on a bill in the House or in the Committee of the Whole
    for unanimous consent to amend the accompanying committee report in a
    specified manner, as the House should not change the substance of a
    committee report upon which it is not called to vote (Apr. 2, 1985, p.
    7209; Nov. 7, 1989, p. 27762). In rare instances, however, committees
    submit merely written reports without propositions for action. Such
    reports being before the House may be debated before any specific motion
    has been made (V, 4987, 4988), and are in such case read to the House
    (IV, 4663) and after being considered the question is taken on agreeing.
    In such cases the report appears in full on the Journal (II, 1364; IV,
    4675; V, 7177). When reports are acted on in this way it has not been
    the practice of the House to consider them by paragraphs, but the
    question has been put on the whole report (II, 1364).

      In the House committees usually report bills, joint resolutions,
    concurrent resolutions, or simple resolutions. These come before the
    House for action while the written reports accompanying them, which are
    always printed, do not (IV, 4674), and even the reading of the reports
    is in order only in the time of debate (V, 5292). The Chair will not
    recognize a Member

    Sec. 423. Action by the House on amendments recommended by
    committees.

      On  taking up a bill reported with amendments the amendments
    only are read by the Clerk. The Speaker then reads the first, and puts
    it to the question, and so on till the whole are adopted or rejected,
    before any other amendment be admitted, except it be an amendment to an
    amendment. Elsynge's Mem., 53. When through the amendments of the
    committee, the Speaker pauses, and gives time for amendments to be
    proposed in the House to the body of the bill; as he does also if it has
    been reported without amendments; putting no questions but on amendments
    proposed; and when through the whole, he puts the question whether the
    bill shall be read a third time?

    [[Page 211]]

    a bill is of such nature that it does not go to Committee of the Whole,
    it comes before the House from the House Calendar, on which it has been
    placed on being reported from the standing or select committee or
    pursuant to a special order of business. On being taken from the House
    Calendar the bill is read through and then the amendments proposed by
    the committee are read.

      The procedure outlined by this provision of the parliamentary law
    applies to bills when reported from the Committee of the Whole; but in
    practice it is usual to vote on the amendments in gross. But any Member
    may demand a separate vote (see Sec. 337, supra). The principle that the
    committee amendments should be voted on before amendments proposed by
    individual Members is recognized (IV, 4872-4876; V, 5773; VIII, 2862,
    2863), except when it is proposed to amend a committee amendment. The
    Clerk reads the amendments and the Speaker does not again read them.
    Frequently the House orders the previous question on the committee
    amendments and the bill to final passage, thus preventing further
    amendment. When