[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 107th Congress]
[107th Congress]
[House Document 106-320]
[Rules of the House of Representatives]
[Pages 572-586]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 572]]
 
                                Rule XII


Messages
              receipt and referral of measures and matters




Sec. 815. Entry of messages in the Journal and 
Record.

  1.  Messages received from the Senate, or from the President, 
shall be entered on the Journal and published in the Congressional 
Record of the proceedings of that day.


  This provision was adopted in 1867 and amended in 1880 (V, 6593). It 
was renumbered January 3, 1953 (p. 24). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former rule 
XXXIX (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----).


Referral
  The House may receive a message from the Senate when the Senate is not 
in session (VIII, 3338).



Sec. 816. Referral procedures.

  2.  (a) The Speaker shall refer 
each bill, resolution, or other matter that relates to a subject listed 
under a standing committee named in clause 1 of rule X in accordance 
with the provisions of this clause.



[[Page 573]]

  (b) The Speaker shall refer matters under paragraph (a) in such manner 
as to ensure to the maximum extent feasible that each committee that has 
jurisdiction under clause 1 of rule X over the subject matter of a 
provision thereof may consider such provision and report to the House 
thereon. Precedents, rulings, or procedures in effect before the Ninety-
Fourth Congress shall be applied to referrals under this clause only to 
the extent that they will contribute to the achievement of the 
objectives of this clause.

  (c) In carrying out paragraphs (a) and (b) with respect to the 
referral of a matter, the Speaker--

      (1) shall designate a committee of primary jurisdiction;

      (2) may refer the matter to one or more additional committees for 
consideration in sequence, either initially or after the matter has been 
reported by the committee of primary jurisdiction;

      (3) may refer portions of the matter reflecting different subjects 
and jurisdictions to one or more additional committees;

      (4) may refer the matter to a special, ad hoc committee appointed 
by the Speaker with the approval of the House, and including members of 
the committees of jurisdiction, for the specific purpose of considering 
that matter and reporting to the House thereon;

      (5) may subject a referral to appropriate time limitations; and


      (6) may make such other provision as may be considered 
appropriate.


[[Page 574]]

on Armed Services (military applications of nuclear energy), Interior 
and Insular Affairs (now Resources) (regulation of the domestic nuclear 
energy industry, since transferred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce in the 104th Congress), Foreign Affairs (now International 
Relations) (nonproliferation of nuclear energy and international nuclear 
export agreements), Interstate and Foreign Commerce (now Energy and 
Commerce) (the same jurisdiction over nuclear energy as exercised over 
other energy), and Science and Technology (now Science) (nondefense 
nuclear research and development). In addition, the Committee on 
Interstate and Foreign Commerce (now Energy and Commerce) was given 
oversight jurisdiction over all laws, programs, and government 
activities affecting nuclear energy. Paragraph (e) was deleted entirely 
in the 97th Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 5, 1981, p. 98). At the same time 
the House deleted former paragraph (d) which required the Congressional 
Research Service of the Library of Congress to prepare factual 
descriptions of each bill or resolution introduced in the House to be 
published in the Congressional Record. Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former clause 5 
of rule X (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----).
  This provision became effective as part of the rules on January 3, 
1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34470). Prior to that 
time a bill or resolution could not be divided for reference among two 
or more committees, although it contained matter properly within the 
jurisdiction of several committees (IV, 4361). Paragraph (c) was amended 
on January 4, 1977 (H. Res. 5, pp. 53-70) to authorize the Speaker to 
place an appropriate time limit for consideration by the first committee 
or committees to which referred. In the 104th Congress paragraph (c) was 
again amended to require the Speaker to initially designate a committee 
of primary jurisdiction in each referral of a measure to more than one 
committee (sec. 205, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 467). A paragraph (e) 
was added to the clause on January 4, 1977 (H. Res. 5, pp. 53-70) to 
abolish the legislative jurisdiction in the House of the Joint Committee 
on Atomic Energy. The legislative jurisdiction of the Joint Committee 
was divided among the Committees

  An order of the House that no organizational or legislative business 
be conducted on certain days (first by provision of a concurrent 
resolution, but extended by unanimous consent) was considered not to 
deprive Members of the privilege of introducing bills and resolutions 
during pro forma sessions on those days, such measures being numbered on 
the day introduced but not noted in the Record or referred to committee 
until the day on which business was resumed (H. Con. Res. 260, 102d 
Cong., Nov. 26, 1991, p. 35840; see Jan. 22, 1992, p. 149, and Jan. 28, 
1992, p. 745).


[[Page 575]]

reference to committees (Speaker Hastert, Apr. 26, 1999, p. ----) and 
may set appropriate time limitations on the initial reference to each 
committee (Speaker O'Neill, Feb. 16, 1977, p. 4532); may sequentially 
refer a bill reported by one committee, with a committee amendment, to 
another committee for consideration of the bill and amendment of the 
previous committee (Speaker O'Neill, Oct. 13, 1977, p. 33716); may 
sequentially refer to a third committee a portion of an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute recommended by one of two committees to which the 
bill had been referred, after the second committee reports the bill 
(Speaker O'Neill, May 22, 1985, p. 13126); may refer sequentially to two 
committees only a portion of the amendment reported by the primary 
committee for consideration of such provisions within that portion as 
fall within their respective jurisdictions (Speaker Wright, Sept. 9, 
1987, p. 23648); may discharge a reported bill from the Union Calendar 
for sequential reference to another committee (Speaker O'Neill, Apr. 27, 
1978, p. 11742; June 19, 1986, p. 14741; June 12, 1990, p. 13670); may 
discharge a committee from further consideration of a bill not reported 
by it within the time period for which the bill was referred by the 
Speaker and place the bill on the appropriate calendar (May 8, 1978, p. 
12924); may jointly refer designated portions of a bill to a second 
committee while referring the entire bill to another committee (Speaker 
O'Neill, Mar. 3, 1982, p. 3155); may delimit the period for sequential 
consideration of a bill in terms of legislative days (June 30, 1988, p. 
16597); may sequentially refer a bill without day (Sept. 27, 1988, p. 
25827); may sequentially refer a bill back to the first-reporting 
committee when it is reported from the second-reporting committee with a 
nongermane amendment within the jurisdiction of the first committee and 
not within the bounds of the initial referral (Oct. 4, 1988, p. 28242); 
and may refer a bill primarily to one committee (as now required by 
paragraph (c)) while also referring it initially to additional 
committees for time periods to be subsequently determined when the 
primary committee reports, in each case for consideration of matters 
within their respective jurisdictions (Speaker Gingrich, Jan. 4, 1995, 
p. 123). A bill initially referred to more than one committee and 
reported by the primary committee with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute may be sequentially referred to yet another committee for 
consideration of specified portions of the introduced bill (Sept. 12, 
1995, p. 24791).
  Pursuant to his authority under this clause, subject to paragraph (c), 
the Speaker may refer a bill to a special ad hoc committee appointed by 
him with the approval of the House (from the members of the committees 
with legislative jurisdiction) for consideration and report on that 
particular bill (Speaker Albert, Apr. 22, 1975, p. 11261); may jointly 
refer a report of a select committee filed with the Clerk to standing 
committees of the House for their study (Speaker Albert, Feb. 16, 1976, 
p. 3158); may divide a communication or bill for reference where the 
proposition is divisible by jurisdiction (Feb. 4, 1975, p. 2253; Apr. 
26, 1999, p. ----); may refer a bill to more than one committee for 
their respective consideration of such provisions of the bill as fall 
within their jurisdiction (Speaker Albert, Feb. 25, 1976, p. 4315); may 
sequentially refer a bill reported from a committee to other committees 
for a time certain for consideration of such portions of the bill as 
fall within their respective jurisdictions (Speaker Albert, Apr. 9, 
1976, p. 10265; May 17, 1976, p. 14093); may limit a sequential referral 
to matters having a direct effect on subjects within the committee's 
jurisdiction (Speaker O'Neill, June 7, 1983, p. 14699); may extend the 
time period of a sequentially referred bill and may refer the bill to 
yet another committee under the same sequential referral conditions 
(Speaker Albert, June 1, 1976, p. 16588); may divide a matter for 
initial


[[Page 576]]

by the primary committee would delete portions of the bill within the 
jurisdiction of the sequential committee) (Speaker Hastert, May 10, 
1999, p. ----). In the 96th Congress, the Speaker had followed a more 
restrictive policy, permitting a sequential committee to review (1) 
those portions of introduced text within its jurisdiction and (2) those 
portions of an amendment within its jurisdiction when the introduced 
version also dictated a sequential referral to the committee (Speaker 
O'Neill, Apr. 15, 1980, p. 7760). The Speaker first exercised the 
authority to base referrals on committee amendments by sequentially 
referring a bill reported from the Committee on Public Works and 
Transportation (now Transportation and Infrastructure), relating only to 
Corps of Engineers water projects as introduced but amended in committee 
to address general water resource policy affecting irrigation and 
reclamation projects and soil conservation programs, to the Committees 
on Agriculture and Interior and Insular Affairs (now Resources) for 
consideration of provisions of the committee amendment within their 
jurisdiction (Speaker O'Neill, May 20, 1981, p. 10361). Thus the Speaker 
may sequentially refer a reported bill to another committee solely for 
consideration of provisions of the first committee's amendment within 
its jurisdiction and not for consideration of the entire bill (Apr. 5, 
1982, p. 6580), may sequentially refer a reported bill to two other 
committees for different periods of time, solely for consideration of 
designated sections of the first committee's recommended amendment (May 
18, 1982, p. 10418; Aug. 1, 1985, p. 22681), may discharge from the 
Union Calendar and sequentially refer to another committee a bill solely 
for consideration of designated portions of the first committee's 
amendment (May 21, 1982, p. 11169), and may sequentially refer a bill 
which has been initially referred to several committees but reported 
only by one, for consideration of the reporting committee's amendment 
(June 17, 1982, p. 14069; Sept. 5, 1990, p. 23477), and may sequentially 
refer a bill referred to more than one committee when the first 
committee reports, for a period ending a number of days after the next 
committee reports (Speaker O'Neill, Aug. 1, 1985, p. 22681), or after 
all committees report (June 10, 1988, p. 14079).
  The Speaker announced a new application of his authority on sequential 
referrals in the 97th Congress, namely that the sequential referral of 
any bills or resolutions from a committee initially reporting a bill 
would be based upon the subject matter contained in any amendment 
recommended by the reporting committee, as well as upon the original 
text of the bill or resolution (Speaker O'Neill, Jan. 5, 1981, pp. 115, 
116), or, as announced in the 100th Congress, in certain cases, based 
only upon the text of a reported substitute amendment in lieu of 
original text (Speaker Wright, Jan. 6, 1987, p. 22). The Speaker also 
may base a sequential referral only on the text of the bill as 
introduced (where the amendment recommended

  On the last day of an expiring sequential referral, a committee has 
until midnight to file its report with the Clerk (Oct. 9, 1991, p. 
26045).


[[Page 577]]

a date certain (Speaker O'Neill, July 31, 1985, p. 21936). In the 98th 
Congress, the Speaker exercised his authority under this clause to 
sequentially refer a joint resolution making continuing appropriations, 
reported as privileged by the Committee on Appropriations, to the 
committee having legislative jurisdiction over a legislative provision 
in the resolution, without a time limitation on the sequential referral 
(H.J. Res. 367, Sept. 22, 1983, p. 25523).
  Before paragraph (c) was amended in the 104th Congress to require the 
Speaker to designate a committee of primary jurisdiction, the Speaker 
announced at the convening of the 98th Congress that he would exercise 
his authority, in situations which warranted it, to designate a primary 
committee among those to which a bill was jointly referred, and to 
impose time limits on committees having a secondary interest following 
the report of the primary committee under a joint referral (Speaker 
O'Neill, Jan. 3, 1983, p. 54; Jan. 5, 1993, p. 105). The Speaker may 
exercise this authority by referring a bill concurrently to two 
committees, with a time limit on one of the committees ending within a 
certain period after the other committee reports to the House (Jan. 27, 
1983, p. 937; Feb. 2, 1983, p. 1492; Apr. 9, 1987, p. 8665) or with a 
time limit on one committee ending with

  Pursuant to the Speaker's authority under clause 2 of rule XIV (former 
clause 2 of rule XXIV), relating to messages from the Senate, he has 
discretionary authority to refer from the Speaker's table to standing 
committees, Senate amendments to House-passed bills, under any 
conditions permitted under this provision for introduced bills; he may 
for example impose a time limitation for consideration only of a portion 
of the Senate amendment, not germane to the original House bill, by the 
standing committee with subject-matter jurisdiction, without referring 
the remainder of the Senate amendment to the House committee with 
jurisdiction over the original House bill (Speaker O'Neill, H.R. 31, 
Mar. 26, 1981, p. 5397). Beginning with the 98th Congress, the Speaker 
announced a policy of referring nongermane Senate amendments under 
certain conditions (Jan. 3, 1983, p. 54; Jan. 5, 1993, p. 105).

  Resolutions authorizing the Speaker to establish an ad hoc committee 
for the consideration of a particular bill under paragraph (c) of this 
clause, and extending the reporting date for such a committee, are 
privileged when offered from the floor at the Speaker's request (Speaker 
Albert, Apr. 22, 1975, p. 11261; Jan. 26, 1976, p. 876; Speaker O'Neill, 
Jan. 11, 1977, pp. 894-98; Apr. 21, 1977, pp. 11550-56).

  The Speaker may refer to an ad hoc committee, established with the 
approval of the House, bills, resolutions, and other matters (including 
messages and communications) for the purpose of considering such matters 
and reporting to the House thereon, and the resolution creating such a 
committee may specify whether referrals to such a committee shall be by 
initial or sequential reference or by any of the other methods provided 
by this clause (H. Res. 508, Apr. 21, 1977, pp. 11550-56; Speaker 
O'Neill, July 11, 1977, p. 22183; July 20, 1977, p. 24167). Further, 
under paragraph (c), the Speaker may divide a bill into two or more 
parts for initial reference to different committees and may also jointly 
refer a portion of the bill to some of those committees, and may set 
appropriate time limitations for reporting by every standing committee 
to which the bill is initially referred (Speaker O'Neill, May 2, 1977, 
p. 13184).



[[Page 578]]


  Clause 7 provides the mechanism for changes of referrals erroneously 
made.




Sec. 817. Restriction on the reference of claims.

  (d)  A bill 
for the payment or adjudication of a private claim against the 
Government may not be referred to a committee other than the Committee 
on International Relations or the Committee on the Judiciary, except by 
unanimous consent.


  The present form of this paragraph was made effective January 2, 1947, 
as a part of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 812). 
It was amended several times to conform references to renamed committees 
(H. Res. 163, Mar. 19, 1975, p. 7343; H. Res. 89, Feb. 5, 1979, p. 1848; 
sec. 202(b), H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 467). The old rule, adopted in 
1885 and amended May 29, 1936, provided that private claims bills be 
referred to a Committee on Invalid Pensions, Claims, War Claims, Public 
Lands, and Accounts, in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs 
(now International Relations) and the Judiciary. Certain private bills, 
resolutions and amendments are barred (see Sec. 822, infra). Before the 
House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was 
found in former clause 4 of rule XXI (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----).


Petitions, memorials, and private bills
  Under this paragraph unanimous consent is required for the reference 
of a bill for the payment of a private claim to a committee other than 
the Committee on the Judiciary or the Committee on International 
Relations (May 4, 1978, p. 12615). The Committee on the Judiciary, and 
not the Committee on Ways and Means, has jurisdiction over a private 
bill specifying that a certain annuity fund is exempt from taxation 
under provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (Deschler's Precedents, 
vol. 4, ch. 17, sec. 43.22).


[[Page 579]]

senting it and shall be printed in the Congressional Record.



Sec. 818. Introduction and reference of petitions, 
memorials, and private bills.

  3. If a  Member, Delegate, or Resident 
Commissioner has a petition, memorial, or private bill to present, he 
shall endorse his name, deliver it to the Clerk, and may specify the 
reference or disposition to be made thereof. Such petition, memorial, or 
private bill (except when judged by the Speaker to be obscene or 
insulting) shall be entered on the Journal with the name of the Member, 
Delegate, or Resident Commissioner pre


  At the first organization of the House in 1789 the rules then adopted 
provided for the presentation of petitions to the House by the Speaker 
and Members, and for the introduction of bills by motion for leave. In 
1842 it was found necessary, in order to save time, to provide that 
petitions and memorials should be filed with the Clerk. In 1870, 1879, 
and 1887 the practice as to petitions was extended to private bills, at 
first as to certain classes and later so that all should be filed with 
the Clerk (IV, 3312, 3365; VII, 1024). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former clause 1 
of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----).



Sec. 819. Duties of Speaker and Members 
in presenting petitions.

  Petitions, memorials,  and other papers addressed to the House may 
be presented by the Speaker as well as by a Member (IV, 3312). Petitions 
from the country at large are presented by the Speaker in the manner 
prescribed by the rule (III, 2030; IV, 3318; VII, 1025). A Member may 
present a petition from the people of a State other than his own (IV, 
3315, 3316). The House itself may refer one portion of a petition to one 
committee and another portion to another committee (IV, 3359, 3360), but 
ordinarily the reference of a petition does not come before the House 
itself. A committee may receive a petition only through the House (IV, 
4557).




Sec. 820. As to division of bills for 
reference.

  The parliamentary  law provides that the House may commit a portion of a bill, 
or a part to one committee and part to another (V, 5558), yet under the 
practice of the House until January 3, 1975, a bill or joint resolution 
could not be divided for reference, although it might contain matters 
properly within the jurisdiction of several committees (IV, 4372, 4376). 
On that date, the Speaker was given authority over referral of bills as 
prescribed in clause 2 of this rule (former clause 5 of rule X). In the 
106th Congress the Speaker referred a bill by title to two committees 
(H.R. 1554, Apr. 26, 1999, p. ----).





Sec. 821. Fraudulent introduction of a 
bill.

  The fraudulent  introduction of a bill involves a question of privilege, and a 
bill so introduced was ordered stricken from the files (IV, 3388). As 
the result of the unauthorized introduction of several bills without the 
knowledge of the Members listed as sponsors, the Speaker directed that 
all bills and resolutions must be signed by the prime sponsor thereof in 
order to be accepted for introduction (Speaker Albert, Feb. 3, 1972, p. 
2521).



[[Page 580]]

not be received or considered in the House if it authorizes or directs--


Sec. 822. Certain private bills prohibited.

  4. A  private 
bill or private resolution (including an omnibus claim or pension bill), 
or amendment thereto, may


      (a) the payment of money for property damages, for personal 
injuries or death for which suit may be instituted under the Tort Claims 
Procedure provided in title 28, United States Code, or for a pension 
(other than to carry out a provision of law or treaty stipulation);

      (b) the construction of a bridge across a navigable stream; or


      (c) the correction of a military or naval record.


Prohibition on commemorations
  This paragraph derives from section 131 of the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 812) and was made a part of the 
standing rules January 3, 1953 (p. 24). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former clause 
2(a) of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----). The prohibition 
relating to correction of a miltary record does not apply to a private 
bill that changes the computation of retired pay for a former member of 
the armed services (after exhaustion of administrative remedies) but 
does not directly correct his military record (Sept. 18, 1984, p. 
25824).



Sec. 823. Commemoratives prohibited.

  5. (a)  A bill or 
resolution, or an amendment thereto, may not be introduced or considered 
in the House if it establishes or expresses a commemoration.



  (b) In this clause the term ``commemoration'' means a remembrance, 
celebration, or recognition for any purpose through the designation of a 
specified period of time.


[[Page 581]]

ommendations thereon (sec. 216, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 468). Before 
the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was 
found in former clause 2(b) of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. --
--).

Excluded matters
  The 104th Congress added the prohibition against commemorative 
legislation and directed the Committee on Government Reform and 
Oversight (now Government Reform) to consider alternative means for 
establishing commemorations, including the creation of an independent or 
executive branch commission for such purpose, and to report to the House 
any rec




Sec. 824. Correction of errors in reference; and relation to 
jurisdiction.

  6. A  petition, memorial, bill, or resolution excluded under 
this rule shall be returned to the Member, Delegate, or Resident 
Commissioner from whom it was received. A petition or private bill that 
has been inappropriately referred may, by direction of the committee 
having possession of it, be properly referred in the manner originally 
presented. An erroneous reference of a petition or private bill under 
this clause does not confer jurisdiction on a committee to consider or 
report it.


  This clause of the rule was first adopted in 1880, although the 
portion relating to the return of certain petitions and bills was 
adapted from an older rule of 1842 (IV, 3312, 3365). In the 104th 
Congress it was amended to conform to the new prohibition against 
commemorative legislation (sec. 216, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 468). 
Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this 
provision was found in former clause 3 of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 
1999, p. ----).



[[Page 582]]

Sponsorship
  Errors in reference of petitions, memorials, or private bills are 
corrected at the Clerk's table, without action by the House, at the 
suggestion of the committee holding possession (IV, 4379). As provided 
in the rule, the erroneous reference of a private House bill does not 
confer jurisdiction, and a point of order is good when the bill comes up 
for consideration either in the House or in the Committee of the Whole 
(IV, 4382-4389). But in cases wherein the House itself refers a private 
House or Senate bill a point of order may not be raised as to 
jurisdiction (IV, 4390, 4391; VII, 2131). The Speaker may correct the 
erroneous referral of a bill as private by referring it to the 
appropriate (Union) calendar as a public bill when reported (June 1, 
1988, p. 13184).



Sec. 825. Introduction, reference, and change of 
reference of public bills, memorials, and resolutions.

  7. (a) Bills,  memorials, 
petitions, and resolutions, endorsed with the names of Members, 
Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner introducing them, may be 
delivered to the Speaker to be referred. The titles and references of 
all bills, memorials, petitions, resolutions, and other documents 
referred under this rule shall be entered on the Journal and printed in 
the Congressional Record. An erroneous reference may be corrected by the 
House in accordance with rule X on any day immediately after the Pledge 
of Allegiance to the Flag by unanimous consent or motion. Such a motion 
shall be privileged if offered by direction of a committee to which the 
bill has been erroneously referred or by direction of a committee 
claiming jurisdiction and shall be decided without debate.


  (b)(1) The primary sponsor of a public bill or public resolution may 
name cosponsors. The name of a cosponsor added after the initial 
printing of a bill or resolution shall appear in the next printing of 
the bill or resolution on the written request of the primary sponsor. 
Such a request may be submitted to the Speaker at any time until the 
last committee authorized to consider and report the bill or resolution 
reports it to the House or is discharged from its consideration.


[[Page 583]]

the Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner whose name is to be 
deleted or by the primary sponsor of the bill or resolution, and only 
until the last committee authorized to consider and report the bill or 
resolution reports it to the House or is discharged from its 
consideration. The Speaker may not entertain a request to delete the 
name of the primary sponsor of a bill or resolution. A deletion shall be 
indicated by date in the next printing of the bill or resolution.
  (2) The name of a cosponsor of a bill or resolution may be deleted by 
unanimous consent. The Speaker may entertain such a request only by

  (3) The addition or deletion of the name of a cosponsor of a bill or 
resolution shall be entered on the Journal and printed in the 
Congressional Record of that day.


  (4) A bill or resolution shall be reprinted on the written request of 
the primary sponsor. Such a request may be submitted to the Speaker only 
when 20 or more cosponsors have been added since the last printing of 
the bill or resolution.

  The rule of 1789 provided that all bills should be introduced on 
report of a committee or by motion for leave. By various modifications 
it was first provided that all classes of private bills should be 
introduced by filing them with the Clerk, and in 1890 this system was by 
this rule extended to all public bills (IV, 3365). In the 105th and 
107th Congresses paragraph (a) was amended to effect technical 
corrections (H. Res. 5, Jan. 7, 1997, p. ----; sec. 2(x), H. Res. 5, 
Jan. 3, 2001, p. ----). Before the House recodified its rules in the 
106th Congress, this provision was found in former clause 4 of rule XXII 
(H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----).

  At its organization for the 106th Congress the House adopted an order 
of the House that the first 10 bill numbers be reserved for assignment 
by the Speaker during a specified period (sec. 2(g), H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 
1999, p. ----). In the 107th Congress the House adopted the same order, 
but extending the applicable time period to the entire first session 
(sec. 3(d), H. Res. 5, Jan. 3, 2001, p. ----).


[[Page 584]]

in order on Calendar Wednesday (VII, 2117), and is not privileged under 
the rule if the original reference was not erroneous (VII, 2125). The 
motion may be amended, but the amendment, like the original motion, is 
subject to the requirement that it be authorized by the committee (VII, 
2127). The motion must apply to a single bill and not to a class of 
bills (VII, 2125).
  The motion for a change of reference and subsidiary motions take 
precedence over motions to go into the Committee of the Whole for the 
consideration of appropriation bills and the consideration of conference 
reports (VII, 2124), and may not be debated (VII, 2126-2128). But the 
motion is not

  According to the later practice the erroneous reference of a public 
bill, if it remain uncorrected, in effect gives jurisdiction to the 
committee receiving it (IV, 4365-4371; VII, 1489, 2108-2113; VIII, 
2312). And it is too late to move a change of reference after such 
committee has reported the bill (VII, 2110; VIII, 2312), but the Speaker 
may, pursuant to authority granted him by clause 2 (former clause 5 of 
rule X) effective January 3, 1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, 
p. 34470), refer a bill sequentially to other committees. All bills and 
resolutions must be signed by the primary sponsor thereof (Speaker 
Albert, Feb. 3, 1972, p. 2521).

  Joint sponsorship of public bills by not more than 25 Members was 
authorized in the 90th Congress (H. Res. 42, Apr. 25, 1967, p. 10712). 
Prior thereto a special committee had reported against this practice and 
the report had been adopted by the House (VII, 1029). Effective January 
3, 1979 (H. Res. 86, 95th Cong., Oct. 10, 1978, p. 34929), paragraph (b) 
was added to allow unlimited cosponsorship and to provide a mechanism 
for Members to add their names as cosponsors to bills or resolutions 
which have already been introduced, up until the bill is finally 
reported from committee, and on January 15, 1979, the Speaker announced 
his directive for the processing of lists of cosponsors pursuant to the 
new clause (Speaker O'Neill, Jan. 15, 1979, p. 19).

  Although, prior to the 106th Congress, paragraph (b)(2) only permitted 
a cosponsoring Member himself to request unanimous consent for his 
deletion as a cosponsor, the primary sponsor of a measure was permitted 
to request unanimous consent to delete from the permanent Record the 
name of a cosponsor he had inadvertently or erroneously listed (Feb. 9, 
1982). This practice was codified in the 106th Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 
6, 1999, p. ----). Unanimous-consent requests to delete Members' names 
as cosponsors are not entertained after the last committee authorized to 
consider the bill has reported to the House (or has been discharged from 
further consideration) (Oct. 8, 1985, p. 26668; Feb. 10, 2000, p. ----), 
and the Speaker has vacated unanimous-consent orders of the House to 
delete cosponsors when advised that the bill had already been reported 
(Aug. 5, 1987, p. 22458). A Member may request unanimous consent that 
his name be deleted as a cosponsor of an unreported bill during its 
consideration under suspension of the rules and prior to a final vote 
thereon (June 9, 1986, p. 12979).


[[Page 585]]

tual primary sponsor is no longer a Member (June 23, 1989, p. 13271; 
Apr. 5, 2000, p. ----), but the Chair will not otherwise entertain a 
request to add cosponsors by a Member other than the primary sponsor 
(Mar. 5, 1991, p. 5026). In fact, the Chair will not entertain any 
unanimous consent request to add a cosponsor (July 24, 2000, p. ----), 
whether such request includes only the Member making the request (Oct. 
25, 1995, p. 29352), includes all Members (Dec. 18, 1985, p. 37765), or 
includes a specified additional sponsor (Jan. 28, 1985, p. 1141; May 23, 
1985, p. 13421). Such requests must be made by a primary sponsor through 
the hopper not later than the last day on which any committee is 
authorized to consider and report the measure to the House (Nov. 4, 
1997, p. ----).
  By unanimous consent a Member may add his own name as a cosponsor of 
an unreported bill where the primary sponsor is no longer a Member of 
the House (Aug. 4, 1983, p. 23188), and a designated Member may be 
authorized to sign and submit lists of additional cosponsors where the 
ac

  An order of the House that no organizational or legislative business 
be conducted on certain days (first by provision of a concurrent 
resolution, but extended by unanimous consent) was considered not to 
deprive Members of the privilege of introducing bills and resolutions 
during pro forma sessions on those days, such measures being numbered on 
the day introduced but not noted in the Record or referred to committee 
until the day on which business was resumed (H. Con. Res. 260, 102d 
Cong., Nov. 26, 1991, p. 35840; Jan. 22 and 28, 1992, pp. 149, 745).


  At its organization for the 104th Congress the House resolved that 
each of the first 20 bills and each of the first two joint resolutions 
introduced in the House in that Congress could have more than one Member 
reflected as a primary sponsor (sec. 223(g), H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 
469); and the Speaker stated that all signatures of ``primary'' sponsors 
would be required on the bills (Speaker Gingrich, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 551). 
A Member was subsequently added as a ``primary'' sponsor by unanimous 
consent (Jan. 18, 1995, p. 1447).




Sec. 826. Introduction of bills, resolutions, or memorials 
by request.

  (5)  When a bill or resolution is introduced ``by request,'' 
those words shall be entered on the Journal and printed in the 
Congressional Record.



Executive communications
  This provision was adopted in 1888 (IV, 3366). Before the House 
recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, it was found in former 
clause 6 of rule XXII (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----). It has never 
been the practice of the House to permit the names of the persons 
requesting the introduction of the bill to be printed in the Record.


[[Page 586]]

House shall be addressed to the Speaker for referral as provided in 
clause 2 of rule XIV.



Sec. 827. Reception and reference of executive 
communications, including estimates.

  8. Estimates  of appropriations and all other 
communications from the executive departments intended for the 
consideration of any committees of the





  This rule was adopted in 1867 and amended in 1880 (V, 6593). It was 
renumbered January 3, 1953 (p. 24). Before the House recodified its 
rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former rule XL 
(H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. ----). Formerly estimates of appropriations 
were transmitted through the Secretary of the Treasury (IV, 3573-3576, 
4045), but under the Budget Act they are transmitted by the President.