[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 108th Congress]
[108th Congress]
[House Document 107-284]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 215-216]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 

                     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 216]]

under clause 5 of rule XIII 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 
certain exceptions--are subject to the requirement of clause 4 of rule 
XIII 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 include, an 
exception for declarations of war, actions on certain executive 
determinations, certain reports from the Committee on Rules, primary 
expense resolutions reported from the Committee on House Administration, 
and bills on the Corrections Calendar. Reports not filed as privileged 
under clause 5 of rule XIII are subject to the three-day rule unless 
specifically exempted therefrom (in clause 4 of rule XIII) 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 to await action under the rules for the order of business (rule 
XIV).

  This provision is to a large extent obsolete so far as the practice of 
the House 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 5 of rule XIII). 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




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).