    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 109th Congress]
    [109th Congress]
    [House Document 108-241]
    [Provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act]
    [Pages 957-960]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 957]]

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                         LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACTS

                           JOINT AND SELECT COMMITTEES

                                  HOUSE OFFICES

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    [[Page 959]]

                         EARLY ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE

                         LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACTS

     provisions of the legislative reorganization act of 1946 applicable to
                                   __________

                                   both houses

            section 132 of the legislative reorganization act of 1946

    Sec. 132. (a) <> Unless
    otherwise provided by the Congress, the two Houses shall--
                                 (2 U.S.C. 198)

              (1) adjourn sine die not later than July 31 of each year; or

              (2) in the case of an odd-numbered year, provide, not later

            than July 31 of such year, by concurrent resolution adopted in

            each House by rollcall vote, for the adjournment of the two

            Houses from that Friday in August which occurs at least thirty

            days before the first Monday in September (Labor Day) of such

            year to the second day after Labor Day.

      (b) This section shall not be applicable in any year if on July 31 of
    such year a state of war exists pursuant to a declaration of war by the
    Congress.

      The present form of this section is derived from the Legislative
    Reorganization Act of 1970 (sec. 461; 84 Stat. 1140). Before that
    revision, the 1946 Act (60 Stat. 812) provided for adjournment sine die
    of the two Houses not later than the last day of July each year except
    during time of war or a national emergency proclaimed by the President.
    Presidentially declared emergencies of May 8, 1939, May 27, 1941, and
    December 16, 1950, negated operation of the provision (see Speaker
    Rayburn, Aug. 1, 1949, p. 10486; Aug. 2, 1949, p. 10591; Aug. 4, 1949,
    p. 10778).

      The Committee on Rules has jurisdiction of matters relative to
    recesses and final adjournment of Congress (clause 1(n)(2) of rule X).

    [[Page 960]]

    up as privileged and requires a yea and nay vote for adoption (July 30,
    1973, p. 26657), and is not debatable (July 31, 1991, p. 20675); but the
    House may adjourn by simple motion on July 31 to meet on August 1 (July
    31, 1991, p. 20677). In even-numbered years, and some odd-numbered
    years, the House has agreed to concurrent resolutions waiving the
    provisions of this law to provide that the two Houses shall not adjourn
    for more than three days or sine die until they have adopted a
    concurrent resolution to that effect (July 25, 1972, p. 25145; July 24,
    1974, p. 25008; July 29, 1982, pp. 18562, 18563; July 30, 1986, p.
    18146; July 29, 1994, p. 18615; July 30, 1999, p. 18763). To obviate the
    necessity to adopt a concurrent resolution waiving the requirement in
    section 132 of Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, the House has
    included the language ``in consonance with section 132(a)'' in its
    concurrent resolutions providing for an August recess (e.g., July 31,
    1997, p. 17018; July 25, 2003, p. ----).

    Sec. 1106. Not a statutory adjournment sine die.

      Under  this
    provision of law, a concurrent resolution providing in an odd-numbered
    year for an adjournment of the two Houses from the first Friday in
    August until the second day after Labor Day or until notified to
    reassemble pursuant to a joint agreement of the Leadership of the two
    Houses is called

            section 141 of the legislative reorganization act of 1946

                                 (2 U.S.C. 145a)

    Sec. 1107. Preservation of committee
    hearings.

      Sec. 141. The  Librarian of the Library of Congress is authorized and
    directed to have bound at the end of each session of Congress the
    printed hearings of testimony taken by each committee of the Congress at
    the preceding session.

      This provision became effective on August 2, 1946.