[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 109th Congress]
[109th Congress]
[House Document 108-241]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 215-216]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 

                     sec. xxvii--report of committee


[[Page 216]]

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.



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



  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). Except as provided in clause 2(c) of rule XIII, 
committee reports must be submitted while the House is in session; and 
this requirement may be waived by only by order of the House (by rule, 
suspension, or unanimous consent but not by motion) (Dec. 17, 1982, p. 
31951). Subject to availability requirements under clause 4 and timing 
considerations under clause 6 of rule XIII, all reports privileged under 
clause 5 of rule XIII may be called up for consideration immediately 
after being filed (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34406). For 
a discussion of the three-day layover rule, see Sec. 850, infra.




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).