[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 217-219]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 

                    sec. xxix--bill, reports taken up


[[Page 218]]

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.



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



  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 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).


[[Page 219]]

proposed; and when through the whole, he puts the question whether the 
bill shall be read a third time?



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





  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 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. In modern practice 
the House may adopt a special order ``self-executing'' the adoption of 
the reported committee amendments in the House, and may permit further 
amendment to the amended text (e.g., H. Res. 245, 106th Cong., July 15, 
1999, p. 16216).