[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 112th Congress]
[112nd Congress]
[House Document 111-157]
[Legislate Procedures Enacted in Law]
[Pages 1228-1230]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    22. Marine Fisheries Conservation Act, Sec. 203 [16 U.S.C. 1823]

  Sec. 203. congressional oversight of international fishery 
agreements.--(a) in general.--No governing international fishery 
agreement, bycatch reduction agreement, or Pacific Insular Area fishery 
agreement shall become effective with respect to the United States 
before the close of the first 120 days (excluding any days in a period 
for which the Congress is adjourned sine die) after the date on which 
the President transmits to the House of Representatives and to the 
Senate a document setting forth the text of such governing international 
fishery agreement, bycatch reduction agreement, or Pacific Insular Area 
fishery agreement. A copy of the document shall be delivered to each 
House of Congress on the same day and shall be delivered to the Clerk of 
the House of Representatives, if the House is not in session, and to the 
Secretary of the Senate, if the Senate is not in session.

  (b) referral to committees.--Any document described in subsection (a) 
shall be immediately referred in the House of Representatives to the 
Committee on Resources, and in the Senate to the Committees on Commerce 
and Foreign Relations.

  (c) congressional procedures.--(1) rules of the house of 
representatives and senate.--The provisions of this section are enacted 
by the Congress--

          (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of 

        Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and they are 


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House, respectively, 
        deemed a part of the rules of each 

        but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed 

        in that House in the case of fishery agreement resolutions 

        described in paragraph (2), and they supersede other rules only 

        to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and

          (B) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 

        either House to change the rules (so far as they relate to the 

        procedure of that House) at any time, and in the same manner and 

        to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that 

        House.

  (2) definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the term ``fishery 
agreement resolution'' refers to a joint resolution of either House of 
Congress--

          (A) the effect of which is to prohibit the entering into force 

        and effect of any governing international fishery agreement, 

        bycatch reduction agreement, or Pacific Insular Area fishery 

        agreement the text of which is transmitted to the Congress 

        pursuant to subsection (a); and

          (B) which is reported from the Committee on Resources of the 

        House of Representatives or the Committee on Commerce or the 

        Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, not later than 45 

        days after the date on which the document described in 

        subsection (a) relating to that agreement is transmitted to the 

        Congress.

  (3) placement on calendar.--Any fishery agreement resolution upon 
being reported shall immediately be placed on the appropriate calendar.

  (4) floor consideration in the house.--

          (A) A motion in the House of Representatives to proceed to the 

        consideration of any fishery agreement resolution shall be 

        highly privileged and not debatable. An amendment to the motion 

        shall not be in order, nor shall it be in order to move to 

        reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or 

        disagreed to.

          (B) Debate in the House of Representatives on any fishery 

        agreement resolution shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, 

        which shall be divided equally between those favoring and those 

        opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit debate shall 

        not be debatable. It shall not be in order to move to recommit 

        any fishery agreement resolution or to move to reconsider the 

        vote by which any fishery agreement resolution is agreed to or 



[[Page 1230]]


        disagreed to.

          (C) Motions to postpone, made in the House of Representatives 

        with respect to the consideration of any fishery agreement 

        resolution, and motions to proceed to the consideration of other 

        business, shall be decided without debate.

          (D) All appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to 

        the application of the Rules of the House of Representatives to 

        the procedure relating to any fishery agreement resolution shall 

        be decided without debate.

          (E) Except to the extent specifically provided in the 

        preceding provisions of this subsection, consideration of any 

        fishery agreement resolution shall be governed by the Rules of 

        the House of Representatives applicable to other bills and 

        resolutions in similar circumstances.




                                                           Sec. 1130(23)