[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 114th Congress]
[114th Congress]
[House Document 113-181]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 219-221]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 

                    sec. xxix--bill, reports taken up




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 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.



[[Page 220]]

the accompanying committee report in a specified manner, because 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).

  In the House, bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and 
simple resolutions come before the House for action although 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




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



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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).



  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 en gros unless a Member 
demands 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