    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 117th Congress]
    [117th Congress]
    [House Document 116-177]
    [Legislate Procedures Enacted in Law]
    [Pages 1297-1299]
    [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.

    [[Page 1298]]

      (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

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

    [[Page 1299]]

            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 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)