[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 118th Congress]
[118th Congress]
[House Document 117-161]
[Legislate Procedures Enacted in Law]
[Pages 1271-1275]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 18. Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act of 1976, Sec. Sec. 8, 9 [15 

                           U.S.C. 719f, 719g]


                          congressional review

  Sec. 8. * * * (c) For purposes of this section--

          (1) continuity of session of Congress is broken only by an 

        adjournment sine die; and

          (2) the days on which either House is not in session because 

        of an adjournment of more than 3 days to a day certain are 

        excluded in the computation of the 60-day calendar period.

  (d)(1) This subsection is enacted by Congress--

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

        Congress, respectively, and as such it is 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 resolutions described by paragraph (2) of this 

        subsection; and it supersedes other rules only to the extent 

        that it is inconsistent therewith; and

          (B) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 

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

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

        and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of such 

        House.

  (2) For purposes of this Act, the term ``resolution'' means (A) a 
joint resolution, the resolving clause of which is as follows: ``That 
the House of Representatives and Senate approve the Presidential 
decision on an Alaska natural gas transportation system submitted to the 
Congress on ___, 19_, and find that any environmental impact statements 
prepared relative to such system and submitted with the President's 
decision are in compliance with the Natural [so in original] 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969.''; the blank space therein shall be 
filled with the date on which the President submits his decision to the 
House of Representatives and the Senate; or (B) a joint resolution 
described in subsection (g) of this section.

  (3) A resolution once introduced with respect to a Presidential 
decision on an Alaska natural gas transportation system shall be 
referred to one or more committees (and all resolutions with respect to 
the same Presidential decision on an Alaska natural gas transportation 
system shall be referred to the same committee or committees) by the 
President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
as the case may be.

  (4)(A) If any committee to which a resolution with respect to a 
Presidential decision on an Alaska natural gas transportation system has 
been referred has not reported it at the end of 30 calendar days after 
its referral, it shall be in order to move either to discharge such 
committee from further consideration of such resolution or to discharge 
such committee from consideration of any other resolution with respect 
to such Presidential decision on an Alaska natural gas transportation 
system which has been referred to such committee.

  (B) A motion to discharge may be made only by an individual favoring 
the resolution, shall be highly privileged (except that it may not be 
made after the committee has reported a resolution with respect to the 
same Presidential decision on an Alaska natural gas transportation 
system), and debate thereon shall be limited to not more than 1 hour, to 
be divided equally between those favoring and those opposing the 
resolution. An amendment to the motion shall not be in order, and it 
shall not be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion 
was agreed to or disagreed to.

  (C) If the motion to discharge is agreed to or disagreed to, the 
motion may not be made with respect to any other resolution with respect 
to the same Presidential decision on an Alaska natural gas 
transportation system.

  (5)(A) When any committee has reported, or has been discharged from 
further consideration of, a resolution, but in no case earlier than 30 
days after the date or receipt of the President's decision to the 
Congress, it shall be at any time thereafter in order (even though a 
previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to 
proceed to the consideration of the resolution. The motion shall be 
highly privileged and shall not be debatable. An amendment to the motion 
shall not be in order, and it shall not be in order to move to 
reconsider the vote by which the motion was agreed to or disagreed to.

  (B) Debate on the resolution described in subsection (d)(2)(A) shall 
be limited to not more than 10 hours and on any resolution described in 
subsection (g) to one hour. This time shall be divided equally between 
those favoring and those opposing such resolution. A motion further to 
limit debate shall not be debatable. An amendment to, or motion to 
recommit the resolution shall not be in order, and it shall not be in 
order to move to reconsider the vote by which such resolution was agreed 
to or disagreed to or, thereafter within such 60-day period, to consider 
any other resolution respecting the same Presidential decision.

  (6)(A) Motions to postpone, made with respect to the discharge from 
committee, or the consideration of a resolution and motions to proceed 
to the consideration of other business, shall be decided without debate.


  (B) Appeals from the decision of the Chair relating to the application 
of the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case 
may be, to the procedures relating to a resolution shall be decided 
without debate.


                                  * * *

  (g)(1) At any time after a decision designating a transportation 
system is submitted to the Congress pursuant to this section, if the 
President finds that any provision of law applicable to actions to be 
taken under subsection (a) or (c) of section 9 (15 U.S.C. 719g(a) or 
(c)) require waiver in order to permit expeditious construction and 
initial operation of the approved transportation system, the President 
may submit such proposed waiver to both Houses of Congress.

  (2) Such provision shall be waived with respect to actions to be taken 
under subsection (a) or (c) of section 9 [15 U.S.C. 719g(a) or (c)] upon 
enactment of a joint resolution pursuant to the procedures specified in 
subsection (c) and (d) of this section (other than subsection (d)(2) 
thereof) within the first period of 60 calendar days of continuous 
session of Congress beginning on the date after the date of receipt by 
the Senate and House of Representatives of such proposal.

  (3) The resolving clause of the joint resolution referred to in this 
subsection is as follows: ``That the House of Representatives and Senate 
approve the waiver of the provision of law (___) as proposed by the 
President, submitted to the Congress on ___, 19_.'' The first blank 
space therein being filled with the citation to the provision of law and 
the second blank space therein being filled with the date on which the 
President submits his decision to the House of Representatives and the 
Senate.


  (4) In the case of action with respect to a joint resolution described 
in this subsection, the phrase ``a waiver of a provision of law'' shall 
be substituted in subsection (d) for the phrase ``the Alaska natural gas 
transportation system.''.


                             authorizations

  Sec. 9. (a) To the extent that the taking of any action which is 
necessary or related to the construction and initial operation of the 
approved transportation system requires a certificate, right-of-way, 
permit, lease, or other authorization to be issued or granted by a 
Federal officer or agency, such Federal officer or agency shall--

          (1) to the fullest extent permitted by the provisions of law 

        administered by such officer or agency, but

          (2) without regard to any provision of law which is waived 

        pursuant to section 8(g) [15 U.S.C. 719f(g)] issue or grant such 

        certificates, permits, rights-of-way, leases, and other 


        authorizations at the earliest practicable date.


                                  * * *


[[Page 1275]]

tion under section 8(g) [15 U.S.C. 
719f(g)], and may include terms and conditions permitted by law, except 
that with respect to terms and conditions permitted but not required, 
the Federal officer or agency, notwithstanding any such other provision 
of law, shall have no authority to include terms and conditions as would 
compel a change in the basic nature and general route of the approved 
transportation system or those the inclusion of which would otherwise 
prevent or impair in any significant respect the expeditious 
construction and initial operation of such transportation system.

  (c) Any certificate, right-of-way, permit, lease, or other 
authorization issued or granted pursuant to the direction under 
subsection (a) shall include the terms and conditions required by law 
unless waived pursuant to a resolu

  Pursuant to section 8(d)(6)(A) of this statute (15 U.S.C. 
719f(d)(6)(A)) a privileged motion to resolve into the Committee of the 
Whole to consider a joint resolution providing a waiver of law under the 
statute is subject to a nondebatable motion to postpone to a day certain 
(or indefinitely) (Dec. 8, 1981, pp. 29972, 29973).




                                                           Sec. 1130(19)