[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 118th Congress]
[118th Congress]
[House Document 117-161]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 228-229]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     sec. xxviii--bill, recommitment



Sec. 420. Recommittal of a bill to a committee.

  After  a bill 
has been committed and reported, it ought not, in any ordinary course, 
to be recommitted; but in cases of importance, and for special reasons, 
it is sometimes recommitted, and usually to the same committee. Hakew, 
151. If a report be recommitted before agreed to in the House, what has 
passed in committee is of no validity; the whole question is again 
before the committee, and a new resolution must be again moved, as if 
nothing had passed. 3 Hats., 131--note.



  In Senate, January, 1800, the salvage bill was recommitted three times 
after the commitment.


[[Page 229]]

Committee of the Whole as the indirect result of the 
action of the House (clause 9 of rule XVIII; IV, 4784) or directly on 
motion either with or without instructions (V, 5552, 5553).

  Before the motion to recommit with instructions was eliminated, where 
a matter was recommitted with instructions, the committee had to confine 
itself within the instructions (IV, 4404), and if the instructions 
related to a certain portion only of a bill, other portions could not be 
reviewed (V, 5526). When a report has been disposed of adversely a 
motion to recommit it is not in order (V, 5559). Bills are sometimes 
recommitted to the 




Sec. 421. Division of matters for reference to 
committees.

  A  particular clause of a bill may be committed without the 
whole bill, 3 Hats., 131; or so much of a paper to one and so much to 
another committee.





  In the usage of the House before the rules provided that petitions 
should be filed with the Clerk instead of being referred from the floor, 
it was the practice to refer a portion of a petition to one committee 
and the remainder to another when the subject matter called for such 
division (IV, 3359). Clause 2 of rule XII now permits the Speaker to 
refer bills, and resolutions, with or without time limitations, either 
(1) simultaneously to two or more committees for concurrent 
consideration, while indicating one committee of primary jurisdiction 
(except under extraordinary circumstances), (2) sequentially to 
appropriate committees after the report of the committee or committees 
initially considering the matter, (3) to divide the matter for referral, 
(4) to appoint an ad hoc committee with the approval of the House, or 
(5) to make other appropriate provisions, in order to assure that to the 
maximum extent feasible each committee with subject matter jurisdiction 
over provisions in that measure may consider and report to the House 
with respect thereto. Under former precedents a bill, resolution, or 
communication could not be divided for reference (IV, 4372, 4376).