[United States Senate Manual, 113th Congress]
[S. Doc. 113-1]
[Non-statutory Standing Orders and Regulations Affecting the Business of the Senate]
[Pages 140-142]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


        74   TO IMPROVE PROCEDURES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION 
                            AND NOMINATIONS IN THE SENATE

                Resolved,
                sec. 1. Consideration of Legislation.
                        (a) Motion To Proceed and Consideration of 
                    Amendments--A motion to proceed to the consideration 
                    of a measure or matter made pursuant to this section 
                    shall be debatable for no more than 4 hours, equally 
                    divided in the usual form. If the motion to proceed 
                    is agreed to the following conditions shall apply:
                                (1) The first amendments in order to the 
                            measure or matter shall be one first-degree 
                            amendment each offered by the minority, the 
                            majority, the minority, and the majority, in 
                            that order. If an amendment is not offered 
                            in its designated

[[Page 141]]

                            order under this paragraph, the right to 
                            offer that amendment is forfeited.
                                (2) If a cloture motion has been filed 
                            pursuant to rule XXII of the Standing Rules 
                            of the Senate on a measure or matter 
                            proceeded to under this section, it shall 
                            not be in order for the minority to propose 
                            its first amendment unless it has been 
                            submitted to the Senate Journal Clerk by 
                            1:00 p.m. on the day following the filing of 
                            that cloture motion, for the majority to 
                            propose its first amendment unless it has 
                            been submitted to the Senate Journal Clerk 
                            by 3:00 p.m. on the day following the filing 
                            of that cloture motion, for the minority to 
                            propose its second amendment unless it has 
                            been submitted to the Senate Journal Clerk 
                            by 5:00 p.m. on the day following the filing 
                            of that cloture motion, or for the majority 
                            to propose its second amendment unless it 
                            has been submitted to the Senate Journal 
                            Clerk by 7:00 p.m. on the day following the 
                            filing of that cloture motion. If an 
                            amendment is not timely submitted under this 
                            paragraph, the right to offer that amendment 
                            is forfeited.
                                (3) An amendment offered under paragraph 
                            (1) shall be disposed of before the next 
                            amendment in order under paragraph (1) may 
                            be offered.
                                (4) An amendment offered under paragraph 
                            (1) is not divisible or subject to amendment 
                            while pending.
                                (5) An amendment offered under paragraph 
                            (1), if adopted, shall be considered 
                            original text for purpose of further 
                            amendment.
                                (6) No points of order shall be waived 
                            by virtue of this section.
                                (7) No motion to commit or recommit 
                            shall be in order during the pendency of any 
                            amendment offered pursuant to paragraph (1).
                                (8) Notwithstanding rule XXII of the 
                            Standing Rules of the Senate, if cloture is 
                            invoked on the measure or matter before all 
                            amendments offered under paragraph (1) are 
                            disposed of, any amendment in order under 
                            paragraph (1) but not actually pending upon 
                            the expiration of post-cloture time may be 
                            offered and may be debated for not

[[Page 142]]

                            to exceed 1 hour, equally divided in the 
                            usual form. Any amendment offered under 
                            paragraph (1) that is ruled non-germane on a 
                            point of order shall not fall upon that 
                            ruling, but instead shall remain pending and 
                            shall require 60 votes in the affirmative to 
                            be agreed to.
                        (b) Sunset--This section shall expire on the day 
                    after the date of the sine die adjournment of the 
                    113th Congress.
                sec. 2. Consideration of Nominations.
                        (a) In General--
                                (1) POST-CLOTURE CONSIDERATION--If 
                            cloture is invoked in accordance with rule 
                            XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate on 
                            a nomination described in paragraph (2), 
                            there shall be no more than 8 hours of post-
                            cloture consideration equally divided in the 
                            usual form.
                                (2) NOMINATIONS COVERED--A nomination 
                            described in this paragraph is any 
                            nomination except for the nomination of an 
                            individual----
                                  (A) to a position at level I of the 
                            Executive Schedule under section 5312 of 
                            title 5, United States Code; or
                                  (B) to serve as a judge or justice 
                            appointed to hold office during good 
                            behavior.
                        (b) Special Rule for District Court Nominees--If 
                    cloture is invoked in accordance with rule XXII of 
                    the Standing Rules of the Senate on a nomination of 
                    an individual to serve as a judge of a district 
                    court of the United States, there shall be no more 
                    than 2 hours of post-cloture consideration equally 
                    divided in the usual form.
                        (c) Sunset--This section shall expire on the day 
                    after the date of the sine die adjournment of the 
                    113th Congress.

            [S. Res. 15, 113-1, January 24, 2013]