HRES 554 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72 hours before consideration by the House, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 17, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. BAIRD (for himself and Mr. CULBERSON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on RulesCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72 hours before consideration by the House, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Resolved,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. PURPOSE.

The purpose of this resolution is to:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Modernize the operations of the House of Representatives using information technology that has transformed and increased the efficiency of many aspects of American society such as financial services and markets, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and commerce with consumers and businesses.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Slow the explosive growth of the $11,000,000,000,000 national debt of the United States, reduce excessive annual budget deficits, and control the size and scope of government by ensuring that there is adequate scrutiny of proposals for new and amended laws, taxes, and expenditures.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Enhance public participation in American democracy and improve the quality of proposed legislation by allowing the opportunity for its review by State and local government officials, small business owners, large business leaders, journalists, scientists, academics, labor leaders, nonprofit organization leaders, authors of weblogs, and interested citizens.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) Help restore public trust in government and enhance respect for the House of Representatives and the Congress by ensuring that their operations are conducted with the openness, order, and dignity befitting the world’s oldest democracy.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XIII REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF LEGISLATION AND REPORTS.

(a) Clause 4 of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in its side heading, by inserting ‘legislation and’ before ‘reports’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in paragraph (a) by striking subparagraph (1) and inserting the following new subparagraph:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) Except as specified in subparagraph (2), it shall not be in order to consider in the House a measure or matter until 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except when the House is in session on such a day) after the text of such measure or matter (and, if the measure or matter is reported, the text of all accompanying reports) have been made available to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and the general public pursuant to subparagraph (3).’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by adding at the end of paragraph (a) the following new subparagraph:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) Without further amendment before floor consideration, the full text of the measure or matter and each committee report thereon shall be posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a manner that they are conveniently accessible using existing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format that is searchable by text.’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) in paragraph (c), by striking ‘the third calendar day’ and inserting ‘at least 72 hours’ and by striking ‘on’ and inserting ‘after’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is further amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in clause 5(b), by striking ‘and the Resident Commissioner’ and inserting ‘the Resident Commissioner, and the general public’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in clause 6(c), by striking ‘or’ at the end of subparagraph (1), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (2) and inserting ‘; or’, and by inserting before the period ‘a rule or order proposing a waiver of clause 4(a) of rule XIII or of clause 8(a) or 8(b) of rule XXII, unless a question of consideration of the rule is adopted by a vote of two-thirds of the Members voting, a quorum being present’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XXII REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF CONFERENCE REPORTS AND AMENDMENTS REPORTED IN DISAGREEMENT.

Clause 8 of rule XXII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking subparagraph (a) and inserting the following new paragraph:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(a)(1) It shall not be in order to consider a conference report until 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except when the House is in session on such a day) after the conference report and the accompanying joint explanatory statement have been available to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and the general public pursuant to subparagraph (2).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) Without further amendment before floor consideration, the full texts of the conference report and the accompanying signed joint explanatory statement shall be posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a manner that they are conveniently accessible using existing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format that can be searched by text.’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in paragraph (b), by striking subparagraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the following new subparagraphs:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) It shall not be in order to consider a motion to dispose of a Senate amendment reported in disagreement by a conference committee until at least 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except when the House is in session on such a day) after the report in disagreement and any accompanying statement have been available to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and the general public pursuant to subparagraph (2).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) Without further amendment before floor consideration, the full texts of a Senate amendment reported in disagreement and any accompanying statement shall be posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a manner that they are conveniently accessible using existing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format that can be searched by text.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

Nothing in this resolution or any amendment made by it shall be interpreted to require or permit the declassification or posting on the Internet of classified information in the custody of the House of Representatives. Such classified information shall be made available to Members in a timely manner as appropriate under existing laws and rules.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING AMENDMENTS.

It is the sense of the House that, with the objective of preventing circumvention of clause 4(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives that the Committee on Rules should develop standardized policies and procedures to require that proposed amendments (except those offered under an open rule) that are major in size, scope, or cost be posted on the Internet for an appropriate number of hours.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink