RULE XII: RECEIPT AND REFERRAL OF MEASURES
AND MATTERS
Messages
1. Messages received from the Senate, or from the President, shall be entered on the Journal and published in the Congressional Record of the proceedings of that day.
Referral
2. (a) The Speaker shall refer each
bill, resolution, or other matter that
relates to a subject listed under a
standing committee named in clause 1
of rule X in accordance with the provisions
of this clause.
(b) The Speaker shall refer matters
under paragraph (a) in such manner as
to ensure to the maximum extent feasible
that each committee that has jurisdiction
under clause 1 of rule X over
the subject matter of a provision thereof
may consider such provision and report
to the House thereon. Precedents,
rulings, or procedures in effect before
the Ninety-Fourth Congress shall be
applied to referrals under this clause
only to the extent that they will contribute
to the achievement of the objectives
of this clause.
(c) In carrying out paragraphs (a) and
(b) with respect to the referral of a
matter, the Speaker—
(1) shall designate a committee of
primary jurisdiction (except where
he determines that extraordinary circumstances
justify review by more
than one committee as though primary);
(2) may refer the matter to one or
more additional committees for consideration
in sequence, either initially
or after the matter has been
reported by the committee of primary
jurisdiction;
(3) may refer portions of the matter
reflecting different subjects and jurisdictions
to one or more additional
committees;
(4) may refer the matter to a special,
ad hoc committee appointed by
the Speaker with the approval of the
House, and including members of the
committees of jurisdiction, for the
specific purpose of considering that
matter and reporting to the House
thereon;
(5) may subject a referral to appropriate
time limitations; and
(6) may make such other provision
as may be considered appropriate.
(d) A bill for the payment or adjudication
of a private claim against the
Government may not be referred to a
committee other than the Committee
on International Relations or the Committee
on the Judiciary, except by
unanimous consent.
Petitions, memorials, and private bills
3. If a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner has a petition, memorial,
or private bill to present, he shall
endorse his name, deliver it to the disposition to be made thereof. Such
petition, memorial, or private bill (except
when judged by the Speaker to be
obscene or insulting) shall be entered
on the Journal with the name of the
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner
presenting it and shall be
printed in the Congressional Record.
4. A private bill or private resolution
(including an omnibus claim or pension
bill), or amendment thereto, may not
be received or considered in the House
if it authorizes or directs—
(a) the payment of money for property
damages, for personal injuries or
death for which suit may be instituted
under the Tort Claims Procedure
provided in title 28, United
States Code, or for a pension (other
than to carry out a provision of law
or treaty stipulation);
(b) the construction of a bridge
across a navigable stream; or
(c) the correction of a military or
naval record.
Prohibition on commemorations
5.(a) A bill or resolution, or an amendment thereto, may not be introduced or considered in the House if it establishes or expresses a commemoration.
(b) In this clause the term ‘‘commemoration’’ means a remembrance, celebration, or recognition for any purpose through the designation of a specified period of time.
Excluded matters
6. A petition, memorial, bill, or resolution
excluded under this rule shall be
returned to the Member, Delegate, or
Resident Commissioner from whom it
was received. A petition or private bill
that has been inappropriately referred
may, by direction of the committee
having possession of it, be properly referred
in the manner originally presented.
An erroneous reference of a petition
or private bill under this clause
does not confer jurisdiction on a committee
to consider or report it.
Sponsorship
7.(a) Bills, memorials, petitions, and
resolutions, endorsed with the names
of Members, Delegates, or the Resident
Commissioner introducing them, may
be delivered to the Speaker to be referred.
The titles and references of all
bills, memorials, petitions, resolutions,
and other documents referred under
this rule shall be entered on the Journal
and printed in the Congressional
Record. An erroneous reference may be
corrected by the House in accordance
with rule X on any day immediately
after the Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag by unanimous consent or motion.
Such a motion shall be privileged if offered
by direction of a committee to
which the bill has been erroneously referred
or by direction of a committee
claiming jurisdiction and shall be decided
without debate.
(b)(1) The primary sponsor of a public
bill or public resolution may name cosponsors.
The name of a cosponsor
added after the initial printing of a bill
or resolution shall appear in the next
printing of the bill or resolution on the
written request of the primary sponsor.
Such a request may be submitted to
the Speaker at any time until the last
committee authorized to consider and
report the bill or resolution reports it
to the House or is discharged from its
consideration.
(2) The name of a cosponsor of a bill
or resolution may be deleted by unanimous
consent. The Speaker may entertain
such a request only by the Member,
Delegate, or Resident Commissioner
whose name is to be deleted or
by the primary sponsor of the bill or
resolution, and only until the last committee
authorized to consider and report
the bill or resolution reports it to
the House or is discharged from its
consideration. The Speaker may not
entertain a request to delete the name
of the primary sponsor of a bill or resolution.
A deletion shall be indicated by
date in the next printing of the bill or
resolution.
(3) The addition or deletion of the
name of a cosponsor of a bill or resolution
shall be entered on the Journal
and printed in the Congressional
Record of that day.
(4) A bill or resolution shall be reprinted
on the written request of the
primary sponsor. Such a request may
be submitted to the Speaker only when
20 or more cosponsors have been added
since the last printing of the bill or
resolution.
(5) When a bill or resolution is introduced ‘‘by request,’’ those words shall
be entered on the Journal and printed
in the Congressional Record.
Executive communications
8. Estimates of appropriations and all
other communications from the executive
departments intended for the consideration
of any committees of the
House shall be addressed to the Speaker
for referral as provided in clause 2 of
rule XIV.
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