SUBMITTING AMENDMENTS WITH A RULES COMMITTEE DEADLINE
The filing of any amendment with the Rules Committee is a dual-part process; amendments must be submitted both electronically and physically.
PART I. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
The electronic submission of amendments to the Committee must be done using the Committee's AMENDMENT E-LOGIN system. PLEASE NOTE: The PDF's file name MUST be 10 or fewer characters in length and may not contain any special characters (e.g. #, $, *, etc.) or spaces.
THE AMENDMENT E-LOGIN CAN BE FOUND HERE
PART II. HARDCOPY SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
AFTER submitting the amendment electronically please deliver to H-312, The Capitol the following items:
- One (1) completed copy of the AMENDMENT SUBMISSION FORM.
- One brief (1-2 sentences) summary of the amendment that matches the Amendment E-Login Form description.
- Thirty (30) copies of the amendment. If multiple pages they must be individually stapled; and the copies may be double-sided.
Amendments will only be considered submitted to the Committee on Rules when the Hard Copy Submission has been received, and it matches the Electronic Submission PDF.
SUBMITTING AMENDMENTS WITH PRE-PRINTING REQUIREMENTS
The following are instructions for submitting amendments to the Congressional Record for pre-printing. Pre-printing is necessary only when a pre-printing requirement is prescribed by a specific bill or resolution. PLEASE NOTE: Submission of amendments for pre-printing AFTER the House has adjourned for the day is prohibited. Amendments must be filed while the chamber is in session.
If amendments are prepared by the Office of Legislative Counsel:
The amendment must have the Member’s original signature on the first page. The amendment must then either be delivered to the Cloakroom or dropped into the Amendments Box, which is located on the first tier of the dais on the Democratic side of the House Floor, while the House is in session.
If amendments are not prepared by the Office of Legislative Counsel:
Make sure to include:
• The name of the bill or resolution to which the amendment will be offered
• The point in the bill or resolution where the amendment is intended to be offered.
• The full text of the proposed amendment.
• The Member's original signature on the submitted amendment. The amendment must then either be delivered to the Cloakroom or dropped into the Amendments Box, which is located on the first tier of the dais on the Democratic side of the House Floor, while the House is in session.
REVISING AMENDMENTS
To submit a revision of a previously submitted amendment, use the same dual-part process as the original amendment. Amendments must be submitted both electronically and physically.
PART I. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
The electronic submission of amendments to the Committee must be using the Committee's
AMENDMENT E-LOGIN system. PLEASE NOTE: The PDF's file name MUST be 10 or fewer characters in length and may not contain any special characters (e.g. #, $, *, etc.) or spaces
THE AMENDMENT E-LOGIN CAN BE FOUND HERE
PART II. HARDCOPY SUBMISSIONS INSTRUCTIONS
AFTER submitting the amendment electronically please deliver to H-312, The Capitol the following items:
- One (1) completed copy of the AMENDMENT SUBMISSION FORM, making sure to check the REVISED box.
- One brief (1-2 sentences) summary of the amendment that matches the Amendment E-Login Form description.
- Thirty (30) copies of the amendment.If the amendment is multiple pages they must be individually stapled. The copies may be double-sided.
Amendments will only be considered submitted to the Committee on Rules when the Hard Copy Submission has been received, and it matches the Electronic Submission PDF.
WITHDRAWING AMENDMENTS
If a Member wishes to withdraw an amendment from Committee on Rules consideration, a formal Letter of Withdrawal must be received by the Committee on Rules. This letter should be written on Congressional letterhead, detail both the number of the amendments that are being withdrawn, underlying legislation, and the Member’s signature.
The Letter of Withdrawal should be hand-delivered to the Committee on Rules in H-312, The Capitol.
AMENDMENT RESOURCES
The following resources may be useful in drafting your amendment:
Additional helpful guidelines can be found below:
General Amendment Submission Guidelines
In some cases, the Chairman of the Rules Committee will announce special procedures or deadlines for the submission of amendments. The announcement usually requires 30 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation be delivered to the Rules Committee in H-312 of the Capitol no later than the deadline indicated in the announcement. Those special procedures always take precedence. They will usually be announced on the House Floor and will be followed-up by a "Dear Colleague" letter. Additionally, the party Whip Offices should provide notice to the Members.
In order to have the amendment considered in the Rules Committee, take the following steps, unless otherwise specified by the Chairman's announcement:
1. If a Member wishes to testify before the Rules Committee on an amendment, call the Committee at 225-9191 (Majority) or 225-9091 (Minority) to have the Member placed on the witness list. The primary way to testify before the Rules Committee is to indicate that they would like to testify on the log in form.
2. The assistance of the Office of the Legislative Counsel (202-225-6060) should be sought in drafting the amendment. It is very important that the amendment be drafted by Legislative Counsel to ensure that it is tailored to the most up-to-date version of the base bill and that it is accurate. This also helps to ensure the expeditious printing by the Government Printing Office of any amendments made in order by the Rules Committee.
3. The text of the amendment should be checked with the House Parliamentarian (202-225-7373) to determine if it violates any rule of the House. If so, the amendment could possibly be redrafted to correct the problem. If not, the Rules Committee should be notified that the Member will need a waiver of certain points of order in order to have the amendment considered.
4. In the absence of a special procedure announced by the Chairman of the Committee on Rules, the Committee requires 30 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation two hours in advance of the meeting. Also, if the Member wants the text of a written statement before the committee members while they testify, 30 copies are required in advance of the meeting, preferably by the close of business the day before the meeting.
5. It is always helpful to call the Committee on Rules well in advance of the Committee on Rules meeting and to speak with the appropriate Committee staff regarding your Member's amendment. Keep the Committee informed of the progress of the amendment with the Parliamentarian's office and with the Legislative Counsel's office.
6. It is important to accomplish all of this well in advance of the Committee on Rules meeting.
**Note: The submission of an amendment to the Committee on Rules does not guarantee that the amendment will be made in order or that it will be granted a waiver.
Subscribe to RSS Feed