Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to ensure that Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner have a reasonable amount of time to read legislation that will be voted upon, and for other purposes.
Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jul 29, 2009
Adds Rule XXIX (Time to Read Legislation Before Voting) to the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit consideration by the House of legislation between the chambers unless: (1) the text of the measure and its related accompanying comparative print has been available to all Members and their staffs in both printed and electronic format for at least three legislative days; and (2) any manager's amendment or other amendment which makes substantive changes to the legislation has been made available in such format for at least such period before such consideration.
Exempts from such prohibition: (1) the intelligence authorization bill, other legislation containing classified information, or any such conference report, if Members have at least seven days to study the measure's contents; and (2) congressional declarations of war or authorization of military force to respond to attacks on the United States.
Amends Rule XIII (Calendars and Committee Reports) to prohibit the Committee on Rules from reporting a rule or order waiving Rule XXIX.
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Amends Rule XVI (Motions and Amendments) to prohibit consideration in the House of any measure amending existing law, or any amendment to such measure, unless the Chair of the applicable committee or the Member proposing the amendment also presents the Clerk, at least three legislative days before consideration, an electronic version of a comparative print of any part of the measure, or the amendment, showing by appropriate typographical devices the omissions and insertions proposed.
Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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