III

Calendar No. 473

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 228

To improve Senate floor procedures.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 16 (legislative day, JUNE 7), 1994

Mr. FORD, from the Committee on Rules and Administration, reported the

following original resolution; which was placed on the calendar

RESOLUTION

To improve Senate floor procedures.

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This resolution may be cited as

4 the ‘‘Senate Floor Procedures Reform Resolution of

5 1994’’.

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents is

7 as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.

Sec. 2. Sense of the Senate amendments.

Sec. 3. Dispensing with the reading of conference reports.

Sec. 4. Nondebatable motion to proceed.

Sec. 5. Requirement of a three-fifths vote to overturn the chair post-cloture.

Sec. 6. Restriction on amendments to appropriation bills.
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•SRES 228 PCS

1 SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE AMENDMENTS.

2 Rule XV of the Standing Rules of the Senate is

3 amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:

4 ‘‘6. On a point of order made by any Senator, no

5 amendment expressing the sense of the Senate or the

6 sense of the Congress, or an amendment to such amend7 ment, shall be received unless the amendment is signed

8 by at least 10 Senators.’’.

9 SEC. 3. DISPENSING WITH THE READING OF CONFERENCE

10 REPORTS.

11 Paragraph 1 of rule XXVIII of the Standing Rules

12 of the Senate is amended by striking ‘‘and shall be deter13 mined without debate.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘not14 withstanding a request for the reading of the conference

15 report (if such report is printed and available one day

16 prior to the motion to consider), and shall be determined

17 without debate.’’.

18 SEC. 4. NONDEBATABLE MOTION TO PROCEED.

19 Paragraph 2 of rule VIII of the Standing Rules of

20 the Senate is amended by striking the period at the end

21 thereof and inserting the following: ‘‘; except those mo22 tions to proceed made by the majority leader, or his des23 ignee, on which there shall be a time limitation for debate

24 of two hours equally divided between the majority and the

25 minority leaders, or their designees. Any such motion to

26 proceed, by the majority leader, or any other Senator, to
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•SRES 228 PCS

1 any motion, resolution, or amendment to change any of

2 the Standing Rules of the Senate shall be debatable.’’.

3 SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT OF A THREE-FIFTHS VOTE TO OVER4 TURN THE CHAIR POST-CLOTURE.

5 The third undesignated paragraph of paragraph 2 of

6 rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended

7 by adding at the end thereof the following: ‘‘Appeals from

8 the decision of the Presiding Officer shall require an af9 firmative vote of three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen

10 and sworn—except on a measure or motion to amend the

11 Senate rules, in which case the necessary affirmative vote

12 shall be two-thirds of the Senators present and voting.’’.

13 SEC. 6. RESTRICTION ON AMENDMENTS TO APPROPRIA14 TION BILLS.

15 Paragraph 4 of rule XVI of the Standing Rules of

16 the Senate is amended by—

17 (1) inserting ‘‘as passed by the House or as re18 ported to the Senate,’’ after ‘‘contained in the bill’’;

19 (2) striking ‘‘relevancy of amendments under

20 this rule’’ and inserting ‘‘relevancy or germaneness

21 of amendments under this paragraph’’;

22 (3) striking ‘‘submitted to the Senate and be

23 decided without debate’’ and inserting ‘‘ruled on by

24 the chair’’;

25 (4) inserting ‘‘(a)’’ after ‘‘4.’’; and
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•SRES 228 PCS

1 (5) adding at the end thereof the following:

2 ‘‘(b)(1) An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Sen3 ators, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to overturn

4 a ruling of the Chair regarding questions of germaneness,

5 relevancy, or legislation under this paragraph.

6 ‘‘(2) This paragraph may be waived with respect to

7 an amendment by the affirmative vote of three-fifths of

8 the Senators, duly chosen and sworn.’’.

Calendar No. 473

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 228

RESOLUTION

J

To improve Senate floor procedures.

UNE 16 (legislative day, JUNE 7), 1994

Placed on the calendar