IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 504 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 20, 2007 

Mr. BAIRD (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. 

MOORE of Kansas, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, and Mr. 

JOHNSON of Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. PURPOSE. 

3 The purpose of this resolution is to: 

4 (1) Modernize the operations of the House of 

5 Representatives using information technology that 

6 has transformed and increased the efficiency of 

7 many aspects of American society such as financial 

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1 services and markets, transportation, manufac2 turing, agriculture, and commerce with consumers 

3 and businesses. 

4 (2) Slow the explosive growth of the 

5 $8,000,000,000,000 national debt of the United 

6 States, reduce excessive annual budget deficits, and 

7 control the size and scope of government by ensuring 

8 that there is adequate scrutiny of proposals for new 

9 and amended laws, taxes, and expenditures. 

10 (3) Enhance public participation in American 

11 democracy and improve the quality of proposed leg12 islation by allowing the opportunity for its review by 

13 State and local government officials, small business 

14 owners, large business leaders, journalists, scientists, 

15 academics, labor leaders, nonprofit organization 

16 leaders, authors of weblogs, and interested citizens. 

17 (4) Help restore public trust in government and 

18 enhance respect for the House of Representatives 

19 and the Congress by ensuring that their operations 

20 are conducted with the openness, order, and dignity 

21 befitting the world’s oldest democracy. 

22 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XIII REGARDING AVAIL23 ABILITY OF LEGISLATION AND REPORTS. 

24 (a) Clause 4 of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

25 of Representatives is amended— 

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1 (1) in its side heading, by inserting ‘‘legislation 

2 and’’ before ‘‘reports’’; 

3 (2) in paragraph (a) by striking subparagraph 

4 (1) and inserting the following new subparagraph: 

5 ‘‘(1) Except as specified in subparagraph (2), it shall 

6 not be in order to consider in the House a measure or 

7 matter until 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and 

8 holidays except when the House is in session on such a 

9 day) after the text of such measure or matter (and, if the 

10 measure or matter is reported, the text of all accom11 panying reports) have been made available to Members, 

12 Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and the general 

13 public pursuant to subparagraph (3).’’; 

14 (3) by adding at the end of paragraph (a) the 

15 following new subparagraph: 

16 ‘‘(3) Without further amendment before floor consid17 eration, the full text of the measure or matter and each 

18 committee report thereon shall be posted continuously by 

19 means of the Internet in such a manner that they are con20 veniently accessible using existing technology, anony21 mously and at no cost, in a format that is searchable by 

22 text.’’; and 

23 (4) in paragraph (c), by striking ‘‘the third cal24 endar day’’ and inserting ‘‘at least 72 hours’’ and by 

25 striking ‘‘on’’ and inserting ‘‘after’’. 

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1 (b) Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Represent2 atives is further amended— 

3 (1) in clause 5(b), by striking ‘‘and the Resi4 dent Commissioner’’ and inserting ‘‘the Resident 

5 Commissioner, and the general public’’; and 

6 (2) in clause 6(c), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end 

7 of subparagraph (1), by striking the period at the 

8 end of subparagraph (2) and inserting ‘‘; or’’, and 

9 by adding at the end the following new subpara10 graph: 

11 ‘‘(3) a rule or order proposing a waiver of 

12 clause 4(a) of rule XIII or of clause 8(a) or 8(b) of 

13 rule XXII, unless a question of consideration of the 

14 rule is adopted by a vote of two-thirds of the Mem15 bers voting, a quorum being present.’’. 

16 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XXII REGARDING AVAIL17 ABILITY OF CONFERENCE REPORTS AND 

18 AMENDMENTS REPORTED IN DISAGREE19 MENT. 

20 Clause 8 of rule XXII of the Rules of the House of 

21 Representatives is amended— 

22 (1) by striking subparagraph (a) and inserting 

23 the following new paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(a)(1) It shall not be in order to consider a con25 ference report until 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sunmstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

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1 days and holidays except when the House is in session on 

2 such a day) after the conference report and the accom3 panying joint explanatory statement have been available 

4 to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and 

5 the general public pursuant to subparagraph (2). 

6 ‘‘(2) Without further amendment before floor consid7 eration, the full texts of the conference report and the ac8 companying signed joint explanatory statement shall be 

9 posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a 

10 manner that they are conveniently accessible using exist11 ing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format 

12 that can be searched by text.’’; 

13 (2) in paragraph (b), by striking subparagraphs 

14 (1) and (2) and inserting the following new subpara15 graphs: 

16 ‘‘(1) It shall not be in order to consider a motion to 

17 dispose of a Senate amendment reported in disagreement 

18 by a conference committee until at least 72 hours (exclud19 ing Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except when the 

20 House is in session on such a day) after the report in dis21 agreement and any accompanying statement have been 

22 available to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commis23 sioner, and the general public pursuant to subparagraph 

24 (2). 

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1 ‘‘(2) Without further amendment before floor consid2 eration, the full texts of a Senate amendment reported in 

3 disagreement and any accompanying statement shall be 

4 posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a 

5 manner that they are conveniently accessible using exist6 ing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format 

7 that can be searched by text.’’. 

8 SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. 

9 Nothing in this resolution or any amendment made 

10 by it shall be interpreted to require or permit the declas11 sification or posting on the Internet of classified informa12 tion in the custody of the House of Representatives. Such 

13 classified information shall be made available to Members 

14 in a timely manner as appropriate under existing laws and 

15 rules. 

16 SEC. 5. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING AMENDMENTS. 

17 It is the sense of the House that, with the objective 

18 of preventing circumvention of clause 4(a) of rule XIII of 

19 the Rules of the House of Representatives that the Com20 mittee on Rules should develop standardized policies and 

21 procedures to require that proposed amendments (except 

22 those offered under an open rule) that are major in size, 

23 scope, or cost be posted on the Internet for an appropriate 

24 number of hours. 

Æ 

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