III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 15 

To improve procedures for the consideration of legislation and nominations 

in the Senate. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 24 (legislative day, JANUARY 3), 2013 

Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. MCCAIN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

To improve procedures for the consideration of legislation 

and nominations in the Senate. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION. 

3 (a) MOTION TO PROCEED AND CONSIDERATION OF

4 AMENDMENTS.—A motion to proceed to the consideration 

5 of a measure or matter made pursuant to this section shall 

6 be debatable for no more than 4 hours, equally divided 

7 in the usual form. If the motion to proceed is agreed to 

8 the following conditions shall apply: 

9 (1) The first amendments in order to the meas10 ure or matter shall be one first-degree amendment 


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1 each offered by the minority, the majority, the mi2 nority, and the majority, in that order. If an amend3 ment is not offered in its designated order under 

4 this paragraph, the right to offer that amendment is 

5 forfeited. 

6 (2) If a cloture motion has been filed pursuant 

7 to rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate on 

8 a measure or matter proceeded to under this section, 

9 it shall not be in order for the minority to propose 

10 its first amendment unless it has been submitted to 

11 the Senate Journal Clerk by 1:00 p.m. on the day 

12 following the filing of that cloture motion, for the 

13 majority to propose its first amendment unless it 

14 has been submitted to the Senate Journal Clerk by 

15 3:00 p.m. on the day following the filing of that clo16 ture motion, for the minority to propose its second 

17 amendment unless it has been submitted to the Sen18 ate Journal Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the day following 

19 the filing of that cloture motion, or for the majority 

20 to propose its second amendment unless it has been 

21 submitted to the Senate Journal Clerk by 7:00 p.m. 

22 on the day following the filing of that cloture mo23 tion. If an amendment is not timely submitted under 

24 this paragraph, the right to offer that amendment is 

25 forfeited. 


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1 (3) An amendment offered under paragraph (1) 

2 shall be disposed of before the next amendment in 

3 order under paragraph (1) may be offered. 

4 (4) An amendment offered under paragraph (1) 

5 is not divisible or subject to amendment while pend6 ing. 

7 (5) An amendment offered under paragraph 

8 (1), if adopted, shall be considered original text for 

9 purpose of further amendment. 

10 (6) No points of order shall be waived by virtue 

11 of this section. 

12 (7) No motion to commit or recommit shall be 

13 in order during the pendency of any amendment of14 fered pursuant to paragraph (1). 

15 (8) Notwithstanding rule XXII of the Standing 

16 Rules of the Senate, if cloture is invoked on the 

17 measure or matter before all amendments offered 

18 under paragraph (1) are disposed of, any amend19 ment in order under paragraph (1) but not actually 

20 pending upon the expiration of post-cloture time 

21 may be offered and may be debated for not to exceed 

22 1 hour, equally divided in the usual form. Any 

23 amendment offered under paragraph (1) that is 

24 ruled non-germane on a point of order shall not fall 

25 upon that ruling, but instead shall remain pending 


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1 and shall require 60 votes in the affirmative to be 

2 agreed to. 

3 (b) SUNSET.—This section shall expire on the day 

4 after the date of the sine die adjournment of the 113th 

5 Congress. 

6 SEC. 2. CONSIDERATION OF NOMINATIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

8 (1) POST-CLOTURE CONSIDERATION.—If cloture 

9 is invoked in accordance with rule XXII of the 

10 Standing Rules of the Senate on a nomination de11 scribed in paragraph (2), there shall be no more 

12 than 8 hours of post-cloture consideration equally di13 vided in the usual form. 

14 (2) NOMINATIONS COVERED.—A nomination 

15 described in this paragraph is any nomination except 

16 for the nomination of an individual— 

17 (A) to a position at level I of the Executive 

18 Schedule under section 5312 of title 5, United 

19 States Code; or 

20 (B) to serve as a judge or justice ap21 pointed to hold office during good behavior. 

22 (b) SPECIAL RULE FOR DISTRICT COURT NOMI23 NEES.—If cloture is invoked in accordance with rule XXII 

24 of the Standing Rules of the Senate on a nomination of 

25 an individual to serve as a judge of a district court of the 


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1 United States, there shall be no more than 2 hours of 

2 post-cloture consideration equally divided in the usual 

3 form. 

4 (c) SUNSET.—This section shall expire on the day 

5 after the date of the sine die adjournment of the 113th 

6 Congress. 

Æ 


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