III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 727 

Providing for consideration of changes to rules for the proceedings of the 

Senate. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 13, 2018 

Mr. MERKLEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Rules and Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Providing for consideration of changes to rules for the 

proceedings of the Senate. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. CONSIDERATION OF CHANGES TO RULES FOR 

3 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE. 

4 Rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amend5 ed— 

6 (1) by redesignating paragraphs 1 and 2 as 

7 paragraphs 5 and 6, respectively; 

8 (2) by inserting before paragraph 5 (as redesig9 nated) the following: 


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•SRES 727 IS 

1 ‘‘1.(a) At the beginning of a new Congress, the first 

2 matters considered by the Senate (other than a resolution 

3 described in subparagraph (b)) shall be a resolution ap4 pointing majority and minority members of the Committee 

5 on Rules and Administration of the Senate and a resolu6 tion amending or adopting rules for the proceedings of the 

7 Senate. No other matter shall be in order, except by unan8 imous consent, until the Senate has agreed to a resolution 

9 amending or adopting rules for the proceedings of the Sen10 ate. 

11 ‘‘(b) A resolution described in this subparagraph is 

12 a resolution— 

13 ‘‘(1) informing the President that a quorum of 

14 each House is assembled; 

15 ‘‘(2) informing the House of Representatives 

16 that a quorum of the Senate is assembled; 

17 ‘‘(3) electing the President pro tempore of the 

18 Senate and notifying the President and the House of 

19 Representatives of such election; 

20 ‘‘(4) fixing the hour of the daily meeting of the 

21 Senate; 

22 ‘‘(5) electing the Secretary of the Senate and 

23 notifying the President and the House of Represent24 atives of such election; 


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•SRES 727 IS 

1 ‘‘(6) electing a Sergeant at Arms and Door2 keeper of the Senate and notifying the President and 

3 the House of Representatives of such election; or 

4 ‘‘(7) electing Secretaries for the Majority and 

5 Minority of the Senate. 

6 ‘‘2. At the beginning of a new Congress, and until 

7 the Senate has agreed to a resolution adopting or amend8 ing rules for the proceedings of the Senate, if the Com9 mittee on Rules and Administration reports to the full 

10 Senate a resolution amending or adopting rules for the 

11 proceedings of the Senate, the Senate shall immediately 

12 proceed to consideration of the resolution. 

13 ‘‘3. On and after the third day of session of the Sen14 ate, if the Committee on Rules has not reported to the 

15 full Senate a resolution amending or adopting rules for 

16 the proceedings of the Senate, it shall be in order for any 

17 Senator to introduce and immediately move to proceed to 

18 consider a resolution amending or adopting rules for the 

19 proceedings of the Senate. Consideration of such a motion 

20 to proceed, including consideration of any motions or ap21 peals in connection therewith, shall be limited to 2 hours. 

22 ‘‘4. On and after the third day of session of the Sen23 ate during which a resolution amending or adopting rules 

24 for the proceedings of the Senate is being considered, it 

25 shall be in order for any Senator to move to end debate 


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•SRES 727 IS 

1 on such resolution. Consideration of such motion, includ2 ing consideration of any motion or appeal in connection 

3 therewith, shall be limited to 2 hours. If such motion is 

4 decided in the affirmative, the Senate shall proceed imme5 diately to vote on the resolution adopting or amending 

6 rules for the proceedings of the Senate, as amended if such 

7 resolution has been amended.’’; and 

8 (3) in paragraph 5 (as redesignated), by strik9 ing ‘‘No motion’’ and inserting ‘‘Other than at the 

10 beginning of a new Congress, no motion’’. 

Æ 


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