IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 554 

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 17, 2009 

Mr. BAIRD (for himself and Mr. CULBERSON) 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 

8 services and markets, transportation, manufacVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:03 Jun 18, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR554.IH HR554

smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 554 IH 

1 turing, agriculture, and commerce with consumers 

2 and businesses. 

3 (2) Slow the explosive growth of the 

4 $11,000,000,000,000 national debt of the United 

5 States, reduce excessive annual budget deficits, and 

6 control the size and scope of government by ensuring 

7 that there is adequate scrutiny of proposals for new 

8 and amended laws, taxes, and expenditures. 

9 (3) Enhance public participation in American 

10 democracy and improve the quality of proposed leg11 islation by allowing the opportunity for its review by 

12 State and local government officials, small business 

13 owners, large business leaders, journalists, scientists, 

14 academics, labor leaders, nonprofit organization 

15 leaders, authors of weblogs, and interested citizens. 

16 (4) Help restore public trust in government and 

17 enhance respect for the House of Representatives 

18 and the Congress by ensuring that their operations 

19 are conducted with the openness, order, and dignity 

20 befitting the world’s oldest democracy. 

21 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XIII REGARDING AVAIL22 ABILITY OF LEGISLATION AND REPORTS. 

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

24 of Representatives is amended— 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 554 IH 

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’’. 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
4 

•HRES 554 IH 

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 inserting before the period ‘‘a rule or order pro10 posing a waiver of clause 4(a) of rule XIII or of 

11 clause 8(a) or 8(b) of rule XXII, unless a question 

12 of consideration of the rule is adopted by a vote of 

13 two-thirds of the Members voting, a quorum being 

14 present’’. 

15 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO RULE XXII REGARDING AVAIL16 ABILITY OF CONFERENCE REPORTS AND 

17 AMENDMENTS REPORTED IN DISAGREE18 MENT. 

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

20 Representatives is amended— 

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

22 the following new paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(a)(1) It shall not be in order to consider a con24 ference report until 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sun25 days and holidays except when the House is in session on 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
5 

•HRES 554 IH 

1 such a day) after the conference report and the accom2 panying joint explanatory statement have been available 

3 to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and 

4 the general public pursuant to subparagraph (2). 

5 ‘‘(2) Without further amendment before floor consid6 eration, the full texts of the conference report and the ac7 companying signed joint explanatory statement shall be 

8 posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a 

9 manner that they are conveniently accessible using exist10 ing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format 

11 that can be searched by text.’’; 

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

13 (1) and (2) and inserting the following new subpara14 graphs: 

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

16 dispose of a Senate amendment reported in disagreement 

17 by a conference committee until at least 72 hours (exclud18 ing Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except when the 

19 House is in session on such a day) after the report in dis20 agreement and any accompanying statement have been 

21 available to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commis22 sioner, and the general public pursuant to subparagraph 

23 (2). 

24 ‘‘(2) Without further amendment before floor consid25 eration, the full texts of a Senate amendment reported in 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS
6 

•HRES 554 IH 

1 disagreement and any accompanying statement shall be 

2 posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a 

3 manner that they are conveniently accessible using exist4 ing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format 

5 that can be searched by text.’’. 

6 SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. 

7 Nothing in this resolution or any amendment made 

8 by it shall be interpreted to require or permit the declas9 sification or posting on the Internet of classified informa10 tion in the custody of the House of Representatives. Such 

11 classified information shall be made available to Members 

12 in a timely manner as appropriate under existing laws and 

13 rules. 

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

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

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

17 the Rules of the House of Representatives that the Com18 mittee on Rules should develop standardized policies and 

19 procedures to require that proposed amendments (except 

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

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

22 number of hours. 

Æ 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with BILLS