A resolution amending the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit the consideration of legislation in the Senate unless the text of the legislation that will be considered has been made publicly available in electronic form for a mandatory minimum review period.

Subjects: Congress

Summary:  <p>This resolution permits Senators to object to the consideration of any measure unless the cost estimate and text of the measure has been available for a minimum amount of time.</p> <p>Specifically, Senators may object to consideration of a measure if the cost estimate produced by the Congressional Budget Office for the exact text of the measure has not been available for at least 24 hours. An objection raised on these grounds may be waived or suspended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senate.</p> <p>The resolution further permits an objection to the consideration of any measure that has not been publicly available in electronic form for the mandatory minimum review period. This period is the greater of (1) the number of minutes that are equal to two times the number of pages in the measure, or (2) 72 hours, as calculated from the time the measure is made publicly available.</p> <p>The resolution also requires Senators to certify that they have read each measure prior to voting on it.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 18 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 18

Amending the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit the consideration 
 of legislation in the Senate unless the text of the legislation that 
will be considered has been made publicly available in electronic form 
                 for a mandatory minimum review period.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 26, 2023

 Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Hawley, and Ms. 
 Ernst) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                 Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Amending the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit the consideration 
 of legislation in the Senate unless the text of the legislation that 
will be considered has been made publicly available in electronic form 
                 for a mandatory minimum review period.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. PROHIBITING CONSIDERATION OF TEXT OF LEGISLATION UNTIL 
              COMPLETION OF MANDATORY MINIMUM REVIEW PERIOD.

    (a) In General.--Rule XII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5)(a) It shall not be in order to consider a bill, joint 
        resolution, resolution, or conference report unless the text of 
        the bill, joint resolution, resolution, or conference report to 
        be considered has been publicly available in electronic form 
        for the mandatory minimum review period.
            ``(b) Each Senator shall self certify that the Senator has 
        read a bill, joint resolution, resolution, or conference report 
        before voting on the bill, joint resolution, resolution, or 
        conference report.
            ``(c) In this paragraph, the term `mandatory minimum review 
        period' means, with respect to a bill, joint resolution, 
        resolution, or conference report, the greater of--
                    ``(i) the period--
                            ``(I) beginning on the first hour after the 
                        text of the bill, joint resolution, resolution, 
                        or conference report to be considered is first 
                        made publicly available in electronic form; and
                            ``(II) that consists of a number of minutes 
                        equal to 2 times the number of pages of the 
                        text of the bill, joint resolution, resolution, 
                        or conference report to be considered; and
                    ``(ii) 72 hours after the text of the bill, joint 
                resolution, resolution, or conference report to be 
                considered is first made publicly available in 
                electronic form.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
            The Standing Rules of the Senate is amended--
            (1) in paragraph 1 of rule VIII, by inserting ``the text of 
        which has been available for the mandatory minimum review 
        period, as defined in paragraph 5 of rule XII, and'' after 
        ``bills and resolutions'';
            (2) in rule XIV--
                    (A) in paragraph 3, by striking ``on that day'' and 
                inserting ``before the expiration of the mandatory 
                minimum review period, as defined in paragraph 5 of 
                rule XII,''; and
                    (B) in paragraph 6, by striking ``one day'' and 
                inserting ``for the mandatory minimum review period, as 
                defined in paragraph 5 of rule XII,'';
            (3) in paragraph 5 of rule XVII, by striking ``two calendar 
        days (excluding Sundays and legal holidays'' and inserting 
        ``the mandatory minimum review period, as defined in paragraph 
        5 of rule XII,''; and
            (4) in paragraph 5 of rule XXVIII, by striking ``shall be 
        immediately put'' and inserting ``shall be put after the 
        expiration of the mandatory minimum review period, as defined 
        in paragraph 5 of rule XII''.

SEC. 2. CBO COST ESTIMATE.

    (a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate to 
consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment 
between the Houses, or conference report unless a cost estimate under 
section 402(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 
653(1)) for the exact text of the bill, joint resolution, motion, 
amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report has been 
available for not fewer than 24 hours.
    (b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or suspended 
in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members, 
duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members 
of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an 
appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under 
subsection (a).
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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