I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4328 
To prohibit the consideration in the House of Representatives or Senate 
of the text of any legislation which has not been published online at 
least 72 hours prior to its consideration, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2016 
Mr. BRIDENSTINE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Rules 
A BILL 
To prohibit the consideration in the House of Representatives 
or Senate of the text of any legislation which has not 
been published online at least 72 hours prior to its 
consideration, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Read the Bill Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIRING TEXT OF LEGISLATION TO BE AVAIL-
ABLE PRIOR TO CONSIDERATION IN HOUSE 
OR SENATE. 
(a) REQUIRING AVAILABILITY OF TEXT.—It shall not 
be in order to consider any bill or resolution in the House 
of Representatives (including the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union) or Senate unless the 
text of the bill or resolution to be considered, including 
text made in order in the House (or the Committee of the 
Whole) as a result of the adoption by the House of a reso-
lution providing for consideration of the bill or resolution, 
is published on an official website of the Clerk of the 
House or the Secretary of the Senate (as the case may 
be) not fewer than the applicable minimum number of 
hours prior to the consideration of the bill or resolution. 
(b) APPLICABLE MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOURS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this section, 
the ‘‘applicable minimum number of hours’’ with re-
spect to the text of a bill or resolution is— 
(A) in the case of text of 300 or fewer 
pages, 72 hours; or 
(B) in the case of text of more than 300 
pages, the sum of 72 hours plus 24 hours for 
each additional increment of text of 100 or 
fewer pages. 
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(2) EXCLUDING HOURS DURING WHICH HOUSE 
OR SENATE IS NOT IN SESSION.—In determining the 
applicable number of hours under paragraph (1), 
there shall be excluded any hour during which the 
House of Representatives is not in session (in the 
case of a bill or resolution in the House) or any hour 
during which the Senate is not in session (in the 
case of a bill or resolution in the Senate). 
(c) NO WAIVER OR MODIFICATION.—Neither House 
of Congress, nor Congress jointly, by concurrent resolu-
tion, unanimous consent, or any other order, resolution, 
vote, or other means, may dispense with, or otherwise 
waive or modify, the requirements set forth in this section. 
SEC. 3. RULES FOR SHOWING AMENDMENTS MADE TO EX-
ISTING LAW BY BILLS OR JOINT RESOLU-
TIONS. 
(a) MATERIAL TO BE INCLUDED IN COMMITTEE RE-
PORTS.—Whenever a committee of the House of Rep-
resentatives or Senate reports a bill or joint resolution pro-
posing to repeal or amend a statute or part thereof, it 
shall include in its report or in an accompanying docu-
ment— 
(1) the entire text of each section of a statute 
that is proposed to be repealed or amended; and 
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(2) a comparative print of each amendment to 
a section of a statute that the bill or joint resolution 
proposes to make, showing by appropriate typo-
graphical devices the omissions and insertions pro-
posed. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPARATIVE PRINT.—If a 
committee of the House of Representatives or Senate re-
ports a bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or 
amend a statute or part thereof with a recommendation 
that the bill or joint resolution be amended, the compara-
tive print required by subsection (a) shall reflect the 
changes in existing law proposed to be made by the bill 
or joint resolution as proposed to be amended. 
(c) PROHIBITING CONSIDERATION
OF REPORTED 
BILLS OR JOINT RESOLUTIONS FAILING TO MEET RE-
QUIREMENTS.—It shall not be in order to consider any 
bill or joint resolution in the House of Representatives (in-
cluding the Committee of the Whole House on the State 
of the Union) or Senate which is reported by a committee 
if the committee does not meet the requirements of sub-
section (a) or (b) with respect to the bill or joint resolu-
tion. 
(d) NO WAIVER OR MODIFICATION.—Neither House 
of Congress, nor Congress jointly, by concurrent resolu-
tion, unanimous consent, or any other order, resolution, 
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vote, or other means, may dispense with, or otherwise 
waive or modify, the requirements set forth in this section. 
SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) NO LEGAL EFFECT FOR ACTS OF CONGRESS 
FAILING TO MEET REQUIREMENTS.—An Act of Congress 
that was considered as a bill or resolution in the House 
of Representatives or Senate in violation of the applicable 
requirements of section 2 or 3 shall have no force or effect, 
and no legal, equitable, regulatory, civil, or criminal action 
may be brought under such an Act of Congress. 
(b) CAUSE
OF ACTION.—Without regard to the 
amount in controversy, a cause of action under sections 
2201 and 2202 of title 28, United States Code, against 
the United States seeking appropriate relief (including an 
injunction against enforcement of any Act of Congress the 
consideration of which was in violation of the applicable 
requirements of section 2 or 3) may be brought by— 
(1) a person aggrieved by an action of an offi-
cer or employee in the executive branch of the Fed-
eral Government under such an Act of Congress; 
and 
(2) a Member of Congress aggrieved by the con-
sideration of a bill or resolution in violation of such 
applicable requirements by the House of Congress in 
which the Member serves. 
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SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act shall apply with respect to any bill or resolu-
tion considered in the House of Representatives or Senate 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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