H. Res. 441
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
March 16, 2000.
Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this res-
olution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 2372) to simplify and expedite access to the
Federal courts for injured parties whose rights and privileges,
secured by the United States Constitution, have been de-
prived by final actions of Federal agencies, or other govern-
ment officials or entities acting under color of State law; to
prevent Federal courts from abstaining from exercising Fed-
eral jurisdiction in actions where no State law claim is al-
leged; to permit certification of unsettled State law questions
that are essential to resolving Federal claims arising under
the Constitution; and to clarify when government action is
sufficiently final to ripen certain Federal claims arising under
the Constitution. The first reading of the bill shall be dis-
pensed with. General debate shall be confined to the bill and
shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by
•HRES 441 EH
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee
on the Judiciary. After general debate the bill shall be consid-
ered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be
in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of
amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on the
Judiciary now printed in the bill. The committee amendment
in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. No
amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a
substitute shall be in order except those printed in the report
of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution.
Each amendment may be offered only in the order printed in
the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in
the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for
the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled
by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division
of the question in the House or in the Committee of the
Whole. All points of order against the amendments printed in
the report are waived. The Chairman of the Committee of the
Whole may: (1) postpone until a time during further consid-
eration in the Committee of the Whole a request for a re-
corded vote on any amendment; and (2) reduce to five min-
utes the minimum time for electronic voting on any post-
poned question that follows another electronic vote without
•HRES 441 EH
intervening business, provided that the minimum time for
electronic voting on the first in any series of questions shall
be 15 minutes. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill
for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill
to the House with such amendments as may have been adopt-
ed. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House
on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole
to the bill or to the committee amendment in the nature of
a substitute. The previous question shall be considered as or-
dered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage
without intervening motion except one motion to recommit
with or without instructions.
Attest:
Clerk.