IV
House Calendar No. 177
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. RES. 441
[Report No. 106–525]
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2372) to simplify and expedite
access to the Federal courts for injured parties whose rights and privi-
leges, secured by the United States Constitution, have been deprived
by final actions of Federal agencies, or other government officials or
entities acting under color of State law; to prevent Federal courts from
abstaining from exercising Federal jurisdiction in actions where no State
law claim is alleged; to permit certification of unsettled State law ques-
tions 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.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 15, 2000
Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, from the Committee on Rules, reported the following reso-
lution; which was referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
RESOLUTION
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2372) to sim-
plify and expedite access to the Federal courts for in-
jured parties whose rights and privileges, secured by
the United States Constitution, have been deprived by
final actions of Federal agencies, or other government
officials or entities acting under color of State law; to
prevent Federal courts from abstaining from exercising
HRES 441 RH
Federal jurisdiction in actions where no State law claim
is alleged; to permit certification of unsettled State law
questions that are essential to resolving Federal claims
arising under the Constitution; and to clarify when gov-
ernment action is sufficiently final to ripen certain Fed-
eral claims arising under the Constitution.
Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this
resolution 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 consider-
ation of the bill (H.R. 2372) to simplify and expedite ac-
cess to the Federal courts for injured parties whose rights
and privileges, secured by the United States Constitution,
have been deprived by final actions of Federal agencies,
or other government officials or entities acting under color
of State law; to prevent Federal courts from abstaining
from exercising Federal jurisdiction in actions where no
State law claim is alleged; to permit certification of unset-
tled State law questions that are essential to resolving
Federal claims arising under the Constitution; and to clar-
ify when government action is sufficiently final to ripen
certain Federal claims arising under the Constitution. The
first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. General
debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed
one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman
and ranking minority member of the Committee on the
HRES 441 RH
Judiciary. After general debate the bill shall be considered
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 consid-
ered 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 accom-
panying 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 con-
sidered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified
in the report equally divided and controlled by the pro-
ponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amend-
ment, 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
consideration in the Committee of the Whole a request for
a recorded vote on any amendment; and (2) reduce to five
minutes the minimum time for electronic voting on any
postponed question that follows another electronic vote
HRES 441 RH
without intervening business, provided that the minimum
time for electronic voting on the first in any series of ques-
tions shall be 15 minutes. At the conclusion of consider-
ation of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise
and report the bill to the House with such amendments
as may have been adopted. 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 com-
mittee amendment in the nature of a substitute. The pre-
vious question shall be considered as ordered on the bill
and amendments thereto to final passage without inter-
vening motion except one motion to recommit with or
without instructions.