I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1831 
To preserve the constitutional authority of Congress and ensure accountability 
and transparency in legislation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 6, 2013 
Mr. BENTIVOLIO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To preserve the constitutional authority of Congress and 
ensure accountability and transparency in legislation. 
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 Bills Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TEXT OF BILL OR RESOLUTION TO SPECIFY ITS 
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND SHOW EF-
FECTS ON CURRENT LAW. 
Chapter 2 of title 1, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after section 105 the following: 
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‘‘§ 105a. Text of bill or resolution to specify its con-
stitutional authority 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any bill or resolution intro-
duced in either House of Congress shall contain a 
provision citing the specific powers granted to Con-
gress in the Constitution of the United States to 
enact the proposed bill or resolution, including all 
the provisions thereof. 
‘‘(2) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—Any bill or resolu-
tion not in compliance with subsection (a)(1) shall 
not be accepted by the Clerk of the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Secretary of the Senate. 
‘‘(b) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The requirements of sub-
section (a)(1) shall apply to any bill or resolution 
presented for consideration on the floor of either 
House of Congress, including those bills or resolu-
tions reported from a committee of either House of 
Congress, those consisting of a conference report to 
accompany or bill or resolution, or those offered as 
a manager’s amendment. 
‘‘(2) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—Any bill or resolu-
tion not complying with subsection (A)(1) shall not 
be submitted for a vote on final passage. 
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‘‘(c) NO WAIVER OR MODIFICATION.—Neither House 
of Congress, nor Congress jointly, by concurrent resolu-
tion, or by unanimous consent, or by any other order, reso-
lution, vote, or other means, may dispense with, or other-
wise waive or modify, the requirements set forth in this 
section. 
‘‘§ 105b. Text of bill or resolution to set forth current 
law 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any bill or resolution intro-
duced in either House of Congress which is designed 
to amend or modify the effect of, or which would 
have the effect of amending or modifying the effect 
of, any current provision of law, including the expi-
ration date of any law, shall set forth— 
‘‘(A) the amendments being proposed by 
the bill; and 
‘‘(B) the current section of law as it would 
read as modified by the amendments proposed, 
showing deleted text struck through and in-
serted text underlined. 
‘‘(2) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—Any bill or resolu-
tion not complying with this subsection shall not be 
accepted by the Clerk of the House of Representa-
tives or the Secretary of the Senate. 
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‘‘(b) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The requirements of sub-
section (a)(1) shall apply to all bills or resolutions 
presented for consideration on the floor of either 
House of Congress, including those reported from a 
committee of either House of Congress, those con-
sisting of a conference report to accompany a bill or 
resolution, or those offered as a manager’s amend-
ment. 
‘‘(2) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—Any bill or resolu-
tion not complying with this section shall not be sub-
mitted to a vote on final passage. 
‘‘(c) NO WAIVER OR MODIFICATION.—Neither House 
of Congress, nor Congress jointly, by concurrent resolu-
tion, or by unanimous consent, or by any other order, reso-
lution, vote, or other means, may dispense with, or other-
wise waive or modify, the requirements set forth in this 
section. 
‘‘§ 105c. Text of amendment to set forth current bill 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any amendment to a bill or 
resolution introduced in either House of Congress 
shall set forth the current section of the bill or reso-
lution as it would read as modified by the amend-
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ments proposed, showing deleted text struck through 
and inserted text underlined. 
‘‘(2) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—Any bill or resolu-
tion not complying with this subsection shall not be 
accepted by the Clerk of the House of Representa-
tives or the Secretary of the Senate. 
‘‘(b) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The requirements of sub-
section (a)(1) shall apply to all bills or resolutions 
presented for consideration on the floor of either 
House of Congress, including those reported from a 
committee of either House of Congress, those con-
sisting of a conference report to accompany a bill or 
joint resolution, or those offered as a manager’s 
amendment. 
‘‘(2) FAILURE TO COMPLY.—Any bill or resolu-
tion not complying with this section shall not be sub-
mitted to a vote on final passage. 
‘‘(c) NO WAIVER OR MODIFICATION.—Neither House 
of Congress, nor Congress jointly, by concurrent resolu-
tion, or by unanimous consent, or by any other order, reso-
lution, vote, or other means, may dispense with, or other-
wise waive or modify, the requirements set forth in this 
section. 
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‘‘§ 105d. Procedures prior to vote on bill or resolution 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A vote on final passage of a bill 
(except for private bills) or a resolution of a public char-
acter may not occur in either House of Congress, unless— 
‘‘(1) the full text of the bill or resolution, or 
original language and all adopted amendments to 
the same effect, is published at least 7 days before 
the vote on the official public Internet site of the Of-
fice of the Clerk of the House of Representatives (in 
the case of a bill or resolution in the House of Rep-
resentatives) or the Office of the Secretary of the 
Senate (in the case of a bill or resolution in the Sen-
ate), easily available to and readily usable by the 
public, using an open format that is platform inde-
pendent, machine readable, and available without re-
strictions 
respecting 
searching, 
retrieval, 
downloading, and indexing, separate and apart from 
the calendar of the Senate or the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
‘‘(2) public notice of the specific calendar week 
during which the vote is scheduled to take place is 
posted on the official Internet website described in 
paragraph (1) not less than 6 days before the Mon-
day of the calendar week during which the vote is 
scheduled to take place, with failure to take the vote 
during the noticed week requiring a new notice. 
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‘‘(b) ROLL CALL.—No vote on final passage of a bill 
(except for private bills) or resolution may occur in either 
House of Congress unless taken by roll call. 
‘‘(c) JOURNAL.—With respect to each vote on final 
passage of a bill (except for a private bill) or resolution, 
each House of Congress shall cause to be recorded in the 
journal of its proceedings that the applicable publishing, 
notice, and reading requirements under this section have 
been met. 
‘‘(d) NO WAIVER OR MODIFICATION.—Neither House 
of Congress, nor Congress jointly, by concurrent resolu-
tion, or by unanimous consent, or by any other order, reso-
lution, vote, or other means, may dispense with, or other-
wise waive or modify, the requirements set forth in this 
section. 
‘‘(e) EXCEPTION
FOR DECLARATIONS
OF WAR.— 
This section shall not apply with respect to any bill or 
resolution which constitutes a declaration of war. 
‘‘§ 105e. Enforcement 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An Act of Congress that does 
not comply with sections 105a, 105b, 105c, or 105d shall 
have no force or effect and no legal, equitable, regulatory, 
civil, or criminal action may be brought under such an 
Act of Congress. 
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‘‘(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 law the passage of 
which did not conform to the requirements of sections 
105a, 105b, 105c, or 105d) may be brought by— 
‘‘(1) any person aggrieved by any action of any 
officer or employee of the Federal Government 
under any Act of Congress that does not comply 
with sections 105a, 105b, 105c, or 105d; and 
‘‘(2) any Member of Congress aggrieved by the 
failure of the House of Congress of which the Mem-
ber is a Member to comply with sections 105a, 105b, 
105c, or 105d.’’. 
SEC. 3. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act or an amendment made 
by this Act, or the application of a provision or amend-
ment to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid 
for any reason in any court of competent jurisdiction, the 
remainder of this Act and amendments made by this Act, 
and the application of the provisions and amendment to 
any other person or circumstance, shall not be affected. 
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SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 
apply with respect to bills and resolutions introduced or 
considered during the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress 
or any succeeding Congress. 
Æ 
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