Title: One Subject at a Time Act
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
One Subject at a Time Act
This bill requires each bill or joint resolution to include no more than one subject and the subject to be clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title.
An appropriations bill may not contain any general legislation or change to existing law that is not germane to the subject of such bill.
The bill voids measures or provisions noncompliant with these requirements, including appropriation provisions outside the relevant subcommittee's jurisdiction.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3845 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3845

To end the practice of including more than one subject in a single bill 
by requiring that each bill enacted by Congress be limited to only one 
                    subject, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 1, 2020

   Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To end the practice of including more than one subject in a single bill 
by requiring that each bill enacted by Congress be limited to only one 
                    subject, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``One Subject at a Time Act''.

SEC. 2. ONE SUBJECT AT A TIME.

    (a) One Subject.--Each bill or joint resolution shall embrace no 
more than one subject.
    (b) Subject in Title.--The subject of a bill or joint resolution 
shall be clearly and descriptively expressed in the title.
    (c) Appropriation Bills.--An appropriations bill shall not contain 
any general legislation or change to a provision of existing law, the 
subject of which is not germane to the subject matter of each such 
appropriations bill; provided, however, that this section shall not be 
construed to prohibit any provision imposing limitations upon the 
expenditure of funds so appropriated.

SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Multiple Subjects in Title.--If the title of an Act or joint 
resolution addresses two or more unrelated subjects, the entire Act or 
joint resolution is void.
    (b) Provisions Not Expressed in Title.--If the title of an Act or 
joint resolution addresses a single subject, but the Act contains one 
or more provisions concerning a subject that is not clearly and 
descriptively expressed in its title, only such provision or provisions 
concerning the subject not clearly and descriptively expressed in the 
title shall be void.
    (c) Appropriation Provisions Outside Subcommittee Jurisdiction.--If 
an Act appropriating funds contains a provision outside of the 
jurisdiction of the relevant subcommittee of the Committees on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and of the Senate, and 
therefore outside the subject of the bill, such provision shall be 
void.
    (d) Provisions of Appropriation Bills Not Germane to Subject 
Matter.--If an Act appropriating funds contains a provision of general 
legislation or a change of a provision of existing law not germane to 
the subject matter of such bill, such provision shall be void.
    (e) Commencement of an Action.--Any person aggrieved by the 
enforcement of, or attempt or threat of enforcement of, an Act passed 
without having complied with section 2 or this section, or any Member 
of Congress aggrieved by the failure of the House of Congress of which 
that individual is a member to comply with any requirement of those 
sections, shall, regardless of the amount in controversy, have a cause 
of action under sections 2201 and 2202 of title 28, United States Code, 
against the United States to seek appropriate relief, including an 
injunction against the enforcement of any law, the passage of which did 
not conform to section 2 or this section.
    (f) State of Review.--In any judicial action brought pursuant to 
subsection (e), the standard of review shall be de novo.
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