§288j — Title 2 The Congress | U.S. Code

Summary

Resolutions filed under the special Senate procedure cannot be sent to a committee unless another rule requires it. After the resolution is filed or reported, anyone can move to start considering it at any time. That motion is very high priority and cannot be debated, changed, or reopened. If the Senate agrees to start consideration, debate is limited to not more than 10 hours total, split evenly between people for and against. No changes to the resolution are allowed, no motions to send it back, and votes on these steps cannot be reconsidered. Requests to delay or to take up other business, and appeals about the Chair’s rulings on these procedures, must be decided without debate. The rule also says “committee” means standing, select, and special Senate committees, and that these procedures are part of the Senate’s rules and can be altered by the Senate.

Title 2, §288j

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(a)(1)A resolution introduced pursuant to section 288b of this title shall not be referred to a committee, except as otherwise required under section 288d(c) of this title. Upon introduction, or upon being reported if required under section 288d(c) of this title, whichever is later, it shall at any time thereafter be in order (even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the consideration of such resolution. A motion to proceed to the consideration of a resolution shall be highly privileged and not debatable. An amendment to such motion shall not be in order, and it shall not be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which such motion is agreed to.

(2)With respect to a resolution pursuant to section 288b(a) of this title, the following rules apply:

(A)If the motion to proceed to the consideration of the resolution is agreed to, debate thereon shall be limited to not more than ten hours, which shall be divided equally between, and controlled by, those favoring and those opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit debate shall not be debatable. No amendment to the resolution shall be in order. No motion to recommit the resolution shall be in order, and it shall not be in order to reconsider the vote by which the resolution is agreed to.

(B)Motions to postpone, made with respect to the consideration of the resolution, and motions to proceed to the consideration of other business, shall be decided without debate.

(C)All appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate to the procedure relating to the resolution shall be decided without debate.

(b)For purposes of this chapter, other than section 288b of this title, the term “committee” includes standing, select, and special committees of the Senate established by law or resolution.

(c)The provisions of this section are enacted—

(1)as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate, and, as such, they shall be considered as part of the rules of the Senate, and such rules shall supersede any other rule of the Senate only to the extent that rule is inconsistent therewith; and

(2)with full recognition of the constitutional right of the Senate to change such rules at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of the Senate.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this title”, meaning title VII of Pub. L. 95–521, which enacted this chapter, section 5504 of this title, and section 1364 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, and amended section 3210, 3216, and 3219 of Title 39, Postal Service. For complete classification of title VII to the Code, see Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 3, 1979, see section 717 of Pub. L. 95–521, set out as a note under section 288 of this title.

§288j Consideration of resolutions to direct counsel