Any Member of the House may introduce legislation. A bill becomes a Consideration Bill when any of the following conditions are met:

A. Member Co-Sponsorship.

The bill reaches a defined Threshold of co-sponsors as recorded by the Clerk of the House.

B. Committee Reporting.

The bill is reported from the committee of jurisdiction with the support of a defined Threshold of committee members.

C. Senate Passage.

The bill has passed the Senate.

D. Appropriations Bills

The twelve regular appropriations bills automatically qualify as Consideration Bills.

A Consideration Bill shall be referred to the Committee under the procedures of this rule.

Upon referral, the Committee shall have one defined review Period established in the Rules Package to review the Consideration Bill. During that Period, the Committee may examine the legislation through hearings, debate, and markup as appropriate and retains full authority to amend the legislation.

The Committee may extend the review Period once for a specified additional Period when additional time is necessary to complete hearings, markup, or negotiations. Any such extension must be accompanied by a brief written statement, entered into the Congressional Record, describing the status of the legislation and the work remaining.

Before the review Period expires, the Committee shall report the Consideration Bill to the House, either favorably or adversely.

If the Consideration Bill has not been reported before the review Period expires, the version of the legislation then under consideration shall be automatically discharged to the appropriate House calendar.

Consideration Bills shall not require discretionary action by the Rules Committee in order to proceed to House consideration.

Rule 1 Rationale

This rule restores a basic expectation of the House: When legislation demonstrates meaningful support within Congress, it should receive consideration through the legislative process. This rule does not demand pre-determined consensus to move through the House. Rather, it merely provides for public consideration through regular order.

The rule does not bypass committees. Committees remain the place where expertise is applied, hearings are held, negotiations occur, and legislation is improved through amendment. Instead, the rule ensures that the House defaults to doing the work of legislating.

Rule 1 History

For much of the twentieth century, legislation with meaningful support among Members generally moved through committees with a predictable process of hearings, markups, and reporting to the House floor. Committees were expected to deliberate on proposals and take positions on them.

Over time, control of the legislative agenda has become more centralized, and committees now have broad discretion over whether and when legislation receives hearings or votes. As a result, many proposals with substantial support never move through the committee process.

The House has already recognized mechanisms to release bills stalled in committee. The Discharge Petition and the Consensus Calendar are exceptions built into the House rules, but they require 218 or 290 Members’ signatures, respectively, and have been used only rarely.

By contrast, this proposed rule changes the default. It establishes a predictable path for Consideration Bills that satisfy objective qualification criteria, guaranteeing consideration through the committee process, not passage.

Rule 1 Prebunks

“Co-sponsors do not prove real support.”:

Co-sponsor- ship is not a perfect measure of legislative support, but it is the clearest public signal Members have to express interest in a proposal. This rule does not require a bill to pass; it simply ensures that proposals with meaningful support receive committee consideration.

“Committees will be overwhelmed with bills.”:

Most legislation attracts only a small number of co-sponsors. Only bills that reach the defined Threshold or otherwise demon- strate strong institutional support would become Consideration Bills. Committees would retain full discretion over the thousands of other bills introduced each Congress.

“This weakens the role of committees.”:

The rule explicitly preserves committee authority. Committees retain full power to amend legislation, negotiate changes, and extend their review Period once when necessary.

“This will force rushed decisions on complex legislation.”:

The rule provides a defined review Period and allows committees to extend that Period when additional work is required. The goal is not to rush deliberation but to prevent legislation from being indefinitely delayed without action.

“This will create chaos on the House floor.”:

This rule does not send legislation directly to the floor. It ensures committee consideration and places the bill on the House calendar only after committee action or the expiration of the review Period. Floor debate, amendment, and scheduling remain governed by normal procedures of the House.

Any Consideration Bill placed on the appropriate House calendar shall be brought before the House within a Period established in the Rules Package.

Each regular appropriations bill shall be considered separately.

When the House begins debate on the bill, the measure shall be debated for a defined minimum Period established in the Rules Package before any final vote.

The House may vote by a Threshold to close debate at any time, including before the minimum debate Period has expired.

The House may also vote by a Threshold to extend debate once beyond the minimum Period for a specified additional Period of time.

Closing debate does not limit the House’s authority to consider amendments to the legislation under the procedures established in Rule 3.

Rule 2 Rationale

This rule ensures that legislation which has demonstrated meaningful support among Members and advanced through the Rule 1 committee process receives genuine deliberation on the House floor.

Debate is a core responsibility of the House of Representatives. Members are elected not only to vote on legislation but to deliberate publicly, present arguments, and explain legislative decisions to the American people.

The rule guarantees that legislation reaching the floor will receive a defined minimum Period of debate before a final vote. At the same time, it preserves the House’s ability to manage its time efficiently. If a broad consensus of Members believes further debate is unnecessary, the House may close debate immediately by vote at the defined Threshold. Likewise, if Members believe additional deliberation is warranted, the House may extend debate for a specified additional Period.

Rule 2 History

Historically, the House regularly debated legislation before final passage, providing Members the opportunity to present arguments and represent the views of their constituents on the floor.

Over time, control over floor debate has become increasingly centralized through the Rules Committee and the growing use of tightly structured rules that limit speaking opportunities and define the terms of debate before a bill reaches the floor.

This rule restores the expectation that Consideration Bills will be openly debated before the House decides their fate.

Rule 2 Prebunks

“This creates a Senate-style filibuster.”:

No. Debate occurs only for a defined minimum Period unless the House votes at the defined Threshold to extend it for one specified Period. The rule does not allow unlimited debate in any case and does not permit a minority of Members to delay.

“This will waste valuable floor time.”:

The House may end debate immediately by vote at the defined Threshold if Members broadly agree that further debate is unnecessary. This allows the House to move efficiently.

“Leadership must retain flexibility to manage the floor.”:

Leadership continues to organize the legislative calendar and manage the flow of business. This rule simply ensures that legislation which has demonstrated meaningful Member support and completed the Rule 1 process cannot be withheld indefinitely from the floor or rushed to a vote without debate.

“Committees already provide the opportunity for debate.”:

Committees play a vital role in reviewing legislation, but the House floor is where all Representatives have the opportunity to deliberate publicly and represent their constituents before final passage.

Members shall have the opportunity to offer amendments to the Consideration Bill.

Amendments must be germane to the subject matter of the legislation and must demonstrate support from a minimum Threshold of Members, as established in the Rules Package.

Amendments must be submitted in advance under procedures established in the Rules Package.

The House may vote by a Threshold to prohibit the consideration of any amendments to the bill.

The House may also vote by a Threshold to prohibit consideration of a specific amendment.

Nothing in this rule limits the authority of the House to establish reasonable procedures governing the order, grouping, and debate time for amendments.

Rule 3 Rationale

Amending legislation is one of the central functions of a legislative body. Members are elected not only to debate and vote on legislation but also to improve proposals through amendment.

This rule restores the expectation that legislation debated by the House will be open to improvement by Members of both parties. By requiring amendments to be germane, supported by multiple Members, and submitted in advance, the rule encourages thoughtful proposals and coalition building while maintaining an orderly legislative process.

At the same time, the rule preserves the House’s ability to manage the amendment process efficiently. The House may prohibit amendments altogether or block specific amendments when a broad consensus of Members agrees that doing so is appropriate.

Rule 3 History

Historically, the House often considered legislation under procedures that allowed Members to offer amendments. This amendment process allowed Representatives to shape legislation, raise concerns, and represent the interests of their constituents during debate.

Over time, the House increasingly relied on closed or tightly structured rules that limit or prohibit amendments from rank- and-file Members. As a result, opportunities for Members to offer amendments have become more limited.

This rule restores the expectation that Members may offer amendments when the House considers legislation while preserving procedures that ensure the amendment process remains orderly and manageable.

Rule 3 Prebunks

“This will create chaos on the House floor.”:

Amendments must be germane, supported by multiple Members, and submitted in advance. The House may also establish procedures governing the order, grouping, and debate time for amendments. These safeguards ensure that the amendment process remains orderly.

“Members will offer poison-pill amendments to derail legislation.”:

The House may prohibit any specific amend- ment by vote at the defined Threshold. This allows the chamber to prevent clearly disruptive amendments while preserving the opportunity for constructive improvements.

“Leadership must control amendments to manage the legislative calendar.”:

The House retains the authority to structure the amendment process and limit debate time. This rule simply restores the expectation that Members will have meaningful opportunities to improve legislation once it reaches the floor.

“The committee process already allows amendments.”:

Committees play an essential role in shaping legislation, but the House floor is where the full body of Representatives can deliberate and propose improvements before final passage.

After debate and amendment of the Consideration Bill, the House shall proceed to the question of final passage.

Votes on final passage shall be recorded votes.

Each regular appropriations bill shall receive a separate recorded vote on final passage.

If any regular appropriations bill has not been enacted by the beginning of the fiscal year, funding for the programs and activities covered by that bill shall continue under a continuing resolution at a level established in the Rules Package until superseded by law.