Federal

Establishing the Task Force on the Legislative Process.

Source: Congress.gov · 1,037 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill creates a Task Force on the Legislative Process to study how Congress can speed up consideration of bills that pass one chamber with strong, bipartisan support. The Task Force will analyze different options for making this process faster and report its findings to congressional leadership.

Who It Affects

Members of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate), the Speaker of the House, House and Senate minority leaders, House and Senate majority leaders, and the Committee on Rules in both chambers.

Key Provisions

• A 12-member Task Force is created with 3 House members appointed by the Speaker, 3 House members appointed by the House minority leader, 3 Senate members appointed by the Senate majority leader, and 3 Senate members appointed by the Senate minority leader (Sec. 3(a)) • At least one member from each group appointed must serve on their chamber's Rules Committee (Sec. 3(a)) • The four leaders must jointly select 2 members to serve as co-chairs (Sec. 3(b)) • The Task Force must issue a report analyzing options for expedited consideration of bills and include any recommendations approved by at least 9 members (Sec. 4(b)) • The report must be completed and submitted to congressional leadership and both Rules Committees within one year of this resolution's adoption (Sec. 4(b)(2)) • Both Rules Committees must publicly post the report on their websites (Sec. 5)

What Changes

A new Task Force is established. Once it issues its report, it will end and its records transfer to both Rules Committees.

Important Definitions

"Bicameral legislation expedition" means any legislative process allowing both chambers of Congress to speed up consideration of a bill that passed the other chamber by unanimous consent, by voice vote, or with approval from at least two-thirds of members voting (Sec. 2(b)).

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 8 Establishing the Task Force on the Legislative Process. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 11, 2023 Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia (for herself, Mr. TIMMONS, and Mr. KILMER) sub- mitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Establishing the Task Force on the Legislative Process. Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 1 concurring), 2 SECTION 1. PURPOSE. 3 The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to imple- 4 ment the 131st recommendation of the Select Committee 5 on the Modernization of Congress, passed by the Select 6 Committee during the 117th Congress, to create a Task 7 Force on the Legislative Process that analyzes the range 8 of legislative processes by which, if adopted by both 9 Houses, each House would provide expedited consideration 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:05 Jan 11, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC8.IH HC8 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HCON 8 IH of legislation that was passed by the other House with 1 wide and bipartisan support. 2 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. 3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE.—There is hereby es- 4 tablished the Task Force on the Legislative Process (here- 5 after referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’) whose purpose shall 6 be to analyze the range of options for bicameral legislation 7 expedition. 8 (b) DEFINITION.—In this concurrent resolution, the 9 term ‘‘bicameral legislation expedition’’ means any legisla- 10 tive process by which each House of Congress jointly pro- 11 vides for expedited consideration of legislation which was 12 passed by the other House by unanimous consent, by voice 13 vote, or with the approval of not fewer than 2⁄3 of the 14 members voting. 15 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP. 16 (a) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be com- 17 posed of 12 members appointed as follows: 18 (1) The Speaker of the House of Representa- 19 tives shall appoint 3 individuals who are Members of 20 the House of Representatives, of whom at least one 21 shall be a majority member of the Committee on 22 Rules of the House. 23 (2) The minority leader of the House shall ap- 24 point 3 individuals who are Members of the House 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:05 Jan 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC8.IH HC8 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HCON 8 IH of Representatives, of whom at least one shall be a 1 minority member of the Committee on Rules of the 2 House. 3 (3) The majority leader of the Senate shall ap- 4 point 3 individuals who are Members of the Senate, 5 of whom at least one shall be a majority member of 6 the Committee on Rules and Administration of the 7 Senate. 8 (4) The minority leader of the Senate shall ap- 9 point 3 individuals who are Members of the Senate, 10 of whom at least one shall be a minority member of 11 the Committee on Rules and Administration of the 12 Senate. 13 (b) CO-CHAIRS.—The Speaker, minority leader of the 14 House, majority leader of the Senate, and minority leader 15 of the Senate shall jointly select 2 of the members of the 16 Task Force to serve as co-chairs of the Task Force. 17 (c) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the membership of the 18 Task Force shall be filled in the same manner as the origi- 19 nal appointment. 20 (d) INCLUSION OF DELEGATES AND RESIDENT COM- 21 MISSIONER.—For purposes of this section, a ‘‘Member’’ 22 of the House of Representatives includes a Delegate or 23 Resident Commissioner to the Congress. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:05 Jan 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC8.IH HC8 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HCON 8 IH SEC. 4. DUTIES. 1 (a) PROCEDURES.—The Task Force shall establish a 2 process to solicit information, input, and legislative pro- 3 posals which are directly related to the purpose of the 4 Task Force under section 2. 5 (b) REPORT.— 6 (1) CONTENTS.—The Task Force shall issue a 7 report to the Speaker of the House, the minority 8 leader of the House, the majority leader of the Sen- 9 ate, the minority leader of the Senate, the Com- 10 mittee on Rules of the House of Representatives, 11 and the Committee on Rules and Administration of 12 the Senate, and shall include in the report— 13 (A) an analysis of the range of options for 14 bicameral legislation expedition; and 15 (B) any recommendations relating to bi- 16 cameral legislation expedition which are ap- 17 proved by not fewer than 9 of its members. 18 (2) DEADLINE.—The Task Force shall issue 19 the report required under paragraph (1) not later 20 than one year after the date of the adoption of this 21 concurrent resolution. 22 (c) USE OF STAFF.—The Task Force may use the 23 services of staff of the House and Senate to assist it in 24 carrying out its duties. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:05 Jan 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC8.IH HC8 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HCON 8 IH SEC. 5. POSTING OF PROPOSALS BY COMMITTEES. 1 Upon receiving the report issued by the Task Force 2 under section 4(b), the Committee on Rules of the House 3 of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Ad- 4 ministration of the Senate shall each publicly post the re- 5 port on a public page of its website. 6 SEC. 6. TERMINATION. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall terminate 8 upon issuing the report required under section 4(b). 9 (b) DISPOSITION OF RECORDS.—Upon its termi- 10 nation, the records of the Task Force shall be transferred 11 to, and shall become part of, the records of the Committee 12 on Rules of the House of Representatives and the Com- 13 mittee on Rules and Administration of the Senate. 14 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:05 Jan 11, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HC8.IH HC8 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB

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