One Bill, One Subject Transparency Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 91 To require that each bill enacted by Congress be limited to only one subject, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 9, 2023 Mr. BIGGS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To require 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘One Bill, One Subject 4 Transparency Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. ONE SUBJECT PER BILL. 6 (a) ONE SUBJECT.—Each bill or joint resolution 7 shall embrace no more than one subject. 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H91.IH H91 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 91 IH (b) SUBJECT IN TITLE.—The subject of a bill or joint 1 resolution shall be clearly and descriptively expressed in 2 the title. 3 (c) APPROPRIATION BILLS.—An appropriations bill 4 shall not contain any general legislation or change of exist- 5 ing law provision which is not germane to the subject mat- 6 ter of the underlying bill. This subsection does not prohibit 7 any provision imposing limitations upon the expenditure 8 of appropriated funds. 9 SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT. 10 (a) MULTIPLE SUBJECTS IN TITLE.—If the title of 11 an Act or joint resolution addresses two or more unrelated 12 subjects, then the entire Act or joint resolution is void. 13 (b) PROVISIONS NOT EXPRESSED IN TITLE.—If an 14 Act or joint resolution contains provisions concerning a 15 subject that is not clearly and descriptively expressed in 16 its title, those provisions shall be void. 17 (c) APPROPRIATION PROVISIONS OUTSIDE SUB- 18 COMMITTEE JURISDICTION.—If an Act appropriating 19 funds contains a provision outside of the jurisdiction of 20 the relevant subcommittee of the Committees on Appro- 21 priations of the House and of the Senate, and therefore 22 outside the subject of the bill, then such provision shall 23 be void. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H91.IH H91 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 91 IH (d) PROVISIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS BILLS NOT 1 GERMANE TO SUBJECT MATTER.—If an Act appro- 2 priating funds contains general legislation or change of ex- 3 isting law provision not germane to the subject matter of 4 the underlying bill, then every such provision shall be void. 5 (e) COMMENCEMENT OF AN ACTION.—Any person, 6 including a Member of the House of Representatives or 7 a Member of the Senate, aggrieved by the enforcement or 8 threat of enforcement of Acts that do not comply with sec- 9 tion 2 shall have a cause of action under sections 2201 10 and 2202 of title 28, United States Code, against the 11 United States to seek appropriate relief, including an in- 12 junction against the enforcement of any law, the passage 13 of which did not conform to section 2 or this section. The 14 cause of action only applies to an Act or joint resolution 15 signed into law on or after the date of enactment of this 16 Act. 17 (f) STATE OF REVIEW.—In any judicial action 18 brought pursuant to subsection (e), the standard of review 19 shall be de novo. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:21 Apr 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H91.IH H91 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB