[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 18 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 18
Amending the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit the consideration
of legislation in the Senate unless the text of the legislation that
will be considered has been made publicly available in electronic form
for a mandatory minimum review period.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 26, 2023
Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Hawley, and Ms.
Ernst) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Rules and Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Amending the Standing Rules of the Senate to prohibit the consideration
of legislation in the Senate unless the text of the legislation that
will be considered has been made publicly available in electronic form
for a mandatory minimum review period.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. PROHIBITING CONSIDERATION OF TEXT OF LEGISLATION UNTIL
COMPLETION OF MANDATORY MINIMUM REVIEW PERIOD.
(a) In General.--Rule XII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(5)(a) It shall not be in order to consider a bill, joint
resolution, resolution, or conference report unless the text of
the bill, joint resolution, resolution, or conference report to
be considered has been publicly available in electronic form
for the mandatory minimum review period.
``(b) Each Senator shall self certify that the Senator has
read a bill, joint resolution, resolution, or conference report
before voting on the bill, joint resolution, resolution, or
conference report.
``(c) In this paragraph, the term `mandatory minimum review
period' means, with respect to a bill, joint resolution,
resolution, or conference report, the greater of--
``(i) the period--
``(I) beginning on the first hour after the
text of the bill, joint resolution, resolution,
or conference report to be considered is first
made publicly available in electronic form; and
``(II) that consists of a number of minutes
equal to 2 times the number of pages of the
text of the bill, joint resolution, resolution,
or conference report to be considered; and
``(ii) 72 hours after the text of the bill, joint
resolution, resolution, or conference report to be
considered is first made publicly available in
electronic form.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
The Standing Rules of the Senate is amended--
(1) in paragraph 1 of rule VIII, by inserting ``the text of
which has been available for the mandatory minimum review
period, as defined in paragraph 5 of rule XII, and'' after
``bills and resolutions'';
(2) in rule XIV--
(A) in paragraph 3, by striking ``on that day'' and
inserting ``before the expiration of the mandatory
minimum review period, as defined in paragraph 5 of
rule XII,''; and
(B) in paragraph 6, by striking ``one day'' and
inserting ``for the mandatory minimum review period, as
defined in paragraph 5 of rule XII,'';
(3) in paragraph 5 of rule XVII, by striking ``two calendar
days (excluding Sundays and legal holidays'' and inserting
``the mandatory minimum review period, as defined in paragraph
5 of rule XII,''; and
(4) in paragraph 5 of rule XXVIII, by striking ``shall be
immediately put'' and inserting ``shall be put after the
expiration of the mandatory minimum review period, as defined
in paragraph 5 of rule XII''.
SEC. 2. CBO COST ESTIMATE.
(a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate to
consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment
between the Houses, or conference report unless a cost estimate under
section 402(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C.
653(1)) for the exact text of the bill, joint resolution, motion,
amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report has been
available for not fewer than 24 hours.
(b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or suspended
in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members,
duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Members
of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an
appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under
subsection (a).
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