[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 111th Congress]
[111st Congress]
[House Document 110-162]
[Provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act]
[Pages 991-997]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
Rule XXIX
general provisions
[[Page 992]]
cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not
inconsistent with the Rules and orders of the House.
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Sec. 1105. Relations of Jefferson's Manual and Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1946 to the Rules of the House. |
1. The provisions
of law that constituted the Rules of the House at the end of the
previous Congress shall govern the House in all cases to which they are
applicable, and the rules of parliamentary practice comprised by
Jefferson's Manual shall govern the House in all
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2. In these rules words importing one gender include the other as
well.
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[[Page 993]]
Clause 1 was adopted in 1837 (V, 6757), and amended January 3, 1953,
p. 24, when it was also renumbered. When the House recodified its rules
in the 106th Congress, clause 1 was transferred from former rule XLII
and was modified to reference all provisions of law comprising House
rules at the end of the previous Congress (a compilation of which is
included in Sec. Sec. 1127-1130, infra); and clause 2 was added (H. Res.
5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). This rule was redesignated as rule XXVII in the
107th Congress (sec. 2(s), H. Res. 5, Jan. 3, 2001, p. 24), redesignated
as rule XXVIII in the 108th Congress (sec. 2(t), H. Res. 5, Jan. 7,
2003, p. 7), and redesignated as rule XXIX in the 110th Congress (sec.
301, P.L. 110-81). Clause 2 was amended in the 111th Congress when
gender-based references throughout the rules were eliminated (sec. 2(l),
H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 2009, p. _). The importance of Jefferson's Manual as
an authority in congressional procedure has been discussed (VII, 1029,
1049; VIII, 2501, 2517, 2518, 3330).
LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACTS
JOINT AND SELECT COMMITTEES
HOUSE OFFICES
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[[Page 995]]
EARLY ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE
LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACTS
provisions of the legislative reorganization act of 1946 applicable to
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both houses
section 132 of the legislative reorganization act of 1946
Sec. 132. (a) <> Unless
otherwise provided by the Congress, the two Houses shall--
(2 U.S.C. 198)
(1) adjourn sine die not later than July 31 of each year; or
(2) in the case of an odd-numbered year, provide, not later
than July 31 of such year, by concurrent resolution adopted in
each House by rollcall vote, for the adjournment of the two
Houses from that Friday in August which occurs at least thirty
days before the first Monday in September (Labor Day) of such
year to the second day after Labor Day.
(b) This section shall not be applicable in any year if on July 31 of
such year a state of war exists pursuant to a declaration of war by the
Congress.
The present form of this section is derived from the Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1970 (sec. 461; 84 Stat. 1140). Before that
revision, the 1946 Act (60 Stat. 812) provided for adjournment sine die
of the two Houses not later than the last day of July each year except
during time of war or a national emergency proclaimed by the President.
Presidentially declared emergencies of May 8, 1939, May 27, 1941, and
December 16, 1950, negated operation of the provision (see Speaker
Rayburn, Aug. 1, 1949, p. 10486; Aug. 2, 1949, p. 10591; Aug. 4, 1949,
p. 10778).
The Committee on Rules has jurisdiction of matters relative to
recesses and final adjournment of Congress (clause 1(n)(2) of rule X).
[[Page 996]]
Houses is called up as privileged, requires a yea and nay vote for
adoption (July 30, 1973, p. 26657), and is not debatable (July 31, 1991,
p. 20675); but the House may adjourn by simple motion on July 31 to meet
on August 1 (July 31, 1991, p. 20677). In even-numbered years, and some
odd-numbered years, the House has agreed to concurrent resolutions
waiving the provisions of this law to provide that the two Houses shall
not adjourn for more than three days or sine die until they have adopted
a concurrent resolution to that effect (July 25, 1972, p. 25145; July
24, 1974, p. 25008; July 29, 1982, pp. 18562, 18563; July 30, 1986, p.
18146; July 29, 1994, p. 18615; July 30, 1999, p. 18763). To obviate the
necessity to adopt a concurrent resolution waiving the requirement in
section 132 of Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, the House has
included the language ``in consonance with section 132(a)'' in its
concurrent resolutions providing for an August recess (e.g., July 31,
1997, p. 17018; July 25, 2003, p. 19752).
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Sec. 1106a. Not a statutory adjournment sine die. |
Under this
provision of law, a concurrent resolution providing in an odd-numbered
year for an adjournment of the two Houses from the first Friday in
August until the second day after Labor Day or until notified to
reassemble pursuant to a joint agreement of the Leadership of the two
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section 141 of the legislative reorganization act of 1946
(2 U.S.C. 145a)
|
Sec. 1107. Preservation of committee
hearings. |
Sec. 141. The Librarian of the Library of Congress is authorized and
directed to have bound at the end of each session of Congress the
printed hearings of testimony taken by each committee of the Congress at
the preceding session.
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[[Page 997]]
This provision became effective on August 2, 1946.
JOINT AND SELECT COMMITTEES
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