Order Code RS21363
Updated August 28, 2003
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Legislative Procedure in Congress:
Basic Sources for Congressional Staff
Jennifer Manning
Information Research Specialist
Information Research Division
Summary
Written for congressional staff, this report identifies and provides Web site
addresses (when available) of official government sources for information on the
legislative process and the rules and procedure of the U.S. House of Representatives and
the U.S. Senate. References to selected CRS products are also provided, as well as a
listing of selected titles for supplementary reading. Information is offered on the CRS
legislative institutes. This report will be updated as new information is available.
Understanding legislative procedure and processes is an essential tool for
congressional staff. The publications listed here are key resources that congressional staff
should be familiar with in order to understand basic legislative procedure in the House
and Senate.
House/Senate Sources
Congressional staff can find official overviews and explanatory information on the
legislative process within the U.S. House of Representatives on the House Web site at
[http://www.house.gov/house/Tying_it_all.html]. Information on the legislative process
within the U.S. Senate is available at [http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/
d_three_sections_with_teasers/process.htm].
Reference sources on the rules and procedure of the House and Senate are also
available and are listed below.
House Rules and Procedure
Constitution, Jefferson’s Manual, and Rules of the House of Representatives.
Washington: GPO, 2001.
This manual is prepared for each Congress by the Parliamentarian of the House and
is issued as a House document (most recently for the 107th Congress as H.Doc. 106-320,
which is available at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/hrm/browse_107.html]. It contains the
text of the Constitution; the rules of the House, and portions of Jefferson’s Manual of
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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Parliamentary Practice currently pertinent to House procedure, each with commentary
summarizing applicable precedents; a portion of the Congressional Budget Act; and other
statutory provisions that operate as procedural rules. Copies are distributed automatically
to House offices. This is often referred to as House Rules and Manual.
House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents, and Procedures of the House.
Washington: GPO, 2003.
This one-volume publication prepared by William Holmes Brown and updated by
Charles W. Johnson, past and present House Parliamentarians, provides more current
summary information on House rules and selected precedents than Procedure in the U.S.
House of Representatives (see next entry). Organized alphabetically by topic, it reflects
changes in the House rules and procedure adopted as of the 108th Congress. This is
sometimes referred to as Brown’s. With the publication of this summary work, and with
the updating in each Congress of the House Rules and Manual, current precedents are
now more easily accessible to Members and staff of Congress. The full text is available
at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/hpractice].
Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives, 97th Congress; A Summary of the
Modern Precedents and Practices of the House, 86th Congress-97th Congress.
Washington: GPO, 1982.
Frequently referred to as Deschler’s Procedure, after a former Parliamentarian of the
House, this one-volume work summarizes House procedure and provides a cumulated,
condensed version of House precedents from 1959 to 1980. A supplement to this volume,
Procedure in the United States House of Representatives: Annotations of the Precedents
of the House for the 97th, 98th, and 99th Congresses, published in 1986, covers the years
1981 through 1986. Both publications are out of print, but House offices can obtain
copies from the Office of the House Parliamentarian (5-7373). These publications are not
available on the Internet, but the full text of the multivolume Deschler’s Precedents of the
U . S .
H o u s e
o f
R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s
i s
a v a i l a b l e
a t
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/precedents/deschler/index.html].
Senate Rules and Procedure
Senate Manual. Washington: GPO, 2003.
This manual, usually prepared during the second session of each Congress by the
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, contains the standing rules, orders, laws,
and resolutions affecting the Senate, as well as copies of historical U.S. documents and
selected statistics on the Senate and other government entities. Issued as S.Doc. 1, copies
are automatically distributed to Senators and Senate committees. The full text is available
at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/smanual/index.html].
Riddick, Floyd M., and Alan S. Frumin. Riddick’s Senate Procedure: Precedents and
Practices. Washington: GPO, 1992.
This publication was revised and updated in 1992 by the Parliamentarian of the
Senate and published as S.Doc. 101-28. Organized alphabetically by topic, it contains
currently applicable rulings by the presiding officer and practices related to Senate
procedure. An appendix has suggested forms for various procedures, for example,
offering motions or filing conference reports. The full text of Riddick’s is available at
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/riddick/index.html].

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Senate Cloture Rule. Washington: GPO, 1985.
This committee print (S.Prt. 99-95) was prepared for the use of the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration by the Congressional Research Service. It
includes lists of selected filibusters; tables of cloture votes; a legislative history of the
cloture rule; and a bibliography. This publication is not available on the Internet, but
Members of Congress can obtain copies from the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration (4-6352) or the Congressional Research Service (7-5700).
Primers on the Legislative Process and Related Documents
Excellent general reference sources on the legislative process are available to the
congressional staffer.
Our American Government, Washington: GPO, 2003. (H.Doc. 108-94)
This revised version of the popular introductory guide is written in a question-and-
answer format which covers a broad range of topics dealing with the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches of our government. Its Appendixes contain a glossary
of legislative terms and a selective bibliography. Copies of each new edition are
automatically distributed to congressional offices; the full text is also available at
[http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house/index.html].
The Constitution of the United States of America As Amended: Unratified Amendments:
Analytical Index. Washington: GPO, 2000. (H.Doc. 106-214)
This revised version contains the text of the Constitution, its Amendments, and a
very useful index to the Constitution and Amendments. The full text is available at
[http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/index.html].
Dove, Robert B. Enactment of a Law; Procedural Steps in the Legislative Process.
Washington: GPO, 1982.
Prepared by the Senate Parliamentarian, this primer on the legislative process traces
procedures used in the Senate and the House of Representatives. No printed copies are
available, but it was updated in 1997 and can be found on the CRS Web site at
[http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/senate/parliamentarianoverview/Senate
Overview.shtml] as well as on THOMAS, the Library of Congress public Web site.
Johnson, Charles W. How Our Laws Are Made. Washington: GPO, 2003.
This guide is updated periodically (most recently as H.Doc. 108-93), available at
[http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/house/parliamentarianoverview/howourlawsarem
ade.shtml] on the CRS Web site and also on the THOMAS Web site. This pamphlet
outlines stages in the legislative process for the generalist and explains the uses of various
publications, which track that process. It was prepared by the Parliamentarian of the
House of Representatives in consultation with the Parliamentarian of the Senate. Copies
of new editions are automatically distributed to congressional offices; Members of
Congress can obtain copies from the House Legislative Resource Center and the Senate
Document Room.

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CRS Sources
CRS has a variety of resources and services available on legislative procedure.
The CRS Web site is available for the use of Members of Congress and
congressional staff at [http://www.crs.gov]. CRS products including electronic briefing
books are available there, along with links to the Legislative Information System (LIS).
Members of Congress and congressional staff may obtain useful CRS materials on
legislative procedure from “CRS Guides to Congressional Processes” on the CRS Web
site at [http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.shtml]. Short one- or two-page
fact sheets on House procedure are available under the heading “Fact Sheets: House
Legislative
Process”
at
[http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/house/explanations/
HouseExplanations.shtml].
Fact Sheets on Senate procedure are available under the heading “Fact Sheets: Senate
Legislative
Process”
at
[http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/senate/explanations/
SenateExplanations.shtml].
Selected CRS Reports and Info Pack
CRS Report 98-439. Amendment Process in the Committee of the Whole.
CRS Report 98-812. Amendments Between the Houses.
CRS Report 98-706. Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind is Used.
CRS Report 98-728. Bills, Resolutions, Nominations, and Treaties: Origins, Deadlines,
Requirements, and Uses.
CRS Report 98-564. Committee of the Whole: Stages of Action on Measures.
CRS Report RS20794. The Committee System in the U.S. Congress.
CRS Report 98-736. Floor Consideration of Conference Reports in the House.
CRS Report RS20200. General Debate In Committee of the Whole.
CRS Report 98-777. The House Amendment Tree.
CRS Report RL30945. House and Senate Rules of Procedure: A Comparison.
CRS Report 98-338. House Committee Hearings: Witness Testimony.
CRS Report 98-175. House Committee Jurisdiction and Referral: Rules and Practice.
CRS Report 98-335. House Committee Markup: Amendment Procedure.
CRS Report 98-267. House Committee Markup: Reporting.

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CRS Report 98-188.
House Committee Markup: Vehicle for Consideration and
Amendment.
CRS Report RS20308. House Committee Markups: Commonly Used Motions and
Requests.
CRS Report 98-458. Introducing a House Bill or Resolution.
CRS Report 98-459. Introducing a Senate Bill or Resolution.
CRS Report 98-721. Introduction to the Federal Budget Process.
CRS Info Pack IP247L. Legislative Procedure: An Introduction, an overview is provided
and can be ordered from the CRS Web site.
CRS Report 95-563. The Legislative Process on the House Floor: An Introduction.
CRS Report 96-548. The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction.
CRS Report RL30787. Parliamentary Reference Sources: House of Representatives.
CRS Report RL30788. Parliamentary Reference Sources: Senate.
CRS Report 98-143. Procedural Distinctions Between the House and the Committee of
the Whole.
CRS Report 98-334. Provisions of Special Rules in the House: An Example of a Typical
Open Rule.
CRS Report RS 20147. Committee of the Whole: an introduction.
CRS Report 98-612. Special Rules and Options for Regulating the Amending Process.
CRS Report 98-222. Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of House Bills.
CRS Report 98-279. Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills.
In addition to legislative procedure material available on the CRS Web site, CRS
offers several programs on legislative procedure for congressional staff. Legislative staff
members are invited to attend Congress: An Introduction to Resources and Procedure,
an introductory CRS program designed for and offered only to permanent, professional
Hill staff who seek a foundation for understanding the legislative process and the
resources available to monitor it. This CRS program is offered 10 or more times a year
and is the first of the CRS Legislative Process Institutes, a three-part series providing
training in the legislative process. The other parts are the Advanced Legislative Process
Institute and the Graduate Institute (the “CRS Congress”). Attendance at Congress: An
Introduction to Resources and Procedure is recommended as a prerequisite for the CRS
Advanced Legislative Process Institutes. More information on the three CRS institutes
is available on the CRS Web site at [http://www.crs.gov/services/general/briefings.shtml]
or by telephone at 7-7904.

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Legislative staff members are also invited to attend Budget Process Institutes. The
introductory Overview of the Federal Budget Process is offered several times each year
and provides an introduction to federal budgeting procedures, particularly procedures used
in Congress. Three advanced institutes — Budget Resolutions and Reconciliation, The
Appropriations Process, and The President and the Budget — are offered during the year
at times when they are most relevant to congressional staff.
Event dates for CRS programs and institutes can be found on the CRS Web site at
[http://www.crs.gov/events/dates03.shtml].
Supplementary Reading
Congress A to Z. 4th ed. Washington: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2003.
Davidson, Roger H. and Walter J. Oleszek.
Congress and Its Members.
9th ed.
Washington: CQ Press, 2003.
Green, Alan. Gavel to Gavel. 5th ed. Washington: Benton Foundation/C-SPAN, 1993.
Guide to Congress. 5th ed. Washington: CQ Press, 2000.
Jefferson, Thomas. A Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the
United States. Washington: GPO, 1993. (S.Doc. 103-8)
Koempel, Michael L., and Judy Schneider.
Congressional Deskbook 2003-2004.
Alexandria, VA: TheCapital.Net, Inc., 2003.
Kravitz, Walter. Congressional Quarterly’s American Congressional Dictionary. 3rd ed.
Washington, CQ Press, 2001.
Oleszek, Walter J.
Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process.
5th ed.
Washington: CQ Press, 2001.
Tiefer, Charles. Congressional Practice and Procedure: A Reference, Research, and
Legislative Guide. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1989.
Where to Get These Publications
Many of the works on legislative procedure listed here are produced by the
Government Printing Office (GPO) and may be purchased with credit cards:
! by telephone, (202) 512-1800;
! online at the GPO Bookstore Web site at [http://bookstore.gpo.gov]; or
! by fax, (202) 512-2250.
Some of these publications are only available from congressional sources for
congressional office use, while others listed in the Supplementary Reading section may
be purchased from bookstores or publishers.

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