Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing
Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
Michael L. Koempel
Senior Specialist in American National Government
June 27, 2011
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RS22309
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress
Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
Summary
When a Senator introduces a bill or joint resolution, or a House-passed bill or joint resolution is
received in the Senate from the House, the measure is often referred to committee, pursuant to
provisions of Senate Rules XIV, XVII, and XXV. The Senate may, however, use provisions of
Senate Rule XIV to bypass potential referral of a bill or joint resolution to a Senate committee,
and have the measure placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business.
Although placing a bill or joint resolution directly on the calendar does not guarantee that the full
Senate will ever consider it, the measure is available for floor consideration and certain
procedural steps, such as committee reporting or discharging a committee from a bill’s
consideration, and procedural requirements, such as the two-day availability of a committee
report, may be obviated.
Senate rules contain procedures for processing concurrent and simple resolutions, which are not
covered in this report. A Senator may also offer a germane, relevant, or nongermane amendment
to a measure pending on the Senate floor, in addition to or instead of introducing a bill or joint
resolution. Amendments are also not covered in this report.
This report will not be updated unless Senate procedures change.
For an examination of additional ways that the Senate uses to bypass committees, see CRS Report
RS22299, Bypassing Senate Committees: Rule XIV and Unanimous Consent, by Michael L.
Koempel.
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Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
Procedure to Place a Measure Directly on the Calendar ............................................................... 1
Contacts
Author Contact Information ........................................................................................................ 3
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Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
Introduction
When a Senator introduces a bill or joint resolution, the measure is usually referred to committee,
pursuant to provisions of Senate Rules XIV, XVII, and XXV. When the House informs the Senate
that it has passed a bill or joint resolution that was introduced in the House, and the Senate
receives the measure, the measure is also usually referred to a Senate committee. (Senate rules
contain procedures for processing concurrent and simple resolutions, which are not covered in
this report. See especially Rule XIV, paragraph 6.)
Senate Rule XIV, paragraph 2 requires that bills and resolutions have three readings before
passage, and that they be read twice before being referred to committee. (The “third reading”
occurs before a vote on final passage.) Although a Senator may demand that the readings occur
on three different legislative days under paragraph 2, bills and joint resolutions may be read twice
on the same day “for reference” (referral) if there is no objection (Rule XIV, paragraph 3). Most
bills and resolutions are read twice and referred to committee on the same day that they are
introduced by a Senator or received from the House. Referrals listed in the Congressional Record
indicate this process occurs by unanimous consent.
The Senate may, however, use provisions of Senate Rule XIV to bypass potential referral of a bill
or joint resolution to a Senate committee, and have the measure placed directly on the Senate
Calendar of Business. The calendar’s General Orders section lists measures eligible for Senate
floor consideration.
Broadly, the two purposes of preventing the referral of a bill or joint resolution to a committee
and placing it directly on the calendar are (1) to facilitate the full Senate’s opportunity to consider
the measure; or (2) to bypass a committee’s potential inaction or, to the measure’s sponsor,
potential hostile action. Although placing a bill or joint resolution directly on the calendar does
not guarantee that the full Senate will ever consider it, the measure is available for floor
consideration and certain procedural steps, such as committee reporting or discharging a
committee from a bill’s consideration, and procedural requirements, such as the two-day
availability of a committee report, may be obviated.
Procedure to Place a Measure Directly on the
Calendar
Senate Rule XIV, paragraph 4, states: “ ... every bill and joint resolution introduced on leave, and
every bill and joint resolution of the House of Representatives which shall have received a first
and second reading without being referred to a committee, shall, if objection be made to further
proceeding thereon, be placed on the Calendar.” (Emphasis added.)
Therefore, through objection, a bill or joint resolution after two readings is prevented from being
referred to committee and is placed directly on the calendar. It is usually the majority leader (or
another Senator in his stead), acting on his own or at the request of any other Senator, who
objects to “further proceeding”—committee referral—on a measure.
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Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
For example, this procedure was used to place directly on the calendar S. 3347. On May 11, 2010,
the presiding officer recognized Senator Christopher J. Dodd for this colloquy with the chair:1
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first
reading.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title for the first time.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 3347) to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through December 31,
2010.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I now ask for its second reading, and in order to place the bill on
the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The bill will be read for the second time on
the next legislative day.2
In the next edition of the calendar on May 12, this action was recorded in the section Bills and
Joint Resolutions Read the First Time. The measure was held at the desk.
Since objection had been heard to the second reading, the presiding officer recognized Majority
Leader Harry Reid the next legislative day, May 12:
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am told that S. 3347 is at the desk and is due for a second
reading.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator is correct. The clerk will read the title
of the bill for the second time.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 3347) to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through December 31,
2010.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I object to any further proceeding with regard to this bill [in order
to place it on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV].
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection having been heard, the bill will be
placed on the calendar.3
S. 3347 had received its second reading, but there was objection to further proceeding on referral
of the bill to committee. The presiding officer, under Rule XIV, ordered that the bill be placed on
1 While Senator Dodd and all Senators could object to the reading of a measure to prevent its referral to committee, a
Senator, other than the majority leader or the sponsor of the bill or joint resolution, who makes an objection is normally
acting in the stead of the majority leader.
2 Senator Christopher J. Dodd, remarks in the Senate, “Measure Read the First Time—S. 3347,” Congressional Record,
daily edition, vol. 156, May 11, 2010, p. S3567.
3 Senator Harry Reid, remarks in the Senate, “Measure Placed on the Calendar—S. 3347,” Congressional Record, daily
edition, vol. 156, May 12, 2010, p. S3569.
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Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
the Senate Calendar. In the calendar beginning May 13, S. 3347 appeared as Calendar Order No.
372 in the section General Orders, with other measures eligible for floor consideration.
This same procedure is followed to have House-passed bills and joint resolutions placed directly
on the Senate Calendar.4
Bills and joint resolutions are also sometimes placed on the calendar by unanimous consent. (For
more information, see CRS Report RS22299, Bypassing Senate Committees: Rule XIV and
Unanimous Consent, by Michael L. Koempel.)
Author Contact Information
Michael L. Koempel
Senior Specialist in American National Government
mkoempel@crs.loc.gov, 7-0165
4 See, for example, Senator Tom Harkin, remarks in the Senate, “Measure Read the First Time—H.J.Res. 37,”
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 157, April 12, 2011, p. S2405; and Senator Harry Reid, remarks in the
Senate, “Measure Placed on the Calendar—H.J.Res. 37,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 157, April 13, 2011,
p. S2407.
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