House Committee Reports: Required Contents

House Committee Reports: Required Contents

House Committee Reports: Required Contents

February 9, 2015 (98-169)

House rules and statutes detail several substantive requirements for items to be included in reports accompanying bills reported from committees, as noted in the following table. For example, most committee reports explain a bill's purpose and the need for the legislation, its cost, the committee votes on amendments and the measure itself, the position of the executive branch, and the specific changes the bill would make in existing law. Not all requirements are applicable to all committees or in all circumstances. There is also no prescribed order for inclusion of these items in the report, although custom has dictated certain common approaches, such as placing at the end of a report the notations of specific changes in law and additional views.

Table 1. House Committee Reports: Required Contents

House Rule

Requirement

Applies To

Rule XIII, clause 3(b)

Statement of committee action on all rollcall votes

Rollcall vote to report bill or resolution of public character and on any amendment offered in committee

Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(1)

Statement of committee oversight findings and recommendations

Measure approved; all committees except the Committees on Appropriations and Budget

Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(2), and Section 308(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974

Statement on new budget authority and related items

Bill or resolution (except continuing appropriations) providing new budget authority, new spending authority, new credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures

Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3), and Section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974

Statement of CBO cost estimate and comparison, if submitted in a timely fashion

Bill or resolution of a public character; all committees except the Committee on Appropriations

Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(4)

Statement of general performance goals and objectives, include outcome-related goals and objectives

Measure approved

Rule XIII, clause 3(a)(1)(A)

Supplemental, minority, additional, or dissenting views, if submitted in writing and signed, and filed within 2 calendar days

Measure or matter approved; all committees except the Committee on Rules

Rule XIII, clause 3(a)(1)(B)

Recital on cover of report to show inclusion of certain material

Reports that include CBO cost estimate and comparison, oversight findings, and supplemental, minority, or additional views

Rule XIII, clause 3(c)

Statement estimating the number of directed rule makings required by the measure

Measure or matter approved

Rule XIII, clause 3(c)

Statement indicating whether any provision of the measure establishes or reauthorizes a program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal program

Measure or matter approved

Rule XIII, clause 3(e)

Changes in existing law and adjacent provisions if useful for a clear understand of the intent and effect of the law ("Ramseyer rule")

Bill or joint resolution that repeals or amends existing law

Rule XIII, clause 3(d)(2)

Statement of committee cost estimate

Bill or resolution of a public character; Committees on Appropriations, House Administration, Rules, and Standards of Official Conduct are exempt; requirement does not apply if CBO cost estimate is in report

Rule XIII, clause 3(h)

Statement of macroeconomic impact of a measure amending the tax code

Committee on Ways and Means; can be waived, or chair of Ways and Means Committee can insert the analysis in the Congressional Record prior to the measure being considered on the floor

Rule XXI, clause 9

List of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, limited tariff benefits, and name of requesting member

Bill, joint resolution, amendment, and conference report of a public character; list can be included in the bill

Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), Section 5(b)

Determination with respect to new advisory committee

Legislation establishing or authorizing establishment of an advisory committee

Congressional Accountability Act, P.L. 104-1, Section 102(b)(3)

Applicability to legislative branch or statement of why not applicable

Bill or joint resolution relating to terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or accommodations

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, P.L. 104-4; Section 423 of Congressional Budget Act of 1974

Statement of federal mandates

Bill or resolution of a public character