The House Consensus Calendar: Principal Features

The House Consensus Calendar: Principal Features

The House Consensus Calendar: Principal Features

March 2, 2026 (IF13170)

Establishment in House Rules

First established in the 116th Congress (2019-2020), the Consensus Calendar provides an alternative route to the floor for certain unreported House bills and resolutions that have accumulated at least 290 cosponsors. Clause 7 of House Rule XV delineates the Calendar's principal features. Pursuant to the rule, the Speaker is to designate, and the House is to consider, at least one measure listed on the Consensus Calendar during each week that the House is in session. This provision does not apply "before March 1 of an odd-numbered year and after September 30 of an even-numbered year."

Unreported Measures

To be placed on the Consensus Calendar, a measure must have been referred to at least one House committee but not reported by the committee of primary jurisdiction. Rule XV does not specify a minimum time period that a measure must remain unreported before the process of placement on the Consensus Calendar may begin.

A measure is considered reported when the chair, as directed by committee vote, files the written committee report with the Clerk. If the primary committee of jurisdiction reports a measure after the Calendar motion is filed but before the measure is placed on the Consensus Calendar, the motion is deemed withdrawn. Similarly, if the primary committee reports the measure after it has been placed on the Calendar, the measure is removed from the Calendar. Thus, a primary committee may report a bill either to prevent its placement on the Calendar or, if already placed there, to secure its removal.

290-Cosponsor Threshold

The Consensus Calendar is reserved for unreported measures that enjoy broad support. To demonstrate that support, the rule requires a House bill or resolution to have at least 290 cosponsors before its sponsor may file a motion to place the measure on the Consensus Calendar. All cosponsorships count toward the threshold regardless of whether the cosponsor subsequently resigns, dies, or otherwise leaves office after cosponsoring the measure. However, a cosponsor may request on the House floor to be removed as a cosponsor, in which case the total number of cosponsorships is adjusted accordingly.

Cosponsors Accumulated

Any Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner seeking to cosponsor a measure signs a cosponsorship form provided by the sponsor's office. While the House is in session, the sponsor files the signed forms through the hopper on the House floor or electronically via the eHopper. The bill clerk then records each additional cosponsor and updates the total number of cosponsors. This information is made publicly available in the Congress.gov database.

Cosponsors Verified

The bill clerk maintains the most current list of cosponsors, which may reflect changes not yet displayed in Congress.gov. Accordingly, Members or their staff are advised to contact the bill clerk directly to verify the number of cosponsors. The Clerk of the House is also to confirm the number of cosponsors before processing a submitted Consensus Calendar motion.

Written Motion Filed

Motions to place a measure on the Consensus Calendar are in order once the measure has accumulated at least 290 cosponsors and remains unreported by the committee of primary jurisdiction. When both conditions are satisfied, the measure's sponsor may submit to the Clerk a written motion requesting placement of the measure on the Consensus Calendar.

The sponsoring Member may file the motion on any day the House meets. While the House is in session, the Member obtains a Calendar motion form from the tally clerk at the rostrum, records the measure's number on the form, signs it, and submits it to the tally clerk.

Motion Placed in Custody of Clerk

Following submittal, the motion is placed in the custody of the Clerk. Pursuant to the rule, the Clerk is to maintain a list of all Consensus Calendar motions and make the list publicly available in electronic form. In addition, each motion is printed in the Congressional Record in a section designated for that purpose. The Clerk's website, clerk.house.gov, maintains the list of properly filed motions under the "legislation information" tab, including links to each motion's notice in the Congressional Record and to the associated measure's entry in Congress.gov.

25-Legislative-Day Waiting Period

After a motion is filed with the Clerk, the measure must maintain at least 290 cosponsors for a cumulative period of 25 legislative days. A legislative day, as distinct from a calendar day, begins when the House convenes following an adjournment and ends when the House next adjourns. In most instances, a 25-legislative-day period is equal to 25 calendar days on which the House is in session.

Counting of Legislative Days

The first legislative day that follows the filing of the motion with the Clerk is Day 1 of the required waiting period. Any legislative day in which the measure has at least 290 cosponsors counts toward fulfilling the requirement even if the measure experiences a temporary drop below the threshold due to cosponsorship withdrawals. In such cases, the legislative day count resumes once a sufficient number of additional cosponsors are accrued.

The Office of the Clerk tracks legislative days for Consensus Calendar purposes and may be contacted by Members or staff to verify the count for any measure subject to a Calendar motion. Once the cumulative 25-legislative-day requirement is satisfied, the measure is assigned to the Consensus Calendar.

Legislative Days That Do Not Count for Purposes of the Consensus Calendar

District Work Periods

Clause 13 of House Rule I authorizes the Speaker to designate "district work periods" during which time the House is not expected to conduct legislative business. Among its provisions, clause 13 specifies that each day of a designated district work period "shall not constitute" a legislative day for purposes of clause 7 of Rule XV. Accordingly, such days do not count toward the 25-legislative-day waiting period.

Special Rules

Special rules reported from the Rules Committee and adopted by the House may alter the count of legislative days for Consensus Calendar purposes. These rules may state, "Each day during the period addressed by section ___ of this resolution shall not constitute a legislative day for purposes of clause 7 of Rule XV."

Motions Considered as Withdrawn Prior to Completion of Waiting Period

As noted, a Calendar motion is considered withdrawn if the committee of primary jurisdiction reports the measure before completion of the 25-legislative-day period. In addition, if an unreported measure is considered on the House floor, it becomes ineligible for placement on the Calendar.

Assignment to Calendar

Once a measure satisfies the waiting period, the Clerk places it on the Consensus Calendar. It remains on the Calendar, even if its number of cosponsors later falls below 290, until it is considered by the House. If it is reported by the committee of primary jurisdiction prior to its consideration, it is removed from the Calendar.

The Calendar lists each assigned measure, including the motion number, date entered, filing Member, bill number, committee of jurisdiction, and Calendar number. It is published in the Calendars of the United States House of Representatives and History of Legislation, which is updated on each legislative day and made available through govinfo.gov and Congress.gov.

Speaker's Designation for Consideration

During each week that the House convenes, the Speaker is to designate, and the House is to consider, at least one measure listed on the Consensus Calendar. This provision does not apply "before March 1 of an odd-numbered year and after September 30 of an even-numbered year." A bill that reaches the Calendar after September 30 in the second session of a Congress may still be considered on the House floor but not pursuant to clause 7 of Rule XV.

The Speaker's designation is announced from the chair and is printed in the Congressional Record under a CONSENSUS CALENDAR heading, stating:

The Chair announces the Speaker's designation, pursuant to clause 7(a)(1) of rule XV, of H.R. ___ as the measure on the Consensus Calendar to be considered this week.

Consideration of Measures

Measures listed on the Consensus Calendar are considered on the floor under the same procedures applicable to other legislation. Accordingly, a designated measure may be considered under suspension of the rules, pursuant to a special rule reported by the Committee on Rules, or by unanimous consent.

Special Rules Waiving Consideration

Special rules may waive the requirement that the Speaker designate a Consensus Calendar measure for consideration. Such rules may specify that clause 7(a)(1) of Rule XV—"At least once during any week in which the House convenes, the House shall consider a measure on the Consensus Calendar as designated by the Speaker"—shall not apply during a specified period or with respect to a particular measure.