Updating the RULES of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Rule I — The Speaker of the House The Speaker shall serve as the presiding officer of the House, responsible for maintaining order, enforcing decorum, and ensuring compliance with these Rules. The Speaker shall act in an administrative and procedural capacity only. The Speaker shall not exercise unilateral authority over:

• (a) The legislative agenda,
• (b) Recognition of Members,
• (c) Committee appointments. The Speaker shall organize daily proceedings and certify the will of the House, but may not block legislation, amendments, or debate.

Rule II — Leadership of the House Legislative leadership shall be shared equally between the Majority Leader and Minority Leader. The Majority Leader and Minority Leader shall jointly:

• (a) Establish the daily order of business,
• (b) Determine the scheduling of legislation for debate and vote,
• (c) Allocate floor time for debate equally between supporters and opponents of any measure. If the Majority Leader and Minority Leader cannot agree on the order of business, items shall alternate between measures sponsored by the majority and measures sponsored by the minority. Each Leader shall appoint designees to manage debate, provided such designations are announced publicly.

Rule III — Committees Committee memberships shall reflect proportional party representation. Committee chairs and ranking positions shall be distributed in a balanced manner. No party may exercise unilateral control over the legislative process within committees. The Speaker shall not appoint or remove members from committees, except to certify the House’s decision. All committee proceedings shall, unless concerning classified or sensitive matters, be open to the public.

Rule IV — Introduction of Legislation Any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner shall have the unrestricted right to introduce bills, resolutions, and amendments. Such measures shall be entered into the Congressional Record prior to consideration. No measure shall be excluded from debate or vote on the basis of sponsorship or party affiliation. Committee referral shall not prevent a measure from reaching the floor once scheduled by joint agreement of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Rule V — Amendments shall be in order if submitted in writing and published in the Congressional Record at least one day before consideration. Amendments must be germane to the subject of the legislation. Debate on an amendment shall be equally divided between its proponent and an opponent. Amendments may not be blocked by leadership or committee chairs. Striking the enacting clause shall remain in order, with subsequent procedures following existing precedent.

Rule VI — Debate on all measures shall be conducted openly and fairly. Debate time shall be equally divided between proponents and opponents, under the direction of the Majority and Minority Leaders or their designees. No Member shall be denied the right to speak, subject to rules of decorum. The motion for the previous question, which ends debate and calls for a vote, shall require: (a) The concurrence of both the Majority and Minority Leaders, or (b) The approval of a bipartisan majority of the House. Filibuster-like obstruction is prohibited.

Rule VII — Decorum and Conduct Members shall respectfully address the Speaker or presiding officer when recognized. Remarks shall be confined to the question under debate and free from personal attacks. Disruptive conduct is prohibited and subject to discipline as determined by House resolution. Members may speak from the floor or Clerk’s desk as recognized by the presiding officer.

Rule VIII — Transparency and Publication All legislative proposals, amendments, and motions shall be published in the Congressional Record prior to consideration. The schedule of legislative business shall be made publicly available to Members and the public in advance. Committee hearings and markups shall be open to the public except where classified or sensitive matters require confidentiality.

Rule IX — Questions of Privilege Questions of privilege may be raised by any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner if they affect the rights, dignity, or integrity of the House. Resolutions concerning questions of privilege shall be scheduled promptly for debate. Debate on such questions shall be equally divided between the proponent and a designated opponent.

Rule X — Final Provisions No provision of these Rules shall be construed to deprive Members, Delegates, or Resident Commissioners of their constitutional rights. These Rules shall remain in effect until amended by a duly adopted resolution of the House.