For other versions of this document, see http://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS-98-142
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                                                                               Order Code 98-142 GOV
                                                                                 Updated May 19, 2008




          Days Reserved for Special Business
                     in the House
                                  Judy Schneider
                             Specialist on the Congress
                           Government and Finance Division

     As presented in the following table and described below, several provisions in the
rules of the House provide for certain types of business to be privileged for consideration
on specified days, some under special procedures. For more information on legislative
process, see [http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.shtml].

                 Table 1. Days Reserved for Special Business

           Monday                          Tuesday                       Wednesday
 Every Monday:                   Every Tuesday:                  Every Wednesday:
  Motions to suspend the rules    Motions to suspend the rules    Motions to suspend the rules

                                                                  Call of Committees under the
                                                                  Calendar Wednesday
                                                                  procedure

 Second and Fourth Mondays:      First and Third Tuesdays:
  Motions to discharge            Consideration of measures on
  committees                      the Private Calendar

  Consideration of District of
  Columbia business



     !   Motions to suspend the rules are in order every Monday, Tuesday, and
         Wednesday (Rule XV, clause 1). A suspension motion may be debated
         for 40 minutes (equally divided between a proponent and opponent), may
         not be amended from the floor, and must pass by a vote of two-thirds of
         those present and voting. In addition, the suspension procedure
         effectively waives all rules of the House that would prevent consideration
         of a measure, so that no points of order may be raised against a measure
         being considered under suspension. House rules place no formal
         restrictions on the types of measures that may be considered under
         suspension, but party rules effectively restrict the procedure to use in
         considering relatively noncontroversial measures.
                                      CRS-2

!   Motions to discharge committees (for measures that have been placed
    on the Discharge Calendar after securing signatures from a majority of
    Representatives (218 with no vacancies) on a discharge petition) are in
    order on the second and fourth Mondays of each month (Rule XV, clause
    2). If a discharge motion is successful, the measure may be considered
    in the House or the Committee of the Whole, as appropriate.

!   Consideration of District of Columbia business (for measures on either
    the House or Union Calendar) is privileged on the second and fourth
    Mondays of each month (Rule XV, clause 4), and could occur in the
    House or the Committee of the Whole, as appropriate. This privilege is
    rarely used in modern practice.

!   Consideration of measures on the Private Calendar is privileged on the
    first and third Tuesdays of each month (Rule XV, clause 5). Private bills
    are those of a private, rather than public, nature (i.e., they apply only to
    specified individuals, corporations, or other entities). Measures called up
    from the Private Calendar are normally passed by unanimous consent.
    However, if two or more Members object to the measure, it is
    recommitted to the committee that reported it. The Speaker is required
    to direct the clerk to call measures on the Private Calendar on the first
    Tuesday, but consideration on the third Tuesday is discretionary.
    Consideration of measures on the Private Calendar may also be dispensed
    with by two-thirds vote.

!   The Call of Committees under the Calendar Wednesday procedure is
    privileged every Wednesday (Rule XV, clause 6). Any measure not
    otherwise privileged would be eligible for consideration in the House or
    the Committee of the Whole, as appropriate, under this procedure.
    However, under modern practice the procedure is routinely waived by
    unanimous consent.

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For other versions of this document, see http://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS-98-142