Number: 98-707
Title: Senate Amendment Process: General Conditions and Principles
Authors: Walter J. Oleszek, Government and Finance Division 
Abstract: The amending process in the Senate provides lawmakers an opportunity to make changes in the text of a measure (or pending amendment) during its consideration. Senators generally have wide freedom to offer as many amendments as they want, including nongermane changes. In fact, an important feature of the Senate is that it lacks a general germaneness rule. This absence grants any Senator an opportunity to raise issues and to offer extraneous "riders" to pending legislation. However, Senators' freedom to amend and to offer nongermane amendments can be restricted in certain circumstances, such as when the Senate invokes cloture (which limits further debate on a measure) or agrees by unanimous consent to impose restrictions on the offering of amendments.
Pages: 2
Date: May 19, 2008