Rules of Decorum and Debate

MEMBERS MUST:

• Address themselves solely and directly to the Chair. They may not address other Members, individuals in the gallery, or persons who might be observing through the media.

• Refer to Members by state, not by name.

• Avoid characterizing another Member's personal intent or motives and discussing personalities.

• Refrain from speaking disrespectfully of the Speaker, other Members, the President or Vice President.

• Refrain from referring to the official conduct of other Members where such conduct is not under consideration by way of a report of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct or as a question of the privilege of the House.

• Refrain from referring to the specific votes of particular Senators.

• Refrain from using profane or vulgar language.

• Avoid walking in the well when a Member is speaking.

• Ensure that all handouts distributed on the floor or adjacent rooms comport with the rules of propriety for spoken words, and that all handouts bear the name of the authorizing Member.

• Refrain from eating, smoking, or using electronic equipment, including cellular phones or lap top computers, on the floor.

• Wear appropriate business attire.

NOTE -- Debate which violates the rules of decorum may result in a Member's words being taken down.

FLOOR ACCESS RULES:

• Former Members are prohibited from being on the floor (including the Speaker's Lobby and cloakrooms) if any matter in which they have a personal or pecuniary interest or are employed or retained as a lobbyist is pending before the House. Matters are considered pending once full or subcommittee hearings have been held, or once a bill or resolution has been called up by a full or subcommittee.

• Committee staff are permitted on the floor only during the consideration of measures reported from their committees. A maximum of five committee staff (for the majority and minority) is permitted.

• Personal staff are not permitted on the floor of the House except when their Member has an amendment actually pending under the five-minute rule. A Member offering an amendment under the five-minute rule may be accompanied by one personal staff Member.

• Staff are not permitted to pass out literature or otherwise attempt to influence Members or their votes.

KEY DEFINITIONS:

Motion to Recommit - A motion made on the floor after the engrossment and third reading of a bill or resolution, but prior to the Chair's putting the question on final passage. The motion is available only to a member who is opposed to the bill, and is reserved by tradition to the minority party. The Speaker usually gives priority recognition to the bill's minority floor manager. The motion to recommit may be without instructions (which is non-debatable and has the effect of killing the bill), or with instructions (subject to 10 minutes or sometimes an hour of debate split between a proponent and opponent, and usually directs the reporting committee to amend "forthwith" (immediately) or rewrite the bill in a specified way). The motion to recommit does not apply to simple resolutions or concurrent resolutions, but may apply to conference reports where the House acts first.

Rules (Types of) - There are two specific types of rules.

Standing House or Committee Rules - These are the standing rules governing the normal order of business in the House or in a committee. These rules are adopted by the full House and by each committee at the beginning of each Congress. These rules generally govern such matters as the duties of officers, the code of conduct, the order of business, admission to the floor, parliamentary procedures on handling amendments and voting, and jurisdictions of committees.

Special Rules - Special rules involve a departure from the standing rules of the House for the consideration of specific bill. They are usually resolutions reported by the Rules Committee which govern the handling of a particular bill on the House floor.

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