[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2576 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2576
To establish an expedited procedure for congressional consideration of
health care reform legislation.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 24, 2004
Mr. Feingold introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish an expedited procedure for congressional consideration of
health care reform legislation.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Health Care Reform Expedited
Procedures Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. SENATE CONSIDERATION OF HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION.
(a) Introduction.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 calendar days after the
commencement of the first session of a Congress, the chair of
the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Majority
Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate
shall each introduce a bill to provide universal health care
coverage for the people of the United States.
(2) Minority party.--These bills may be introduced by
request and only 1 qualified bill may be introduced by each
individual referred to in paragraph (1) within a Congress. If
either committee chair fails to introduce the bill within the
30-day period, the ranking minority party member of the
respective committee may instead introduce a bill that will
qualify for the expedited procedure provided in this section.
(3) Qualified bill.--
(A) In general.--In order to qualify as a qualified
bill--
(i) the title of the bill shall be ``To
reform the system of the United States and to
provide insurance coverage for all
Americans.''; and
(ii) the bill shall reach the goal of
providing health care coverage to 95 percent of
Americans within 10 years.
(B) Determination.--Whether or not a bill meets the
criteria in subparagraph (A) shall be determined by the
Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, relying on
estimates of the Congressional Budget Office, subject
to the final approval of the Senate.
(b) Referral.--
(1) Committee bills.--Upon introduction, the bill authored
by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance shall be
referred to that Committee and the bill introduced by the Chair
of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions shall be referred to that committee. If either
committee has not reported the bill referred to it (or another
qualified bill) by the end of a 60 calendar-day period
beginning on the date of referral, the committee is, as of that
date, automatically discharged from further consideration of
the bill, and the bill is placed directly on the chamber's
legislative calendar. In calculating the 60-day period,
adjournments for more than 3 days are not counted.
(2) Leader bills.--The bills introduced by the Senate
Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader shall, on
introduction, be placed directly on the Senate Calendar of
Business.
(c) Motion To Proceed.--
(1) In general.--On or after the third day following the
committee report or discharge or upon a bill being placed on
the calendar under subsection (b)(2), it shall be in order for
any Member, after consultation with the Majority Leader, to
move to proceed to the consideration of any qualified bill.
Notice shall first be given before proceeding. This motion to
proceed to the consideration of a bill can be offered by a
Member only on the day after the calendar day on which the
Member announces his or her intention to offer it.
(2) Consideration.--The motion to proceed to a given
qualified bill can be made even if a motion to the same effect
has previously been rejected. No more than 3 such motions may
be made, however, in any 1 congressional session.
(3) Privileged and nondebatable.--The motion to proceed is
privileged, and all points of order against the motion to
proceed to consideration and its consideration are waived. The
motion is not debatable, is not amendable, and is not subject
to a motion to postpone.
(4) No other business or reconsideration.--The motion is
not subject to a motion to proceed to the consideration of
other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the
motion to proceed is agreed to or disagreed to is not in order.
(d) Consideration of Qualified Bill.--
(1) In general.--If the motion to proceed is adopted, the
chamber shall immediately proceed to the consideration of a
qualified bill without intervening motion, order, or other
business, and the bill remains the unfinished business of the
Senate until disposed of. A motion to limit debate is in order
and is not debatable.
(2) Only business.--The qualified bill is not subject to a
motion to postpone or a motion to proceed to the consideration
of other business before the bill is disposed of.
(3) Relevant amendments.--Only relevant amendments may be
offered to the bill.
SEC. 3. HOUSE CONSIDERATION OF HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION.
(a) Introduction.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 calendar days after the
commencement of the first session of a Congress, the chair of
the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the chair of the
House Committee on Ways and Means, the Majority Leader of the
House, and the Minority Leader of the House shall each
introduce a bill to provide universal health care coverage for
the people of the United States.
(2) Minority party.--These bills may be introduced by
request and only 1 qualified bill may be introduced by each
individual referred to in paragraph (1) within a Congress. If
either committee chair fails to introduce the bill within the
30-day period, the ranking minority party member of the
respective committee may, within the following 30 days, instead
introduce a bill that will qualify for the expedited procedure
provided in this section.
(3) Qualified bill.--
(A) In general.--To qualify for the expedited
procedure under this section as a qualified bill, the
bill shall reach the goal of providing healthcare
coverage to 95 percent of Americans within 10 years.
(B) Determination.--Whether or not a bill meets the
criteria in subparagraph (A) shall be determined by the
Speaker's ruling on a point of order based on a
Congressional Budget Office estimate of the bill.
(b) Referral.--
(1) Committee bills.--Upon introduction, the bill authored
by the Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will
be referred to that committee and the bill introduced by the
Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means shall be
referred to that committee. If either committee has not
reported the bill referred to it (or another qualified bill) by
the end of 60 days of consideration beginning on the date of
referral, the committee shall be automatically discharged from
further consideration of the bill, and the bill shall be placed
directly on the Calendar of the Whole House on the State of the
Union. In calculating the 60-day period, adjournments for more
than 3 days are not counted.
(2) Leader bills.--The bills introduced by the House
Majority Leader and House Minority Leader will, on
introduction, be placed directly on the Calendar of the Whole
House on the State of the Union.
(c) Motion To Proceed.--
(1) In general.--On or after the third day following the
committee report or discharge or upon a bill being placed on
the calendar under subsection (b)(2), it shall be in order for
any Member, after consultation with the Majority Leader, to
move to proceed to the consideration of any qualified bill.
Notice must first be given before proceeding. This motion to
proceed to the consideration of a bill can be offered by a
Member only on the day after the calendar day on which the
Member announces his or her intention to offer it.
(2) Consideration.--The motion to proceed to a given
qualified bill can be made even if a motion to the same effect
has previously been rejected. No more than 3 such motions may
be made, however, in any 1 congressional session.
(3) Privileged and nondebatable.--The motion to proceed is
privileged, and all points of order against the motion to
proceed to consideration and its consideration are waived. The
motion is not debatable, is not amendable, and is not subject
to a motion to postpone.
(4) No other business or reconsideration.--The motion is
not subject to a motion to proceed to the consideration of
other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the
motion to proceed is agreed to or disagreed to is not in order.
(d) Consideration of a Qualified Bill.--
(1) In general.--If the motion to proceed is adopted, the
chamber will immediately proceed to the consideration of a
qualified bill without intervening motion, order, or other
business, and the bill remains the unfinished business of the
House until disposed of.
(2) Committee of the whole.--The bill will be considered in
the Committee of the Whole under the 5-minute rule, and the
bill shall be considered as read and open for amendment at any
time.
(3) Limit debate.--A motion to further limit debate is in
order and is not debatable.
(4) Relevant amendments.--Only relevant amendments may be
offered to the bill.
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