What does the House Rules Committee do?
The House Rules Committee proposes terms for floor debate and amendments. For many major bills, it recommends how long members may debate and which changes they may offer.
The full House must adopt those terms before they take effect. A vote on the terms is not the same as a vote to pass the bill.
Why the committee matters
Most committees focus on policy areas, such as agriculture or defense. The Rules Committee focuses on House procedure. It also considers changes to the House’s standing rules, the chamber’s general operating rules.
The majority party controls the committee and uses it to help advance its floor agenda. The committee consults majority leaders and the committees that develop bills. Read the Speaker of the House guide for the Speaker’s role in leading the chamber.
How a special rule works
A special rule is a House resolution that sets terms for considering one or more measures on the floor. It applies to the named measures, rather than rewriting the House’s standing rules for all bills.
The committee proposes the terms
Members ask the Rules Committee to allow amendments, which are proposed changes to a bill. The committee holds a hearing and votes on a special rule to report to the House.
The rule sets debate and amendment limits
A special rule sets the amount of general debate time and how members divide it. It identifies the text the House will consider and which amendments members may offer. It can also waive specific procedural objections, called points of order.
The House votes on the rule
The full House debates and votes on the special rule. If the House adopts it, members consider the bill under those terms. If the House rejects it, those terms do not take effect. Leaders may seek a different rule or another path to floor action.
The Congressional Research Service’s report on special rules explains their purpose and terms.
Open, structured, and closed rules
Open rules
An open rule generally allows members to offer amendments that meet the House’s standing rules. It does not mean that any amendment qualifies.
Structured rules
A structured rule allows only specified amendments. It can set their order and debate time. Submitting an amendment to the Rules Committee does not guarantee a floor vote on it.
Closed rules
A closed rule does not allow floor amendments. Members can still debate the bill and vote for or against passage. The rule may itself specify changes to the text.
Not every bill needs a special rule. The House also uses other procedures, such as suspension of the rules for many broadly supported measures. The CRS guide to House floor procedures explains these paths.
A rule vote is not final passage
Suppose a special rule allows one hour of debate and three amendments. Adopting the rule lets the House consider the bill on those terms. It does not approve the three amendments or pass the bill.
The Rules Committee cannot make a bill law or set the Senate’s procedures. Follow the remaining steps in the bill-to-law guide.
Follow the votes, not just the rules
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