Hour Rule / One Hour Rule (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms

Hour Rule / One Hour Rule

 
 


House Session 2012-02-01

 
 

One-Hour Rule: Rules are considered in the House under the one-hour rule, with time controlled by a majority floor manager. The majority floor manager customarily yields thirty minutes to the minority floor manager “for purposes of debate only.” Accordingly, special rules can be amended only if the majority floor manager offers an amendment to the rule or yields time to another member to offer an amendment, or if the previous question on the rule is defeated. (The previous question is in the form of a motion (“I move the previous question”), which, if agreed to, cuts off further debate and the possibility of amendment.)

When debating a special rule, one hour of debate is provided, again equally divided between the parties. Proceedings in the House sitting as the House are often referred to as proceedings under the one-hour rule. A special rule itself is considered in the House under the one-hour rule.

Conference reports are privileged and can be brought up when available. They are considered under the one-hour rule. The House considers impeachment resolutions under the one-hour rule or pursuant to a special rule reported from the Rules Committee and agreed to by the House. Measures in the Committee of the Whole are not considered under a one-hour rule but under what is called the five-minute rule, allowing a proponent, an opponent, and other members on each side five minutes each to speak on an amendment.

Hour Rule: When the House for parliamentary purposes is sitting as the House and has not resolved into the Committee of the Whole, House rules permit members, when recognized, to hold the floor for no more than one hour each. A special rule from the Rules Committee is privileged and is considered under this hour rule. The majority floor manager for the Rules Committee, who calls up the simple resolution containing the special rule, customarily yields one half of this one hour to the control of a minority member of the committee, the minority floor manager, “for purposes of debate only.”

Also see: Committee of the Whole; Five-Minute Rule; Floor Manager; Impeachment; Previous Question; Special Rule; § 6.80 House Floor: Methods of Consideration, § 6.100 Consideration of a Special Rule on the House Floor, § 6.280 Conference Committees, § 11.10 How to Follow Floor Proceedings in the House, in Congressional Deskbook.

More

 
 

Courses

 
 

Publications


Testifying Before Congress

Testifying Before Congress


Pocket Constitution

Pocket Constitution


Citizen's Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials

Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials: A Guide for Citizen Lobbyists and Grassroots Advocates


Congressional Procedure

Congressional Procedure

 

CongressionalGlossary.com, from TheCapitol.Net






For more than 40 years, TheCapitol.Net and its predecessor, Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences, have been teaching professionals from government, military, business, and NGOs about the dynamics and operations of the legislative and executive branches and how to work with them.

Our custom on-site and online training, publications, and audio courses include congressional operations, legislative and budget process, communication and advocacy, media and public relations, testifying before Congress, research skills, legislative drafting, critical thinking and writing, and more.

TheCapitol.Net is on the GSA Schedule, MAS, for custom on-site and online training. GSA Contract GS02F0192X

TheCapitol.Net is now owned by the Sunwater Institute.

Teaching how Washington and Congress work ™

Select publications from TheCapitol.Net