From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms
By Request
House (House Rule XII – Receipt and Referral of Measures) and Senate rules permit a member to introduce a measure at the request of the president, an executive agency, or a private individual although that member may be opposed to the legislation. The courtesy to introduce legislation on behalf of someone is granted because neither the president nor any person other than a member can introduce legislation. In such a case, “by request” appears on the measure following the name of the sponsor. As House Rule XII states, “When a bill or resolution is introduced ‘by request,’ those words shall be entered on the Journal and printed in the Congressional Record.” Drafts of proposed legislation from the President or an executive agency are usually introduced by the chairman of the committee of jurisdiction, who may be of the opposition party.
Also see
- Sponsor
- § 6.20 Drafting and Introducing Legislation, in Congressional Deskbook
- § 2.21 Introducing a Bill, in Legislative Drafter’s Deskbook
- Chapter 2.B. Why Submit Legislation? in Congressional Procedure
Congress.gov: Introduction and Referral of Bills
More
- List of Bills Introduced – Congress.gov
- Congress by the Numbers
- “Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress,” CRS Report R42843 (18-page PDF
) - “Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of House Bills,” CRS Report RS22477 (9-page PDF)
- “Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills,” CRS Report 98-279 (6-page PDF)
- “The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction,” CRS Report 96-548 (20-page PDF)
- “Routes to the Senate Floor,” CRS Report RS22299 (17-page PDF)
- “House and Senate Rules of Procedure: A Comparison,” CRS Report RL30945 (19-page PDF)
- “How Legislation Is Brought to the House Floor: A Snapshot of Recent Parliamentary Practice,” CRS Report R40829 (16-page PDF)
- “How Measures Are Brought to the Senate Floor: A Brief Introduction,” CRS Report RS20668 (10-page PDF)
- “The President’s Fiscal Year 2019 Military Construction Budget Request,” CRS In Focus IF10866 (3-page PDF)
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- Congress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals of Lawmaking Series, a Nine-Course series on CD
Publications
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Pocket Constitution |
Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials: A Guide for Citizen Lobbyists and Grassroots Advocates |
Congressional Procedure |
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