House Committee Reports: Required Contents

^Pr^ep^ar^{ed f}^o^r^M^e^m^b^ers^an^d^Com^mⁱ^t^t^ees^of^C^ong^r^e^ss

ouse rules and statutes detail several substantive requirements for items to be included in
reports accompanying bills reported from committees, as noted in the following table.
For example, most committee reports explain a bill’s purpose and the need for the H

legislation, its cost, the committee votes on amendments and the measure itself, the position of
the executive branch, and the specific changes the bill would make in existing law. Not all
requirements are applicable to all committees or in all circumstances. There is also no prescribed
order for inclusion of these items in the report, although custom has dictated certain common
approaches, such as placing at the end of a report the notations of specific changes in law and
additional views.
Table 1. House Committee Reports: Required Contents
^{House Rule}^Requirement^{Applies To}
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(}^b)^{Statement of committee action}^Rol^{lcall vote t}^o^{report bill or res}^{olution of public}
^{on all rollca}^{ll votes}^character^{and on a}^{ny ame}^ndment^{offered in}
^committee
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(1)}^{Statement of committee}^Measur^{e ap}^{proved; all committees exce}^{pt the}
^{oversight findings and}^{Committees on Appro}^{priations and Budget}
^{recommendations}
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(2),}^{Statement on n}^{ew b}^udget^Bil^{l or resolution (except contin}^u^ing
^{and Section 30}^{8(a)(1) of the}^{authority and}^{related items}^approp^{riations) providing new b}^u^{dget authority,}
^{Congressional Budget Act}^{new spe}^{nding aut}^{hority, new c}^r^e^{dit authority, or}
^{of 19}⁷⁴^{an increase}^{or decrease in}^reveⁿ^{ues or tax}
^expe^nditures
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3),}^{Statement of CBO cost estimate}^Bil^{l or resolution of a public cha}^r^{acter; all}
^{and Section 40}^{2 of the}^{and comparison, if su}^{bmitted in a}^{committees except}^{the Committ}^{ee on}
^{Congressional Budget Act}^{timely fashion}^Approp^riations
^{of 19}⁷⁴
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(4)}^{Statement of gene}^ral^Measur^{e ap}^proved
^performa^{nce goals and}
^{objectives, include outcome-}
^{related goals and objectives}
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(d)(1)}^{Statement of constitutional}^Bil^{l or jo}^{int resolution of a pu}^{blic characte}^r
^{authority of Congress}^{to enact}
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(a)(1)(A)}^Suppleme^{ntal, minority, or}^Measur^{e or matter a}^p^p^{roved; all committees}
^additi^{onal views, if submitted in}^{except t}^{he Committee on Rules}
^{writing and signed, and filed}
^{within 2 calendar day}^s
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(a)(1)(B)}^{Recital on cover of report to}^{Reports that include CBO}^{cost e}^{stimate and}
^{show inclusion of certain}^materia^l^{comparison, oversight findings, a}^{nd su}^pplemental,
^{minority, or addit}^{ional views}
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(e)}^{Changes in}^{existing law}^Bil^{l or jo}^{int resolution that re}^{peals or amends}
^{(“Ramseyer rule”)}^{existing law}
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(d)(2)}^{Statement of committee cost}^Bil^{l or resolution of a public cha}^r^acter;
^estimate^{Committees on Appro}^{priations, House}
^{Administration, Rules, and Standa}^{rds of Official}
^{Conduct are e}^xempt;^req^uireme^{nt does not ap}^ply
^{if CBO cost estimate is in report}
^{Rule XIII, clause 3(}^h)^{Statement of macroeconomic}^{Committee on Ways and Mea}^ns;^{can be}^waived,
^{impact of a meas}^{ure ame}^nding^{or chair of Ways a}^{nd Mean}^{s Committee can}
^{the tax}^code^{insert the a}^{nalysis in the}^Congres^{sional Record}

^{House Rule}^Requirement^{Applies To}
^{prior to the meas}^ure^{being con}^{sidered on the}
^floor
^{Rule XXI, clause 9}^{List of congressional earmarks,}^Bil^{l, j}^{oint resolution, amendment, and confer}^ence
^{limited tax benefits, limited tariff}^{report of a}^pu^{blic characte}^{r; list can be in}^cluded
^{benefits, and}^{name of r}^e^q^uesting^{in the bill}
^Membe^r
^{Federal Advisory}^{Determination with res}^{pect to}^{Legislation establishing or authori}^zing
^{Committee Act (5 U.S.C.}^{new advisory committee}^{establishment of a}ⁿ^{advisory com}^mittee
^{App.), Section 5(b)}
^{Congressional}^{Applicability to legis}^{lative branch}^Bil^{l or jo}^{int resolution relating to terms a}^nd
^{Accountability Act, P.L.}^{or statement of w}^hy^not^{conditions of employment or acc}^{ess to pu}^blic
^104-^{1, Section 10}^2(b)(3)^applicable^{services or accommodations}
^Unfu^{nded Mandates}^{Statement of federal ma}^ndates^Bil^{l or resolution of a public cha}^r^acter
^{Reform Act, P.L. 104-4;}
^{Section 423 of}
^{Congressional Budget Act}
^{of 19}⁷⁴
^Ju^dy^S^c^hn^ei^der
^Specialis^{t on}^t^h^{e C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s
^j^s^chⁿ^eⁱ^d^er@^c^rs^.l^oc.^g^ov^{, 7-}⁸⁶⁶⁴