Sec. 4. Expedited consideration of recommendations for reforms
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For purposes of this section, the term qualified joint resolution means only a joint resolution described in section 3(2)(B) of this Act. A proposed qualified joint resolution transmitted by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under section 3(a) shall be introduced in the Senate (by request) on the next day on which the Senate is in session by the majority leader of the Senate or by a Member of the Senate designated by the majority leader of the Senate and shall be introduced in the House of Representatives (by request) on the next legislative day by the majority leader of the House or by a Member of the House designated by the majority leader of the House.
A qualified joint resolution shall not be referred to a committee in either House of Congress and shall immediately be placed on the calendar. A motion to proceed to a joint resolution is highly privileged in the House of Representatives and is privileged in the Senate and is not debatable. The motion is not subject to a motion to postpone, and all points of order against the motion are waived. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order.
If a motion to proceed to the consideration of a qualified joint resolution is agreed to, the qualified joint resolution shall remain the unfinished business of the respective House until disposed of. In the House of Representatives, a qualified joint resolution shall be considered as read. All points of order against the qualified joint resolution and against its consideration are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the qualified joint resolution to its passage without intervening motion except 2 hours of debate shall be divided equally between the majority and minority leaders or their designees.
A motion to reconsider the vote on passage of the qualified joint resolution shall not be in order. A vote on final passage of the qualified joint resolution shall be taken in the House of Representatives on or before the close of the 10th legislative day after the date of the introduction of the qualified joint resolution in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, consideration of a qualified joint resolution, and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally between the majority and minority leaders or their designees.
A motion to further limit debate is in order and not debatable. An amendment to, a motion to postpone, a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business, or a motion to commit the qualified joint resolution is not in order. If the Senate has proceeded to a qualified joint resolution, the vote on passage of the qualified joint resolution shall occur immediately following the conclusion of consideration of the qualified joint resolution, and a single quorum call at the conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the Senate.
A vote on the final passage of the qualified joint resolution shall be taken in the Senate on or before the close of the 10th legislative day after the date of the introduction of the qualified joint resolution in the Senate. Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure relating to a qualified joint resolution shall be decided without debate. In the Senate or the House of Representatives, a Member of the Senate or House of Representatives, respectively, may raise a point of order that a qualified joint resolution does not meet the definition of a qualified joint resolution under subsection (a).
A qualified joint resolution shall not be subject to amendment in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. If, before passing a qualified joint resolution, one House receives from the other a qualified joint resolution— the qualified joint resolution from the other House shall not be referred to a committee; and with respect to a qualified joint resolution of the House receiving the qualified joint resolution— the procedure in that House shall be the same as if no qualified joint resolution had been received from the other House until the vote on passage; but the vote on final passage shall be on the qualified joint resolution of the other House.
This section is enacted by the Congress— as an exercise of the rulemaking power in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that House in the case of a qualified joint resolution, and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House.