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Senate Committee Hearings: Preparation

Description: This report identifies many of the tasks that need to be performed by a full committee or subcommittees in advance of a hearing; these are based on Senate or committee rules, or common committee practice. It also outlines responsibilities which are divided among the committee's majority staff, shared by majority and minority staff, or performed by a Senator's personal office staff, depending on the tasks.
Date: December 4, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committee Hearings: Preparation

Description: Committee hearings allow Senators an opportunity to gather information on—and draw attention to—legislation and issues within a committee’s purview, conduct oversight of programs or agencies, and investigate allegations of wrongdoing. This checklist identifies, primarily for staff, many of the tasks that need to be performed by a full committee and, in most cases, subcommittees in advance of a hearing. Some of the tasks are required by Senate or committee rules; others are common committee prac… more
Date: March 16, 2015
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the Senate

Description: The Senate’s presiding officer typically does not have responsibility for pro-actively ensuring that matters under consideration comply with the rules. Instead, Senators may enforce the Senate’s legislative rules and precedents by making points of order whenever they believe that one of those rules or precedents is, or is about to be, violated. This report briefly discusses the process by which a point of order is raised and ruled upon.
Date: September 29, 2006
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Committee Types and Roles

Description: This report contains information on the general structure of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate committee structure, types of committees, and subcommittees.
Date: November 26, 2008
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Enrollment of Legislation: Relevant Congressional Procedures

Description: This report describes the congressional procedure in the enrollment of legislation, which occurs in the chamber where the measure originated and is carried out by enrolling clerks under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the Senate.
Date: May 7, 2008
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committee Rules in the 115th Congress: Key Provisions

Description: This report first provides a brief overview of Senate rules as they pertain to committee actions. The report then provides tables that summarize selected, key features of each committee's rules in regard to meeting day, hearing and meeting notice requirements, scheduling of witnesses, hearing quorum, business quorum, amendment filing requirements, proxy voting, polling, nominations, investigations, and subpoenas. In addition, the report looks at selected unique provisions some committees have i… more
Date: December 6, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Guide to Individuals Seated on the Senate Dais

Description: This report is a brief summary of House and Senate procedures for reaching agreement on legislation. It discusses the provisions of House Rule XXII and Senate Rule XXVIII as well as other applicable rules, precedents, and practices. The report focuses on the most common and customary procedures.
Date: March 9, 2015
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Rules Affecting Committees

Description: This report identifies and summarizes the provisions of the Senate's standing rules, standing orders, precedents, and other directives that relate to legislative activity in the Senate's standing committees. It covers four main issues: committee organization, committee meetings, hearings, and reporting.
Date: March 24, 2015
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Constitutional Points of Order in the Senate

Description: In general, the Senate's presiding officer does not take the initiative in enforcing Senate rules and precedents. Instead, a Senator may raise a point of order if he or she believes the Senate is taking (or is about to take) an action that violates the rules. In most circumstances, the presiding officer rules on the point of order on advice of the Parliamentarian; that ruling is typically subject to an appeal on which the Senate votes (unless the appeal is tabled or withdrawn). Pursuant to Rule… more
Date: December 17, 2014
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction

Description: This report provides a brief introduction to the legislative process on the Senate floor, including filibusters and cloture, restraint and delay, scheduling legislative business, unanimous consent agreements, the daily order of business, the amending process, and quorum calls and rollcall votes.
Date: August 13, 2014
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2013

Description: This report briefly describes current responsibilities and selection mechanisms for 15 House and Senate party leadership posts and provides tables with historical data, including service dates, party affiliation, and other information for each. Tables have been updated as of the report's issuance date to reflect leadership changes.
Date: March 4, 2013
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2014

Description: This report briefly describes current responsibilities and selection mechanisms for 15 House and Senate party leadership posts and provides tables with historical data, including service dates, party affiliation, and other information for each.
Date: July 31, 2014
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committee Hearings: Witness Testimony

Description: This report discusses rules regarding witness testimony before Senate committees. It includes brief descriptions of rules for oral testimony, questioning of witnesses, and hearing transcription.
Date: March 16, 2015
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Types of Committee Hearings

Description: This report describes the four types of congressional committee hearings; legislative, oversight, investigative, and confirmation and the rules governing them.
Date: June 28, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress

Description: This report introduces the main steps through which a bill (or other item of business) may travel in the legislative process--from introduction to committee and floor consideration to possible presidential consideration. However, the process by which a bill can become law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. In fact, for many bills, the process will not follow the sequence of congressional stages that are often understood to make up the legislative process.This re… more
Date: April 7, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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