THE SPECIFIC SUBJECTS TO GENERAL PROPOSITIONS TEST

Principle: A general subject may be amended by a specific proposition (or subset) of the same class.

Principle: One key test of whether a subject is general is whether it covers two or more categories within a class.

Example:

• If a bill requires drug testing of airline employees, an amendment to extend the requirement to bus employees was not germane (an individual proposition cannot be amended by another individual proposition). However, if the bill covers airline and bus employees, an amendment to add barge employees would be germane.

• To an omnibus agricultural bill containing farm programs affecting dairy products, wool, feed, grains, cotton, and wheat, an amendment to add a new title to the bill relating to poultry and eggs was held to be germane.

• To a bill affecting price supports for dairy products generally, an amendment relating to milk marketing orders is germane.

Principle: The more broad the subject matter of the bill, the more that can be added as a germane amendment.

Example:

• A section of a bill designed to strengthen the United States and NATO relationships with Turkey and Greece in diverse ways (by promoting a peaceful solution to the Cypress dispute, by easing the embargo on arms shipments to Turkey, by requesting negotiations with Greece to determine its economic and military needs, and by providing refugee assistance to Cypress) was held sufficiently broad in scope to permit as germane an amendment requesting negotiations with Turkey to prevent diversion of opium poppy into illicit channels.