Methods of Getting to Conference With the Senate

The Rules of the House provide for three methods of getting to conference with the Senate. They include the following:

1. agreeing to a motion to go to conference by unanimous consent on the House floor;

2. obtaining a special rule from the Rules Committee; or

3. receiving specific authorization from each committee which received an initial referral and reported the bill (clause 1 of Rule XXII).

Rather than relying on the uncertainty of a unanimous consent request on the House floor or on requesting a rule from the Rules Committee when the Rules Committee is considering other business, Committee Chairmen are encouraged to pursue the third available option as a matter of regular order.

Chairmen should obtain conference authority from their committee at the time a bill is ordered reported. The authorization should be granted by motion, must be specific to each bill reported, and cannot be granted on a general or blanket basis for all future bills.

A suggested motion reads as follows:

Member _____ moves: Pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII, I move that the Committee authorize the Chairman to offer such motions as may be necessary in the House to go to conference with the Senate on the bill H.R. _____ or a similar Senate bill.