S.Res. 12: A resolution to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate to reform the filibuster rules to improve the daily process of the Senate.

112th Congress · introduced 2011-01-05 · Congress · Latest: Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S66-67)

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Where it came from: introduced 2011-01-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S66-67) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A resolution to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate to reform the filibuster rules to improve the daily process of the Senate.

Plain summary

Amends Rule XXII (Precedence of Motions) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Senators present and voting (instead of, as currently, chosen and sworn) for passage of a motion to close debate (cloture) on all matters except motions or measures to amend the Standing Rules. Amends Rule VIII (Order of Business) to repeal the rule that motions: (1) made during the first two hours of a new legislative day to proceed to consideration of any matter be determined without debate; or (2) made after the two-hour period be subject to debate. Limits a motion to proceed to consideration of any matter, and any related debatable motion or appeal, to four hours, equally divided between, and controlled by, the Majority and Minority Leaders or their designees. Exempts from such restriction on debate a motion to: (1) proceed to a proposal to change the Standing Rules (as in the current Rule); or (2) go into executive session to consider a specified item of executive business and a motion to proceed to consider any privileged matter. Amends Rule XXII to state that, if a complete substitute amendment for a measure is agreed to after consideration under cloture, the Senate shall proceed to a final disposition of the measure without intervening action or debate (filibuster) except one quorum call if requested. Amends Rule XXVIII (Conference Committees; Reports; Open Meetings) to establish a new motion by which the Majority Leader can combine three existing motions necessary to go to conference. Subjects this motion to a four-hour debate limit, to be evenly divided and controlled by the Majority and Minority Leaders or their designees. Declares such a motion neither divisible nor subject to amendment. Amends Rule XXII to require the Presiding Officer, 24 hours after the filing of a cloture motion (currently, one hour after the Senate meets, after two days of Senate session), to lay it before the Senate. Requires any proposed amendment in the first degree, except by unanimous consent, to be filed within 12 hours after the filing of a cloture motion (currently, by 1 o'clock p.m. on the day following the filing of the cloture motion). Requires the maximum 30 hours of consideration of a matter on which cloture has been invoked (postcloture) to be equally divided between the Majority and Minority. Requires the Senate to proceed immediately to vote on final disposition of a nomination upon invoking cloture on it. (Thus eliminates postcloture debate time on nominations.) Amends Rule XXVI (Committee Procedure) to repeal the requirement that, when the Senate is in session, the Majority and the Minority Leader must consent to any committee or subcommittee meetings that occur after the Senate has been session for two hours or after 2:00pm. (Thus allows the committees to meet without consent.) Amends Rule XV (Amendments and Motions) to permit waiver of the reading of an amendment by a nondebatable motion if the amendment has been printed in the Congressional Record and available for at least 24 hours before the motion. Makes it in order to offer a nondebatable motion to set aside any pending amendments in order to offer another germane amendment. Restricts in any calendar day: (1) a Senator to one such motion; and (2) Senate consideration to no more than five such motions. Makes it in order to offer a debatable motion to waive this germaneness requirement. Requires: (1) three-fifths (60) of the Senators chosen and sworn to agree to a waiver; and (2) an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senators chosen and sworn to sustain an appeal of a ruling by the chair on a point of order raised under this Rule.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A resolution to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate to reform the filibuster rules to improve the daily process of the Senate.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (6)

Cloture: A U.S. Senate vote to end debate on a measure, which usually needs 60 votes. It is how the Senate ends a filibuster.
Filibuster: Using long debate or other delay to block or slow a vote in the U.S. Senate.
Quorum: The minimum number of members who must be present for a body to do official business.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112sres12.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/sres>

Record fed-us-cong112-sres12 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112