,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ccgh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ac1 #bjba,mr4 ,scott of ,florida 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,toomey1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,rounds1 ,mr4 ,hagerty1 ,mr4 ,braun1 and ,mr4 ,lankford7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require agencies to submit certain settlement agreements to ,congress1 to allow ,congress to disapprove of those settlement agreements1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,congressional ,review of ,agency ,legal ,settlements ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,agency ,the term agency has the meaning given the term in section #eea of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#b7 ,agency rule ,the term agency rule means-- 7,a7 a substantive rule of general applicability of an agency2 7,b7 a statement of general policy of an agency2 or 7,c7 an interpretation of general applicability formulated and adopted by an agency pursuant to relevant law4 7#c7 ,covered settlement agreement ,the term covered settlement agreement means a proposed voluntary compromise settlement to be entered into by an agency to resolve #a or more pending legal claims against the ,united ,states that includes-- 7,a7 a financial award paid by the agency that is more than #aj1jjj1jjj1 aggregated across all similarly situated cases or legal claims against the agency2 or 7,b7 an agreement to modify or alter an agency rule of the agency4 7#d7 ,end of session period ,the term end of session period means the period-- 7,a7 beginning on the date occurring1 in the case of the ,senate1 #fj session days1 or in the case of the ,house of ,representatives1 #fj legislative days before the date the ,congress adjourns a session of ,congress2 and 7,b7 ending on the date on which the same or succeeding ,congress first convenes its next session4 7#e7 ,joint resolution of disapproval ,the term joint resolution of disapproval means a joint resolution-- 7,a7 introduced during the period beginning on the submission date and ending #fj days thereafter 7excluding days either ,house of ,congress is adjourned for more than #c days during a session of ,congress72 and 7,b7 the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows3 7i7 ,for covered settlement agreements involving a financial award3 ,that ,congress finds that the settlement agreement proposed by the relating to is an unauthorized use of amounts appropriated by ,congress1 and the may not enter into the settlement agreement using amounts appropriated by ,congress4 7,the blank spaces being appropriately filled in74 7ii7 ,for covered settlement agreements involving a modification or alteration of an agency rule3 ,that ,congress disapproves modification or alteration of the agency rule within the settlement agreement proposed by the relating to 1 and such modification or alteration of the agency rule shall have no force or effect4 7,the blank spaces being appropriately filled in74 7#f7 ,submission date ,the term submission date means the date on which a report submitted by an agency under section #c7;a7 is received by ,congress4 #c4 ,congressional review of certain agency settlement agreements 7a7 ,in general ,before an agency may enter into a covered settlement agreement1 the agency shall submit to ,congress a report that includes-- 7#a7 information relating to each legal claim resolved by the covered settlement agreement2 7#b7 the terms of the covered settlement agreement2 7#c7 the class of claimants covered by the covered settlement agreement2 7#d7 the total amount of the financial award to be paid under the covered settlement agreement2 7#e7 the factual and legal basis for calculating the amount described in paragraph 7#d72 7#f7 the factual and legal basis for modifying or altering each agency rule of the agency modified or altered under the covered settlement agreement2 and 7#g7 whether each modification or alteration of an agency rule described in paragraph 7#f7 will require the agency to initiate rulemaking proceedings under section #eec of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code and the date those rulemaking proceedings will commence4 7b7 ,receipt by ,congress ,upon receipt of a report from an agency under subsection 7a71 each ,house shall provide a copy of the report to the chairman and ranking member of the standing committee with jurisdiction over the agency and the operating budget of the agency4 7c7 ,joint resolution ,not later than #fj days after the date on which ,congress receives a report under subsection 7a71 ,congress may pass a joint resolution of disapproval of the covered settlement agreement that is the subject of the report in accordance with section #d4 7d7 ,effect of joint resolution ,if ,congress passes a joint resolution of disapproval relating to a covered settlement agreement in accordance with section #d1 the agency may not-- 7#a7 pay a financial award under the covered settlement agreement using amounts otherwise appropriated by ,congress2 or 7#b7 modify or alter an agency rule of the agency under the covered settlement agreement without complying with the rulemaking requirements under section #eec of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 7e7 ,waiting period ,subject to subsection 7f71 an agency may enter into a covered settlement agreement as otherwise provided by law if1 on the date that is #fj days after the submission date1 ,congress has not passed a joint resolution of disapproval relating to the covered settlement agreement4 7f7 ,end of session submission ,in addition to the opportunity for ,congress to review a covered settlement agreement as otherwise provided under this ,act1 in the case of any covered settlement agreement for which a report is submitted in accordance with subsection 7a7 during an end of session period-- 7#a7 section #d shall apply to the covered settlement agreement in the succeeding session of ,congress2 and 7#b7 in applying section #d for purposes of such additional review1 the covered settlement agreement shall be treated as though a report on such covered settlement agreement were submitted to ,congress under subsection 7a7 on1 with respect to the date on which the succeeding session of ,congress first convenes-- 7,a7 in the case of the ,senate1 the #aeth session day after that date2 or 7,b7 in the case of the ,house of ,representatives1 the #aeth legislative day after that date4 #d4 ,expedited procedure for joint resolutions of disapproval 7a7 ,referral ,a joint resolution shall be referred to the committees in each ,house of ,congress with jurisdiction4 7b7 ,discharge from committee ,in the ,senate1 if the committee to which a joint resolution of disapproval is referred under subsection 7a7 has not reported the joint resolution of disapproval 7or an identical joint resolution of disapproval7 at the end of #bj calendar days after the submission date1 the committee may be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution of disapproval upon a petition supported in writing by #cj ,members of the ,senate1 and such joint resolution of disapproval shall be placed on the calendar4 7c7 ,procedure 7#a7 ,in general ,in the ,senate1 when the committee to which a joint resolution of disapproval is referred has reported1 or when a committee is discharged 7under subsection 7b77 from further consideration of a joint resolution of disapproval1 it is at any time thereafter in order 7even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to7 for a motion to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution of disapproval1 and all points of order against the joint resolution of disapproval 7and against consideration of the joint resolution of disapproval7 are waived4 ,the motion is not subject to amendment1 or to a motion to postpone1 or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business4 ,a motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order4 ,if a motion to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution of disapproval is agreed to1 the joint resolution of disapproval shall remain the unfinished business of the ,senate until disposed of4 7#b7 ,debate limitation ,in the ,senate1 debate on the joint resolution of disapproval1 and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith1 shall be limited to not more than #aj hours1 which shall be divided equally between those favoring and those opposing the joint resolution of disapproval4 ,a motion further to limit debate is in order and not debatable4 ,an amendment to1 or a motion to postpone1 or a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business1 or a motion to recommit the joint resolution of disapproval is not in order4 7#c7 ,vote on final passage ,in the ,senate1 immediately following the conclusion of the debate on a joint resolution of disapproval1 and a single quorum call at the conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the ,senate1 the vote on final passage of the joint resolution of disapproval shall occur4 7#d7 ,appeals ,appeals from the decisions of the ,chair relating to the application of the rules of the ,senate to the procedure relating to a joint resolution of disapproval shall be decided without debate4 7d7 ,limitation ,in the ,senate1 the procedure described in subsection 7b7 or 7c7 shall not apply to the consideration of a joint resolution of disapproval-- 7#a7 after the expiration of the #fj session days beginning with the applicable submission date2 or 7#b7 if the report described in section #c7;a7 was submitted during an end of session period1 after the expiration of the #fj session days beginning on the #aeth session day after the succeeding session of ,congress first convenes4 7e7 ,effect of passage in one ,house ,if1 before the passage by one ,house of a joint resolution of disapproval of that ,house1 that ,house receives from the other ,house a joint resolution of disapproval1 then the following procedures shall apply3 7#a7 ,the joint resolution of disapproval of the other ,house shall not be referred to a committee4 7#b7 ,with respect to a joint resolution of disapproval of the ,house receiving the joint resolution of disapproval-- 7,a7 the procedure in that ,house shall be the same as if no joint resolution of disapproval had been received from the other ,house2 but 7,b7 the vote on final passage shall be on the joint resolution of disapproval of the other ,house4 7f7 ,rule of construction ,this section is enacted by ,congress-- 7#a7 as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the ,senate and ,house of ,representatives1 respectively1 and1 as such1 it is deemed a part of the rules of each ,house1 respectively1 but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that ,house in the case of a joint resolution of disapproval1 and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules2 and 7#b7 with full recognition of the constitutional right of either ,house to change the rules 7so far as relating to the procedure of that ,house7 at any time1 in the same manner1 and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that ,house4