§ 1823. Congressional oversight of international fishery agreements

(a) In general

No governing international fishery agreement, bycatch reduction agreement, or Pacific Insular Area fishery agreement shall become effective with respect to the United States before the close of the first 120 days (excluding any days in a period for which the Congress is adjourned sine die) after the date on which the President transmits to the House of Representatives and to the Senate a document setting forth the text of such governing international fishery agreement, bycatch reduction agreement, or Pacific Insular Area fishery agreement. A copy of the document shall be delivered to each House of Congress on the same day and shall be delivered to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, if the House is not in session, and to the Secretary of the Senate, if the Senate is not in session.

(b) Referral to committees

Any document described in subsection (a) of this section shall be immediately referred in the House of Representatives to the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, and in the Senate to the Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and on Foreign Relations.

(1) Rules of the House of Representatives and Senate

The provisions of this section are enacted by the Congress—

(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and they are deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that House in the case of fishery agreement resolutions described in paragraph (2), and they supersede other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and

(B) with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as they relate to the procedure of that House) at any time, and in the same manner and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House.

(2) “Fishery agreement resolution” defined

For purposes of this subsection, the term “fishery agreement resolution” refers to a joint resolution of either House of Congress—

(A) the effect of which is to prohibit the entering into force and effect of any governing international fishery agreement, bycatch reduction agreement, or Pacific Insular Area fishery agreement the text of which is transmitted to the Congress pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; and

(B) which is reported from the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation or the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, not later than 45 days after the date on which the document described in subsection (a) of this section relating to that agreement is transmitted to the Congress.

(3) Placement on calendar

Any fishery agreement resolution upon being reported shall immediately be placed on the appropriate calendar.

(4) Floor consideration in the House

(A) A motion in the House of Representatives to proceed to the consideration of any fishery agreement resolution shall be highly privileged and not debatable. An amendment to the motion shall not be in order, nor shall it be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to.

(B) Debate in the House of Representatives on any fishery agreement resolution shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally between those favoring and those opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit debate shall not be debatable. It shall not be in order to move to recommit any fishery agreement resolution or to move to reconsider the vote by which any fishery agreement resolution is agreed to or disagreed to.

(C) Motions to postpone, made in the House of Representatives with respect to the consideration of any fishery agreement resolution, and motions to proceed to the consideration of other business, shall be decided without debate.

(D) All appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the Rules of the House of Representatives to the procedure relating to any fishery agreement resolution shall be decided without debate.

(E) Except to the extent specifically provided in the preceding provisions of this subsection, consideration of any fishery agreement resolution shall be governed by the Rules of the House of Representatives applicable to other bills and resolutions in similar circumstances.

(5) Floor consideration in the Senate

(A) A motion in the Senate to proceed to the consideration of any fishery agreement resolution shall be privileged and not debatable. An amendment to the motion shall not be in order, nor shall it be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to.

(B) Debate in the Senate on any fishery agreement resolution and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith shall be limited to not more than 10 hours. The time shall be equally divided between, and controlled by, the majority leader and the minority leader or their designees.

(C) Debate in the Senate on any debatable motion or appeal in connection with any fishery agreement resolution shall be limited to not more than 1 hour, to be equally divided between, and controlled by, the mover of the motion or appeal and the manager of the resolution, except that if the manager of the resolution is in favor of any such motion or appeal, the time in opposition thereto shall be controlled by the minority leader or his designee. The majority leader and the minority leader, or either of them, may allot additional time to any Senator during the consideration of any debatable motion or appeal, from time under their control with respect to the applicable fishery agreement resolution.

(D) A motion in the Senate to further limit debate is not debatable. A motion to recommit any fishery agreement resolution is not in order.

U.S. Code

§ 1823. Congressional oversight of international fishery agreements