Legislation Commons^™

A Read-The-Bill Rule For Congress, Hanah Volokh

Hanah M. Volokh

In this Article, I argue that legislators have a duty to read the text of proposed legislation before voting to enact it. A Read the Bill political movement has formed in response to recent high-profile instances of rushed legislation. Putting aside partisan concerns, a rushed legislative process creates real problems because it forces legislators to vote on bills without having the time to properly evaluate the new legal rules that are being imposed on citizens If a rule or norm of reading the bill can slow the legislative process enough to provide for thorough consideration of proposed legislation, it would …