One Subject at a Time Act

One Subject at a Time Act

This bill requires: (1) each bill or joint resolution to embrace no more than one subject, and (2) the subject to be clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title.

An appropriations bill may not contain any general legislation or change of existing law requirement if its subject is not germane to the subject of such bill.

The bill voids: (1) an entire Act or joint resolution if its title addresses two or more unrelated subjects, (2) provisions in legislation not clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title, (3) appropriation provisions in legislation outside the relevant subcommittee's jurisdiction, and (4) provisions of appropriation bills not germane to their subject matter.

The bill grants aggrieved persons and Members of Congress the right to bring an action against the United States to seek appropriate relief, including an injunction against the enforcement of any law the passage of which did not conform to this bill.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 395 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 395

To end the practice of including more than one subject in a single bill 
by requiring that each bill enacted by Congress be limited to only one 
                    subject, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 10, 2017

Mrs. Love (for herself, Mr. Massie, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Walker, Mr. Buck, 
  Mr. Blum, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. Biggs, Mr. Harris, Mr. 
  Loudermilk, Mr. Ratcliffe, Mr. Brat, Mr. Johnson of Louisiana, Mr. 
   Meadows, Mr. Emmer, Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Labrador, Mr. Collins of 
Georgia, Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mr. Webster of Florida, and 
    Mr. Brooks of Alabama) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To end the practice of including more than one subject in a single bill 
by requiring that each bill enacted by Congress be limited to only one 
                    subject, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``One Subject at a Time Act''.

SEC. 2. ONE SUBJECT AT A TIME.

    (a) One Subject.--Each bill or joint resolution shall embrace no 
more than one subject.
    (b) Subject in Title.--The subject of a bill or joint resolution 
shall be clearly and descriptively expressed in the title.
    (c) Appropriation Bills.--An appropriations bill shall not contain 
any general legislation or change of existing law provision, the 
subject of which is not germane to the subject matter of each such 
appropriations bill provided however, that this section shall not be 
construed to prohibit any provision imposing limitations upon the 
expenditure of funds so appropriated.

SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Multiple Subjects in Title.--If the title of an Act or joint 
resolution addresses two or more unrelated subjects, then the entire 
Act or joint resolution is void.
    (b) Provisions Not Expressed in Title.--If the title of an Act or 
joint resolution addresses a single subject, but the Act contains one 
or more provisions concerning a subject that is not clearly and 
descriptively expressed in its title, then only such provision or 
provisions concerning the subject not clearly and descriptively 
expressed in the title shall be void.
    (c) Appropriation Provisions Outside Subcommittee Jurisdiction.--If 
an Act appropriating funds contains a provision outside of the 
jurisdiction of the relevant subcommittee of the Committees on 
Appropriations of the House and of the Senate, and therefore outside 
the subject of the bill, then such provision shall be void.
    (d) Provisions of Appropriation Bills Not Germane to Subject 
Matter.--If an Act appropriating funds contains general legislation or 
change of existing law provision not germane to the subject matter of 
such bill, then each and every such provision shall be void.
    (e) Commencement of an Action.--Any person aggrieved by the 
enforcement of, or attempt or threat of enforcement of, an Act passed 
without having complied with section 2 or this section, or any Member 
of Congress aggrieved by the failure of the House of Congress which 
that individual is a member to comply with any requirement of those 
sections, shall, regardless of the amount in controversy, have a cause 
of action under sections 2201 and 2202 of title 28, United States Code, 
against the United States to seek appropriate relief, including an 
injunction against the enforcement of any law, the passage of which did 
not conform to section 2 or this section.
    (f) State of Review.--In any judicial action brought pursuant to 
subsection (e), the standard of review shall be de novo.
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