HRES951-119

What This Bill Does

This special rule packages environmental review, mining, endangered-species, electric reliability, power-plant retirement, and child-trafficking measures. This is a special House rule, not final enactment of the underlying policies. Its effect is to decide how the House may consider the named measures: it waives points of order, treats measures as read, sets debate time, identifies adopted committee or Rules Committee text, and preserves only the motions listed in the rule. The measures covered are H.R. 4776 on NEPA review efficiency, H.R. 1366 on hardrock mining mill sites and the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, H.R. 845 on gray wolf delisting regulations, H.R. 3616 on FERC review of regulations affecting bulk-power reliability, H.R. 3632 on adequate-service rules and notice of planned generating-unit retirements, and H.R. 4371 enhancing efforts to combat trafficking of children. That procedural design matters because it can move controversial disapproval resolutions or policy bills to a final vote while limiting the ability to raise procedural objections or offer amendments.

Who Benefits and How

Project developers seeking faster NEPA reviews, hardrock mining operators, gray-wolf delisting supporters, electric-grid reliability advocates, generating facility operators seeking clearer retirement notice rules, and child-trafficking enforcement supporters benefit procedurally. House majority leadership benefits because the rule converts the covered measures into a controlled floor package. The House Rules Committee benefits because its report and special-rule language define the operative text and amendment process. Committee chairs benefit when they control debate time for their committee's measures. Supporters of the underlying resolutions or bills benefit because the waiver and previous-question language reduce procedural friction.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Environmental-review advocates, abandoned-mine cleanup stakeholders facing funding design choices, gray-wolf protection supporters, regulators affected by FERC review, Members seeking unprinted amendments, and opponents of the covered bills bear burdens. House Members seeking amendments bear a burden because amendments are barred or limited to the Rules Committee report. House minority leadership bears a burden because debate time is capped and the previous question prevents intervening motions except those named in the rule. Opponents of the covered measures lose some procedural tools because points of order against consideration and against provisions are waived. The House Clerk and floor staff must implement the timing, reading, amendment, and message instructions.

Key Provisions

• Provides consideration of H.R. 4776 on NEPA review timing and ambiguity.
• Provides consideration of H.R. 1366 on hardrock mining mill sites and an abandoned mine fund.
• Provides consideration of H.R. 845 on gray-wolf delisting regulations.
• Provides consideration of H.R. 3616 and H.R. 3632 on electricity reliability and generator retirement notice.
• Provides consideration of H.R. 4371 on child-trafficking enforcement.
• Waives points of order and limits debate and amendment options under the special rule.