# Plain Language Summary: Read the Bills Act

The Read the Bills Act requires Congress to slow down and actually read bills before voting on them. Specifically, it mandates that the full text of any bill must be read aloud in the House or Senate chamber before members can vote on it, unless two-thirds of that chamber votes to skip the reading. The bill also requires a three-day waiting period between when a bill is introduced and when it can be voted on, giving lawmakers and the public time to review what's actually in the legislation.

This affects everyday Americans because it's designed to prevent rushed lawmaking. Right now, Congress sometimes passes massive bills that nobody has fully read—sometimes thousands of pages long—because there's pressure to vote quickly. By requiring bills to be read and giving people time to review them, the law aims to make sure representatives actually understand what they're voting for and that citizens have a chance to see what their government is doing before it becomes law. The three-day waiting period also gives advocacy groups, news organizations, and concerned citizens time to analyze bills and contact their representatives if they have concerns.

The practical impact is that the legislative process would slow down significantly. Some bills that might have passed quickly could face more scrutiny, and lawmakers would have less ability to sneak controversial provisions into massive bills that nobody reads carefully. However, Congress could still bypass these requirements if two-thirds of members vote to do so, which means urgent or widely-supported bills could still move faster if lawmakers agree they need to.

Read the Bills Act

Paul, Rand

Read the Bills Act This bill establishes requirements relating to the introduction and consideration of any bill or resolution in either chamber of Congress. Specifically, the bill requires any measure introduced in either chamber to contain a provision citing the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the proposed measure, including all of its provisions. Further, the text must also set forth the current law such measure is amending and the proposed modifications to the law. Additionally, a vote on final passage of a measure (except private bills) may not occur in either chamber unless (1) the full text of the measure is published on an official website of each chamber at least seven days before the vote, (2) public notice of the specific calendar week during which the vote is scheduled to take place is posted on the respective website at least six days before the Monday of such week, and (3) there is a reading of its full text verbatim by the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate to the respective chamber.