One Subject at a Time Act

2/6/2025, 1:08 AM

One Subject at a Time Act

This bill requires each bill or joint resolution to include no more than one subject and the subject to be clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title.

Further, an appropriations bill may not contain any general legislation or change to existing law that is not germane to the subject of such bill.

The bill voids an entire law or joint resolution that has a title which addresses two or more unrelated subjects. For noncompliant provisions of a law or joint resolution, the bill voids the specific noncompliant provisions. For example, this includes appropriation provisions that are outside of the relevant subcommittee's jurisdiction. 

Additionally, a person (individual or entity) who is aggrieved by the enforcement, or the attempted enforcement, of a law that passed without complying with this bill's requirements may sue the United States for appropriate relief.

Bill 119 s 59, also known as the "Single Subject Act," aims to put an end to the common practice of including multiple unrelated subjects in a single bill. The bill proposes that each piece of legislation passed by Congress should be limited to addressing only one subject. This is intended to promote transparency and accountability in the legislative process, as well as to prevent the inclusion of unrelated provisions that may not receive proper scrutiny.

The main goal of the bill is to ensure that lawmakers and the public are able to clearly understand and evaluate the contents of each bill without having to sift through unrelated provisions. By requiring bills to be limited to a single subject, the hope is that legislation will be more focused and effective in addressing specific issues.

In addition to promoting clarity and accountability, the Single Subject Act also aims to prevent the practice of "logrolling," where unrelated provisions are bundled together in order to secure enough votes for passage. This practice has been criticized for allowing lawmakers to sneak through controversial or unpopular measures by attaching them to more popular legislation. Overall, Bill 119 s 59 seeks to improve the legislative process by promoting transparency, accountability, and focus in the crafting of legislation. It remains to be seen how this proposed change would impact the way Congress operates and the effectiveness of the laws that are passed.
Congress
119
Number
S - 59
Introduced on
2025-01-09
# Amendments
0
Sponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

1/9/2025
Text
PDF
XML

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

One Subject at a Time Act

This bill requires each bill or joint resolution to include no more than one subject and the subject to be clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title.

Further, an appropriations bill may not contain any general legislation or change to existing law that is not germane to the subject of such bill.

The bill voids an entire law or joint resolution that has a title which addresses two or more unrelated subjects. For noncompliant provisions of a law or joint resolution, the bill voids the specific noncompliant provisions. For example, this includes appropriation provisions that are outside of the relevant subcommittee's jurisdiction. 

Additionally, a person (individual or entity) who is aggrieved by the enforcement, or the attempted enforcement, of a law that passed without complying with this bill's requirements may sue the United States for appropriate relief.

Bill 119 s 59, also known as the "Single Subject Act," aims to put an end to the common practice of including multiple unrelated subjects in a single bill. The bill proposes that each piece of legislation passed by Congress should be limited to addressing only one subject. This is intended to promote transparency and accountability in the legislative process, as well as to prevent the inclusion of unrelated provisions that may not receive proper scrutiny.

The main goal of the bill is to ensure that lawmakers and the public are able to clearly understand and evaluate the contents of each bill without having to sift through unrelated provisions. By requiring bills to be limited to a single subject, the hope is that legislation will be more focused and effective in addressing specific issues.

In addition to promoting clarity and accountability, the Single Subject Act also aims to prevent the practice of "logrolling," where unrelated provisions are bundled together in order to secure enough votes for passage. This practice has been criticized for allowing lawmakers to sneak through controversial or unpopular measures by attaching them to more popular legislation. Overall, Bill 119 s 59 seeks to improve the legislative process by promoting transparency, accountability, and focus in the crafting of legislation. It remains to be seen how this proposed change would impact the way Congress operates and the effectiveness of the laws that are passed.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA 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.

Comments

Related

Member:  
Rand Paul
Committee:  
Rules and Administration

Recent Activity

Latest Summary3/11/2025

One Subject at a Time Act

This bill requires each bill or joint resolution to include no more than one subject and the subject to be clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title.

Further, an appropriation...

Latest Action1/9/2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.