How Unanimous Consent Agreements Regulate Senate Floor Action (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised March 2, 2022 |
| Report Number |
RS20594 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Richard S. Beth, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The Senate often regulates consideration of a measure or other matter by means of a unanimous consent agreement (also called a "UC agreement" or "consent agreement"). A consent agreement typically regulates one or more of the following: (1) initiating consideration, (2) amendments, (3) time for debate, (4) motions, (5) concluding consideration, and (6) subsequent proceedings. Formerly, the Senate often entered into such an agreement before taking up a matter, and it typically covered all phases of consideration and followed a standard model. Today's agreements more often address only selected aspects, and many are reached only after consideration begins. As a result, consideration of some matters is regulated by several successive partial consent agreements or modifications of an initial one. For more information on legislative process, see http://www.crs.gov/¿products/¿guides/¿guidehome.shtml. On consent agreements generally, see CRS Report 98-225, Unanimous Consent Agreements in the Senate, by Walter J. Oleszek.
