A GERMANE AMENDMENT

• An amendment must be germane to the particular paragraph or section to which it is offered.

• An amendment adding a new section to the bill must be germane to the portion of the bill to which it is offered. Thus, if offered to title II of the bill, it must be germane to title II (and not necessarily germane just to the preceding section).

• Germaneness is determined based on the portion of the bill that has been read at the time the amendment is offered; an amendment that may be germane at the end of the reading of the bill may not be germane earlier. Thus, if the bill is being read for amendment by title, a new section must be germane to that particular title; but if the bill is considered as read and open to amendment at any point, the amendment need only be germane to the bill as a whole and not to a particular title.

• In a multi-title bill, an amendment adding a new title must be germane to the bill as a whole.

• An amendment must be germane to the bill in its current form. In other words, it must be germane to the bill as modified by amendments previously adopted.

  Second degree and substitute amendments:

  • A second degree amendment must be germane to the first degree amendment.

  • A substitute for a pending amendment must be germane to the amendment, not the underlying text.

• Instructions in a motion to recommit must be germane to the subject matter of the bill as a whole, even though the instructions do not propose a direct amendment to the bill.