Abstract
In response to recent high-profile instances of rushed legislation, a political movement has formed to urge legislators to read bills before voting on them. In this Article, I argue that legislators have a duty to read the text of proposed legislation before voting to enact it. Putting aside partisan concerns, a rushed legislative process creates real problems because it forces legislators to vote on bills without having time to properly evaluate the new legal rules that are being imposed on citizens. If a rule or norm of reading the bill can slow the legislative process enough to provide for thorough consideration of proposed legislation, it will bring a substantial benefit in the form of better laws. The rule will also draw the attention of legislators to their primary, fundamental role ofmaking good law.
Recommended Citation
Hanah Metchis Volokh,
Read-the-Bill Rule for Congress, A,
76 Mo. L. Rev.
(2011)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/mlr/vol76/iss1/5