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concurrent resolution

n.
A resolution adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislature that does not have the force of law and does not require the signature of the chief executive.

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A concurrent resolution is a formal statement passed by both houses of the Congress, stating the opinion of Congress or permitting some action that does not require the President's approval. A concurrent resolution must pass both the House and Senate in the same language, but because it does not have the President's signature, it does not have the force of law. Instead, Congress uses concurrent resolutions (designated as H. Con. Res. or S. Con. Res.) for such housekeeping functions as creating joint committees, authorizing the printing of congressional documents, and setting the date for Congress to adjourn. Concurrent resolutions also express the sense, or opinion, of Congress on many matters of foreign and domestic policy.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

An action of Congress passed in the form of an enactment of one house, with the other house in agreement, which expresses the ideas of Congress on a particular subject.

A concurrent resolution does not have the legal impact of a joint resolution, which has the force of official legislative action. It is more commonly employed as a method of expressing an opinion on some question. Commendations to victorious sports teams and statespersons and petitions from state legislatures to Congress or the president are examples of concurrent resolutions.

A concurrent resolution is a resolution (a legislative measure) adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislature that lacks the force of law (is non-binding) and does not require the approval of the chief executive.

United States Congress

In the United States Congress, a concurrent resolution is a resolution passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate but is not presented to the President and does not have the force of law. In contrast, joint resolutions and bills are presented to the President and, once signed or approved over a veto, are enacted and have the force of law.

Concurrent resolutions are generally used to address the sentiments of both chambers or deal with issues or matters affecting both houses. Examples of concurrent resolutions include:

providing for a recess or adjournment of more than three days during the session of Congress (required by Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution, "Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.")
permitting the use of the Capitol rotunda, which is under the control of both Houses
providing for a joint session of Congress, normally to hear a message from the President, such as the State of the Union address
correcting the enrollment of a bill that has already passed both Houses
asking the President to return a bill that has been presented to him, before he has signed or vetoed the bill
launching the budget process
creating a temporary joint committee

Sometimes, before the Supreme Court of the United States ended the practice in its decision in Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha 462 U.S. 919 (1983), concurrent resolutions were used to override executive actions via a mechanism known as the legislative veto.

If both houses of Congress were to ever censure a President (which has never happened – both the House and Senate have done so individually, but so far never together) it would, according to parliamentary procedure, be a concurrent resolution, as a joint resolution requires the President's signature or veto and has the power of law. A concurrent resolution does not have the power of law nor require action by the executive to take force.

Concurrent resolutions originating in the Senate are abbreviated S.Con.Res. and those originating in the House are abbreviated H.Con.Res.

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