Ordered Reported

A measure is ordered reported when a full committee votes to approve it and formally sends it to its parent chamber, the House or Senate, with a recommendation. The committee then files a written report explaining the measure’s purpose, findings, and estimated costs. A measure must be ordered reported before it can be scheduled for floor consideration in most cases.

Example: After a markup session, a committee that votes to approve a bill and send it to the House floor has ‘ordered it reported,’ and a committee report is filed alongside it.

Common misconception: Ordering a bill reported does not mean it has passed. It only means the committee has finished with it and the full chamber can now consider it, and most reported bills are never enacted.

Sources: https://www.congress.gov/help/legislative-glossary