A discharge petition is a procedural mechanism in the U.S. House of Representatives that can be used to force a floor vote on a bill.
November 17, 2025
high
procedural
Describes a House rule used to bring a bill to the floor without leadership approval.
In a full 435-member U.S. House of Representatives, a majority requires 218 signatures to succeed on a discharge petition.
high
procedural
Numeric threshold for a majority in a full House.
Changes to House rules can only be adopted at the start of a new Congress, and suspending House rules during a Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote in the House.
high
procedural
Constraints on when and how the House may alter its rules or suspend them midterm.
Since 1935, seven discharge petitions have been successfully converted into law.
high
statistical
Historical count of discharge petitions that resulted in enacted laws since 1935.