Congress Commission Act
This bill establishes the Congressional Commission to Strengthen Representative Democracy, which must examine and make recommendations relating to changing the membership size of the House of Representatives and the method of electing Representatives.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8587 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8587
To establish a commission to make recommendations on the appropriate
size of membership of the House of Representatives and the method by
which Members are elected.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 13, 2020
Mr. Hastings (for himself, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Phillips,
and Mr. Carson of Indiana) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a commission to make recommendations on the appropriate
size of membership of the House of Representatives and the method by
which Members are elected.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Congress Commission Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the
``Congressional Commission to Strengthen Representative Democracy''
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall--
(1) analyze the current size of the membership of the House
of Representatives considering the requirement for the
institution to carry out its responsibilities in an effective
manner;
(2) examine alternatives to the current method by which
Representatives are elected (including ranked choice voting,
cumulative voting, and other forms of proportional
representation) to determine if such alternatives would make
the House of Representatives a more representative body and
include more citizens in the electoral process;
(3) examine the use of gerrymandering in the creation of
single-member districts;
(4) to the extent necessary, formulate proposals for
changes in the size of the membership of, and the method of
electing Representatives to, the House of Representatives; and
(5) not later than the end of the One Hundred Seventeenth
Congress, submit to the President and the Congress a report of
the work of the Commission, together with a draft of
legislation (including technical and conforming provisions) to
implement the proposals referred to in paragraph (5).
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 15
members as follows:
(1) Five members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Five members appointed by the minority leader of the
House of Representatives.
(3) Two members appointed by the majority leader of the
Senate.
(4) Two members appointed by the minority leader of the
Senate.
(5) One member appointed by the other 14 members to serve
as Chairman of the Commission, by a vote in which at least 9
members approve of the appointment, including at least 1 member
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 1
member appointed by the minority leader of the House of
Representatives, 1 member appointed by the majority leader of
the Senate, and 1 member appointed by the minority leader of
the Senate.
(b) Qualifications.--In making appointments under this section, the
appointing authorities shall make a special effort to appoint
individuals who are particularly qualified to perform the functions of
the Commission, by reason of either practical experience or academic
expertise in politics or government.
(c) Terms and Vacancies.--Each member shall be appointed for the
life of the Commission. A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in
the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(d) Pay and Travel.--Each member of the Commission, other than a
full-time officer or employee of the United States--
(1) shall be paid the daily equivalent of the annual rate
of basic pay payable for level V of the Executive Schedule for
each day (including travel time) during which the member is
engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the
Commission; and
(2) shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in
lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code.
(e) Quorum.--Eight members of the Commission shall constitute a
quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
(f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chairman or a majority of its members.
SEC. 5. STAFF.
(a) In General.--With the approval of the Commission, the Chairman
may appoint and fix the pay of not more than six individuals for the
staff of the Commission. Such individuals may be appointed without
regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing
appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid without regard
to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of
that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates,
except that an individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of
the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-15 of the
General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) Experts and Consultants.--With the approval of the Commission,
the Chairman may procure temporary and intermittent services in the
manner prescribed in section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code,
but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the
maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-15 of the General
Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.
(c) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Commission, the
head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable
basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the
Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.
SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings.--The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out
this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take
testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers
appropriate.
(b) Subpoena Power.--
(1) In general.--The Commission may issue subpoenas
requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the
production of any evidence relating to any matter considered by
the Commission in carrying out this Act. The attendance of
witnesses and the production of evidence may be required from
any place within the United States at any designated place of
hearing within the United States.
(2) Failure to obey a subpoena.--If a person refuses to
obey a subpoena issued under paragraph (1), the Commission may
apply to a United States district court for an order requiring
that person to appear before the Commission to give testimony,
produce evidence, or both, relating to the matter involved. The
application may be made within the judicial district where the
hearing is conducted or where that person is found, resides, or
transacts business. Any failure to obey the order of the court
may be punished by the court as civil contempt.
(3) Service of subpoenas.--The subpoenas of the Commission
shall be served in the manner provided for subpoenas issued by
a United States district court under the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure for the United States district courts.
(4) Service of process.--All process of any court to which
application is made under paragraph (2) may be served in the
judicial district in which the person required to be served
resides or may be found.
(c) Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the Commission may,
if authorized by the Commission, take any action which the Commission
is authorized to take by this section.
(d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the
same manner and under the same conditions as departments and agencies
of the United States.
(e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities
under this Act.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$5,000,000, to remain available until expended.
SEC. 8. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall terminate on the last day of the month in
which the Commission submits the report required under section 3.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E965)
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