,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ca1        
#bjbc,mr4 ,casten 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,beyer1 and ,mr4 ,blumenauer7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was referred 
to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and
 in addition to the ,committees on      
,transportation and ,infrastructure1 and
 ,house ,administration1 for a period to
 be subsequently determined by the      
,speaker1 in each case for consideration
 of such provisions as fall within the  
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish the total      
number of ,representatives at a number  
that provides that the average number of
 constituents represented by a ,member  
from any ,state is equivalent to the    
number of constituents represented by   
the ,member from the least populous     
,state and to apportion ,representatives
 among the ,states accordingly1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title2      
findings  7a7 ,short title ,this ,act   

may be cited as the ,equal ,voices ,act4
  7b7 ,findings ,congress finds the     
following3 7#a7 ,our ,nation's founders 
intended the ,house of ,representatives 
to be the chamber closest to the        
,american people3 the ,people's ,house4 
7#b7 ,the number of ,representatives in 
,congress has been #dce since #aiaa when
 the ,u4,s4 population was #ib1bbh1eca  
7#aiaj ,u4,s4 ,census74 ,the ,u4,s4     
population has grown to more than three 
times that size to #cca1ddi1bha in #bjbj
 7#bjbj ,u4,s4 ,census7 while the size  
of the ,house has remained the same4    
7#c7 ,our electorate has changed        
significantly since the size of the     
,house last grew in #aiaa4 ,prior to the
 passage of the #aith ,amendment in     
#aibj1 the ,civil ,rights ,act in #aieg1
 and the ,voting ,rights ,act in #aife1 
women and people of color faced barriers
 and in some cases1 legal prohibitions1 
to voting4  7#d7 ,when the cap on the   
size of the ,house was statutorily set  
in #aibi1 the average ,member of the    

,house represented approximately        
#bhj1jjj people1 compared to            
approximately #gfb1jjj people in #bjbj4 
7#e7 ,based on the #bjbj ,census1       
individuals in the ,state with the      
smallest population1 ,wyoming1 had #a4cx
 more relative representation compared  
to the national average district size4  
7#f7 ,each ,member of the ,house        
represents far more people on average   
than legislators in nearly all developed
 and developing democracies1 and is an  
outlier among other member countries of 
the ,organization for ,economic         
,cooperation and ,development 7,,oecd71 
with nearly #c times the citizen to     
representative ratio as ,japan1 the     
country with next largest district size4
  7#g7 ,representatives who serve fewer 
people are more likely to have contact  
with their constituents1 receive higher 
marks for their constituent service1 and
 better reflect the views of their      
districts4  #b4 ,establishment of number
 of ,members of ,house of               

,representatives on basis of number of  
constituents of least-populous ,state   
7a7 ,method for determination of number 
,section #bb7;a7 of the ,act entitled   
,an ,act to provide for the fifteenth   
and subsequent decennial census and to  
provide for apportionment of            
,representatives in ,congress1 approved 
,june #ah1 #aibi 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #b;a7a771
 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking 7a7 ,on  
the first day and inserting 7a77#a7 ,on 
the first day2  7#b7 by striking the    
then existing number of ,representatives
 and inserting the number of            
,representatives determined under       
paragraph 7#b72 and  7#c7 by adding at  
the end the following new paragraph3    
7#b7 ,the number of ,representatives    
determined under this paragraph is1 with
 respect to a regular decennial census  
of the population of the ,united        
,states1 a number equal to-- 7,a7 the   
whole number of persons in all ,states  
7as shown in the statement under        
paragraph 7#a772 divided by  7,b7 the   

whole number of persons in the ,state   
with the smallest whole number of       
persons 7as shown in such statement71   
rounded to the nearest whole odd number4
  4  7b7 ,conforming amendment ,the     
first section and section #b of the ,act
 entitled ,an ,act ,for the             
apportionment of ,representatives in    
,congress among the several ,states     
under the ,thirteenth ,census1 approved 
,august #h1 #aiaa 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #b      
note71 are repealed4  7c7 ,effective    
date ,the amendments made by this       
section shall apply with respect to the 
first regular decennial census conducted
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act and each subsequent decennial     
census4  #c4 ,commission to recommend   
number of ,members of ,house of         
,representatives in event of significant
 population change  7a7 ,establishment  
,if1 with respect to a regular decennial
 census of the population of the ,united
 ,states1 the number of ,representatives
 determined under section #bb7;a7 of the

 ,act entitled ,an ,act to provide for  
the fifteenth and subsequent decennial  
census and to provide for apportionment 
of ,representatives in ,congress1       
approved ,june #ah1 #aibi 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 
#b;a7a771 as amended by section #b7;a71 
is #ae percent greater or lesser than   
the number of ,representatives          
determined under such section with      
respect to the previous regular         
decennial census1 there shall be        
established in ,congress a commission to
 carry out the duties described in      
subsection 7d7 with respect to the      
apportionment of ,representatives       
resulting from that census4  7b7        
,membership  7#a7 ,appointment ,a       
commission established under this       
section shall consist of #ae members    
appointed as follows3 7,a7 #e members   
appointed by the ,speaker of the ,house 
of ,representatives4  7,b7 #e members   
appointed by the minority leader of the 
,house of ,representatives4  7,c7 #b    
members appointed by the majority leader

 of the ,senate4  7,d7 #b members       
appointed by the minority leader of the 
,senate4  7,e7 ,one member who shall    
serve as the ,chair of the ,commission1 
who shall be appointed by the vote of a 
majority of the other members1 of whom--
 7i7 at least #b shall be members       
appointed by the ,speaker of the ,house 
of ,representatives2  7ii7 at least #b  
shall be members appointed by the       
minority leader of the ,house of        
,representatives2  7iii7 at least one   
shall be one of the members appointed by
 the majority leader of the ,senate2 and
  7iv7 at least one shall be one of the 
members appointed by the minority leader
 of the ,senate4  7#b7 ,deadline for    
appointment ,the appointing authorities 
under paragraph 7#a7 shall appoint the  
members of the commission not later than
 #cj days after the ,president transmits
 to ,congress the statement showing the 
number of ,representatives to which each
 ,state is entitled under section       
#bb7;a7 of the ,act entitled ,an ,act to

 provide for the fifteenth and          
subsequent decennial census and to      
provide for apportionment of            
,representatives in ,congress1 approved 
,june #ah1 #aibi 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #b;a7a771
 as amended by section #b7;a74  7#c7    
,qualifications ,in appointing members  
of the commission1 the appointing       
authorities under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
prioritize the appointment of           
individuals who are qualified to assess 
the appropriate number of ,members of   
the ,house of ,representatives because  
of their expertise or study of politics1
 government1 and related fields1 and    
their demonstrated ability to work in a 
nonpartisan manner4  7#d7 ,vacancy ,a   
vacancy in the commission shall be      
filled in the same manner as the        
original appointment was made4  7#e7    
,compensation ,members of the           
commission-- 7,a7 shall be paid the     
daily equivalent of the annual rate of  
basic pay payable for level ,v of the   
,executive ,schedule for each day       

7including travel time7 during which the
 member is engaged in the actual        
performance of duties vested in the     
commission2 and  7,b7 shall receive     
travel expenses1 including per diem in  
lieu of subsistence1 in accordance with 
applicable provisions under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code4  7c7 ,staff  7#a7        
,authority to appoint staff ,the chair  
of the commission may appoint1 prescribe
 the duties and responsibilities of1 and
 fix the pay of such staff as the chair 
considers appropriate to assist the     
commission in carrying out its duties1  
without regard to the provisions of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1        
governing appointments in the           
competitive service1 and without regard 
to the provisions of chapter #ea and    
subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of such 
title relating to classification and    
,general ,schedule pay rates1 except    
that no rate of pay fixed under this    
paragraph may exceed the rate of pay for

 a member of the commission4  7#b7      
,experts and consultants ,section       
#bjb7;i7 of the ,legislative            
,reorganization ,act of #aidf 7#b       
,u4,s4,c4 #dcja7;i77 shall apply with   
respect to the commission in the same   
manner as such section applies with     
respect to a standing committee of the  
,senate4  7d7 ,duties ,with respect to a
 regular decennial census1 the          
commission shall carry out the following
 duties3 7#a7 ,analyzing the shifts in  
population among the ,states4  7#b7     
,analyzing how the application of       
section #bb7;a77#b7 of the ,act entitled
 ,an ,act to provide for the fifteenth  
and subsequent decennial census and to  
provide for apportionment of            
,representatives in ,congress1 approved 
,june #ah1 #aibi 7#b ,u4,s4,c4          
#b;a7a77#b771 as added by section       
#b7;a71 will affect the ability of the  
,house of ,representatives to carry out 
its responsibilities in an effective    
manner4  7#c7 ,recommending the optimal 

number of ,members of the ,house and the
 optimal apportionment of ,members among
 the ,states1 taking into account-- 7,a7
 shifts in population among the ,states2
  7,b7 the need to reduce disparities in
 the size of congressional districts2   
and  7,c7 the need to ensure that       
historically under represented          
populations are not disenfranchised4    
7e7 ,powers  7#a7 ,hearings and other   
activities ,for the purpose of carrying 
out its duties1 the commission may hold 
such hearings and undertake such other  
activities as the commission determines 
to be necessary to carry out its duties4
  7#b7 ,authority to use subpoenas ,the 
commission may require by subpoena the  
attendance of such witnesses and the    
production of such books1 papers1 and   
documents1 as it considers appropriate4 
7#c7 ,access to legislative branch      
services ,the commission shall have     
access to the services of the ,architect
 of the ,capitol1 the ,government       
,accountability ,office1 the            

,congressional ,budget ,office1 and the 
,congressional ,research ,service in the
 same manner and under the same terms   
and conditions as any standing committee
 of the ,house of ,representatives or   
,senate4  7f7 ,report ,the commission   
shall submit a report to ,congress      
containing its recommendations under    
subsection 7d77#c7 not later than #f    
months after the publication of the     
regular decennial census of the         
population of the ,united ,states4  7g7 
,termination ,a commission established  
under this section shall terminate #cj  
days after submitting the report under  
subsection 7f74  7h7 ,effective date    
,this section shall apply with respect  
to the second regular decennial census  
conducted after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act and each         
subsequent decennial census4  #d4       
,authorization of appropriations for    
provision of additional space1          
facilities1 personnel1 and resources    
,there are authorized to be appropriated

 to the ,house of ,representatives and  
the ,architect of the ,capitol for the  
fiscal year in which this ,act is       
enacted and each succeeding fiscal year 
such sums as may be necessary to provide
 for any additional space1 facilities1  
personnel1 and other resources for the  
,house which may be required as the     
result of the enactment of this ,act4