,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bgig  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #i1 #bjbe,ms4 
,stevens introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish
 a commission to study and develop      
proposals for expanding the ,house of   
,representatives1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,house ,expansion   
,commission ,act4  #b4 ,findings        
,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,for
 nearly a century1 the number of members
 of the ,house of ,representatives has  
been set at the #aibi cap of #dce       
members4  7#b7 ,the number of           
constituents represented by each member 
of the ,house of ,representatives has   
dramatically increased since the number 
of members of the ,house of             
,representatives was arbitrarily capped 
in #aibi4  7#c7 ,the #aibi cap on the   
number of members of the ,house of      
,representatives was instituted when the

 ,united ,states population was #abc    
million4 ,since then1 the ,united       
,states population has tripled to about 
#cdf million which means the average    
congressional district now represents   
nearly #hjj1jjj constituents1 according 
to data from the ,bureau of the ,census4
  7#d7 ,with current population growth  
estimates1 the average congressional    
district could have approximately       
#hbi1jjj constituents by #bjej4  7#e7 ,a
 growing movement in ,congress1 and in  
think tanks1 seeks to increase the      
number of members of the ,house of      
,representatives to increase public     
access to members1 improve diversity1   
and enhance ,member ability to serve    
their constituents4  7#f7               
,representative ,earl ,blumenauer       
7,d-,ore47 introduced ,house bill #fbb1 
the ,restoring ,equal and ,accountable  
,legislators in the ,house ,act1 in the 
,one ,hundred ,eighteenth ,congress1    
which would add #aej seats to the ,house
 of ,representatives1 increasing it to  

#ehe members4  #c4 ,establishment ,there
 is established a commission to be known
 as the ,u4,s4 ,house of                
,representatives ,expansion ,commission 
7in this ,act referred to as the        
,commission74  #d4 ,duties of commission
  7a7 ,study ,the ,commission shall     
study-- 7#a7 the current size of the    
membership of the ,house of             
,representatives considering-- 7,a7 the 
correlation between the current size of 
the ,house and fair representation and  
efficacy2 and  7,b7 whether an expanded 
,house of ,representatives can better   
serve ,congress' core ,article #a       
function2  7#b7 the option of a one-time
 expansion compared to the feasibility  
of recurring expansions2  7#c7 the so   
called ,cube ,root ,law1 ,wyoming ,rule1
 and other relevant methods to increase 
the size of the ,house of               
,representatives2  7#d7 the cost        
implications and practical challenges to
 the ,house of ,representatives         
associated with expanding the number of 

members of the ,house of                
,representatives including the logistics
 for-- 7,a7 offices and meeting spaces2 
7,b7 congressional support entities2    
7,c7 hiring congressional staff2  7,d7  
voting by members of the ,house of      
,representatives2  7,e7 ,house          
administration offices2 and  7,f7       
funding2  7#e7 how countries with       
similar legislative structures expanded 
their legislative bodies and the        
outcomes of such expansions2  7#f7 the  
historical context of the last time the 
number of members of the ,house of      
,representatives was changed and key    
motivations behind the amendments made  
by 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;a72  7#g7 whether an      
expanded ,house of ,representatives can 
better exercise the powers vested in    
,article ,i of the ,constitution2  7#h7 

how expanding the number of members of  
the ,house of ,representatives may      
affect district size variance across    
,states and impact underrepresented     
constituencies2 and  7#i7 the potential 
effects of an expanded ,house of        
,representative on the ability of the   
,house to enact laws4  7b7 ,consultation
 ,in conducting the study under         
subsection 7a71 the ,commission shall   
consult with the ,architect of the      
,capitol1 the ,administrator of ,general
 ,services1 the ,sergeant at ,arms of   
the ,house of ,representatives1 the     
,chief ,administrative ,officer of the  
,house of ,representatives1 the ,clerk  
of the ,house of ,representatives1 and  
such other persons as the ,commission   
considers appropriate4  7c7 ,report and 
proposals ,not later than #b years after
 the first meeting of the ,commission1  
the ,commission shall submit to the     
,president and to the ,congress a report
 of the study of the ,commission1 and   
shall include in the report proposals   

based on such study for-- 7#a7 expanding
 the size of the membership of the      
,house of ,representatives2  7#b7       
potential ways to expand the ,house of  
,representatives to bolster the key role
 of the ,house of ,representatives in   
representing the ,american people in    
,congress2 and  7#c7 solutions to any   
identified challenges that may arise    
from such expansion4  #e4 ,membership   
7a7 ,number and appointment ,the        
,commission shall be composed of #ac    
members who are not ,members of         
,congress at the time of appointment1   
and who shall be appointed not later    
than #ij days after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 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 #a individual1  
appointed by the majority leader of the 
,senate1 who previously served in the   
,house of ,representatives4  7#d7 #a    

individual1 appointed by the minority   
leader of the ,senate1 who previously   
served in the ,house of                 
,representatives4  7#e7 #a member       
appointed by the ,speaker of the ,house 
of ,representatives and the minority    
leader of the ,house of ,representatives
 to serve as ,chairperson of the        
,commission4  7b7 ,terms  7#a7 ,in      
general ,each member shall be appointed 
for the life of the ,commission4  7#b7  
,vacancies ,a vacancy in the ,commission
 shall be filled in the manner in which 
the original appointment was made4  7#c7
 ,priority ,in making appointments under
 this section1 the appointing           
authorities shall seek to appoint       
individuals who are particularly        
qualified to perform the functions of   
the ,commission1 by reason of either    
practical experience or academic        
expertise in politics1 government1      
mathematics1 or statistics4  7c7 ,basic 
pay  7#a7 ,rates of pay ,except as      
provided in paragraph 7#b71 ,members    

shall serve without pay4  7#b7 ,travel  
expenses ,each member 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  7d7 ,quorum #g members  
of the ,commission shall constitute a   
quorum1 but a lesser number may hold    
hearings4  7e7 ,meetings ,the           
,commission shall meet at the call of   
the ,chairperson or a majority of its   
members4  #f4 ,personnel of ,commission 
7a7 ,director ,the ,commission shall    
have a ,director who shall be appointed 
by a majority vote of the ,commission4  
,to the extent or in the amounts        
provided in advance in appropriation    
,acts1 the ,director shall be paid at a 
rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay
 for level ,,iv of the ,executive       
,schedule4  7b7 ,staff ,the ,director1  
with the approval of the ,commission1   
and the ,commission may appoint such    
personnel as may be necessary to enable 

the ,commission to carry 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    
subsection may exceed-- 7#a7 the        
equivalent of that payable to a person  
occupying a position at level ,,iv of   
the ,executive ,schedule1 in the case of
 an employee appointed by the ,director2
 and  7#b7 the equivalent of that       
payable to a person occupying a position
 at level ,v of the ,executive          
,schedule1 in the case of an employee   
appointed by the ,commission4  7c7      
,experts and consultants ,with the      
approval of the ,commission1 the        
,director may procure temporary and     
intermittent services under section     
#caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  

,code4  7d7 ,detail of government       
employees ,upon the request of the      
,commission1 the head of any ,federal   
agency may detail1 without              
reimbursement1 any of the personnel of  
such agency to the ,commission to assist
 in carrying out the duties of the      
,commission4 ,any such detail shall not 
interrupt or otherwise affect the civil 
service status or privileges of the     
personnel4  #g4 ,powers of ,commission  
7a7 ,hearings and sessions ,the         
,commission may1 for the purpose of     
carrying out this ,act1 hold hearings1  
sit and act at times and places1 take   
testimony1 and receive evidence as the  
,commission considers appropriate4  7b7 
,powers of members and groups of members
 ,any member or group of members may1 if
 authorized by the ,commission1 take any
 action which the ,commission is        
authorized to take by this section4  7c7
 ,obtaining official data ,the          
,commission may secure directly from any
 ,federal agency information necessary  

to enable it to carry out its duties1 if
 the information may be disclosed under 
section #eeb of title #e1 ,united       
,states ,code4 ,upon request of the     
,chairperson of the ,commission1 the    
head of such agency shall furnish such  
information to the ,commission4  7d7    
,administrative support services ,upon  
the request of the ,commission1 the     
,administrator of ,general ,services    
shall provide to the ,commission1 on a  
reimbursable basis1 the administrative  
support services necessary for the      
,commission to carry out its            
responsibilities under this ,act4  7e7  
,volunteer services ,notwithstanding    
#acdb of title #ca1 ,united ,states     
,code1 the ,commission may accept and   
use voluntary and uncompensated services
 as the ,commission determines          
necessary4  7f7 ,postal service ,the    
,commission may use the ,united ,states 
mails in the same manner and under the  
same conditions as departments and      
agencies of the ,united ,states4  7g7   

,contract authority ,the ,commission may
 enter into contracts for the           
acquisition of administrative supplies  
and equipment for use by the            
,commission1 to the extent that funds   
are available for such purpose4  #h4    
,termination ,the ,commission shall     
terminate #ij days after submitting the 
report under section #d7;c74  #i4       
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated such   
sums as may be necessary to carry out   
this ,act4