IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1573 

Establishing the Select Committee on Electoral Reform. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2024 

Ms. PEREZ (for herself and Mr. GOLDEN of Maine) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules 

RESOLUTION 

Establishing the Select Committee on Electoral Reform. 

Whereas approval of Congress is unacceptably low, and this 

disapproval is in part caused by the structure of Congress and how it is elected; 

Whereas Americans are increasingly turning to electoral reform to improve their experience of politics and elections, 

including by adopting proportional representation, ranked 

choice voting, open primaries, and various redistricting 

reform measures; 

Whereas article I, section 4 of the Constitution of the United 

States gives Congress the power to enact laws governing 

the time, place, and manner of elections for Senators and 

Members of the House of Representatives; 

Whereas the law commonly known as the Uniform Congressional District Act, passed in 1967, requires every State 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 1573 IH 

to elect its delegation to the House of Representatives exclusively from single-member districts; and 

Whereas the law commonly known as the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 established that the House of Representatives would permanently have 435 representatives, 

a departure from the earlier practice of adding members 

after each census to reflect the Nation’s growing population: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT. 

3 There is hereby established the Select Committee on 

4 Electoral Reform (hereafter referred to as the ‘‘Select 

5 Committee’’). 

6 SEC. 2. COMPOSITION. 

7 (a) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.—The Speaker shall 

8 appoint 14 Members to the Select Committee, 7 of whom 

9 shall be appointed after consultation with the minority 

10 leader. 

11 (b) DESIGNATION OF CO-CHAIRS.—The Speaker 

12 shall designate one Member to serve as co-chair of the Se13 lect Committee. The minority leader shall designate one 

14 member to serve as co-chair of the Select Committee. 

15 (c) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Select Com16 mittee shall be filled in the same manner as the original 

17 appointment. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 1573 IH 

1 SEC. 3. DUTIES. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The duties of the Select Com3 mittee are the following: 

4 (1) To examine the current methods by which 

5 citizens of the United States elect Members of Con6 gress. 

7 (2) To examine alternatives to these methods to 

8 determine how such alternatives would affect the re9 sponsiveness, accountability, and functionality of 

10 Congress, including— 

11 (A) adopting multi-member congressional 

12 districts with proportional representation; 

13 (B) adjusting the number of Members of 

14 the House of Representatives; 

15 (C) adopting alternative methods of voting, 

16 such as ranked-choice voting and cumulative 

17 voting, as well as changes to ballot design such 

18 as fusion voting, in which parties may nominate 

19 candidates also nominated by another party; 

20 (D) holding open and nonpartisan pri21 maries; and 

22 (E) establishing independent congressional 

23 redistricting commissions. 

24 (3) To conduct hearings to take testimony and 

25 receive evidence from witnesses selected for their rel26 evant expertise, including— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 1573 IH 

1 (A) political scientists; 

2 (B) current and former Members of Con3 gress; 

4 (C) officials from States and local govern5 ments that have previously adopted one or more 

6 of the alternative methods to be examined by 

7 the Select Committee; and 

8 (D) officials from countries which cur9 rently use one or more of the alternative meth10 ods to be examined by the Select Committee. 

11 (4) To examine Federal barriers to State ex12 perimentation with alternative electoral systems, in13 cluding the Act entitled ‘‘An Act for the relief of 

14 Doctor Ricardo Vallejo Samala and to provide for 

15 congressional redistricting’’, approved December 14, 

16 1967 (2 U.S.C. 2c), commonly known as the Uni17 form Congressional District Act, and its requirement 

18 that States use single-member districts. 

19 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the first 

20 meeting of the Select Committee, the Select Committee 

21 shall issue a final report to Congress and the President, 

22 and shall include in the report such recommendations as 

23 it considers appropriate. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HRES 1573 IH 

1 SEC. 4. MEETINGS. 

2 (a) MEETINGS.—The Select Committee shall hold its 

3 first meeting not later than 30 days after all of its mem4 bers have been appointed, and shall meet at the call of 

5 the co-chairs or a majority of its members. 

6 (b) QUORUM.—Twelve members of the Select Com7 mittee shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may 

8 hold hearings. 

9 SEC. 5. RULES AND PROCEDURES. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in 

11 this section, the Select Committee shall have the authori12 ties and responsibilities of, and shall be subject to the 

13 same limitations and restrictions as, a standing committee 

14 of the House, and shall be deemed a committee of the 

15 House for all purposes of law or rule. 

16 (b) APPLICABILITY OF GENERAL RULES FOR STAND17 ING COMMITTEES.—Rules X and XI of the Rules of the 

18 House of Representatives shall apply to the Select Com19 mittee except as follows: 

20 (1) Service on the Select Committee shall not 

21 count against the limitations in clause 5(b)(2) of 

22 rule X. 

23 (2) Clause 2(m)(1)(B) of rule XI, clause 

24 2(m)(3) of rule XI, and section 3(a) of House Reso25 lution 8, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, shall 

26 not apply to the Select Committee, but the Select 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•HRES 1573 IH 

1 Committee may recommend subpoenas and deposi2 tions and submit such recommendations to the rel3 evant standing committee. 

4 (3) Clause 2(d) of rule X shall not apply to the 

5 Select Committee. 

6 (c) NO LEGISLATIVE JURISDICTION.—The Select 

7 Committee shall not have legislative jurisdiction and shall 

8 have no authority to take legislative action on any bill or 

9 resolution. 

10 SEC. 6. FUNDING. 

11 To enable the Select Committee to carry out the pur12 poses of this resolution— 

13 (1) the Select Committee may use the services 

14 of staff of the House; and (2) 

15 (2) the Select Committee shall be eligible for in16 terim funding pursuant to clause 7 of rule X of the 

17 Rules of the House of Representatives. 

18 SEC. 7. TERMINATION. 

19 The Select Committee shall terminate 30 days after 

20 filing the final report under section 3. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS