I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4076

To establish a commission to make recommendations on the appropriate

size of membership of the House of Representatives and the method

by which Representatives are elected.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 12, 1996

Mr. WILLIAMS 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 Representatives

are elected.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Congress 2000 Com5 mission Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

2 There is established a commission to be known as the

3 ‘‘Congress 2000 Commission’’ (hereinafter in this Act re4 ferred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).

5 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

6 The Commission shall—

7 (1) analyze the current size of the membership

8 of the House of Representatives considering the re9 quirement for the institution to carry out its respon10 sibilities in an effective manner under the challenges

11 of the new century;

12 (2) examine alternatives to the current method

13 by which Representatives are elected (including cu14 mulative voting and proportional representation) to

15 determine if such alternatives would make the House

16 of Representatives a more representative body;

17 (3) provide consideration to the continuing dis18 solution of adherence to the platforms and can19 didates of the Nation’s two major political parties as

20 well as to the reduction in electoral participation by

21 the citizenry;

22 (4) consider whether alternative methods of

23 electing House Members might include more citizens

24 in the electoral process;

25 (5) to the extent necessary, formulate proposals

26 for changes in the size of the membership of, and
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1 the method of electing Representatives to, the House

2 of Representatives; and

3 (6) not later than the end of the One Hundred

4 Fifth Congress, submit to the President and the

5 Congress a report of the work of the Commission,

6 together with a draft of legislation (including tech7 nical and conforming provisions) to implement the

8 proposals referred to in paragraph (5).

9 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

10 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission

11 shall be composed of 15 members, as follows:

12 (1) Two members appointed by the President.

13 (2) Ten members appointed by the House of

14 Representatives, in the manner prescribed by the

15 House of Representatives.

16 (3) Three members appointed by the Senate, in

17 the manner prescribed by the Senate.

18 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.—In making appointments

19 under this section, the appointing authorities shall make

20 a special effort to appoint individuals who are particularly

21 qualified to perform the functions of the Commission, by

22 reason of either practical experience or academic expertise

23 in politics or government.

24 (c) TERMS AND VACANCIES.—Each member shall be

25 appointed for the life of the Commission. A vacancy in
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1 the Commission shall be filled in the manner in which the

2 original appointment was made.

3 (d) PAY AND TRAVEL.—Each member of the Com4 mission, other than a full-time officer or employee of the

5 United States—

6 (1) shall be paid the daily equivalent of the an7 nual rate of basic pay payable for level V of the Ex8 ecutive Schedule for each day (including travel time)

9 during which the member is engaged in the actual

10 performance of duties vested in the Commission; and

11 (2) shall receive travel expenses, including per

12 diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sec13 tions 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

14 (e) QUORUM.—Eight members of the Commission

15 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold

16 hearings.

17 (f) CHAIRMAN.—The Chairman of the Commission

18 shall be elected by the members.

19 (g) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the

20 call of the Chairman or a majority of its members.

21 SEC. 5. STAFF.

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—With the approval of the Commis23 sion, the Chairman may appoint and fix the pay of not

24 more than six individuals for the staff of the Commission.

25 Such individuals may be appointed without regard to the
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1 provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing ap2 pointments in the competitive service, and may be paid

3 without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and sub4 chapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classifica5 tion and General Schedule pay rates, except that an indi6 vidual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the

7 maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS–

8 15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title

9 5, United States Code.

10 (b) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—With the ap11 proval of the Commission, the Chairman may procure tem12 porary and intermittent services in the manner prescribed

13 in section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at

14 rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of

15 the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade

16 GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title

17 5, United States Code.

18 (c) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request

19 of the Commission, the head of any Federal department

20 or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the

21 personnel of that department or agency to the Commission

22 to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.

23 SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

24 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur25 pose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act
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1 at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence

2 as the Commission considers appropriate.

3 (b) MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any member or agent

4 of the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission,

5 take any action which the Commission is authorized to

6 take by this section.

7 (c) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United

8 States mails in the same manner and under the same con9 ditions as departments and agencies of the United States.

10 (d) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon

11 the request of the Commission, the Administrator of Gen12 eral Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reim13 bursable basis, the administrative support services nec14 essary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities

15 under this Act.

16 SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

17 The Commission shall cease to exist on the last day

18 of the month in which its report is submitted under section

19 3.

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