IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 756 
Implementing the recommendations adopted by the Select Committee on the 
Modernization of Congress. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2019 
Mr. KILMER (for himself, Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. ROD-
NEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. WOODALL, Ms. DELBENE, 
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. POCAN, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Ms. SCANLON, 
and Mr. TIMMONS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Com-
mittees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Judiciary, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Implementing the recommendations adopted by the Select 
Committee on the Modernization of Congress. 
Resolved, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This resolution may be cited as 
the ‘‘Moving Our Democracy and Congressional Oper-
ations Towards Modernization Resolution’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this resolution is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—STREAMLINING AND REORGANIZING HUMAN 
RESOURCES 
Sec. 101. Centralized human resources program. 
Sec. 102. Reports on operation of Office of Diversity and Inclusion. 
Sec. 103. Examining feasibility of updating staff payroll system. 
Sec. 104. Examining feasibility of adjusting the statutory limitation on number 
of employees of Member offices. 
TITLE II—IMPROVING ORIENTATION FOR MEMBERS-ELECT AND 
PROVIDING IMPROVED CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNI-
TIES FOR MEMBERS 
Sec. 201. Plan for providing pay and benefits to staff of new Members-elect. 
Sec. 202. Improving the orientation experience of new Members. 
Sec. 203. Exploring the feasibility of establishing a Congressional Leadership 
Academy. 
Sec. 204. Requiring annual cybersecurity training for Members and employees. 
TITLE III—MODERNIZING AND REVITALIZING TECHNOLOGY 
Sec. 301. Reforming House Information Resources. 
Sec. 302. Providing technologies to improve constituent engagement. 
Sec. 303. Streamlined approval process for outside technology vendors. 
Sec. 304. Enabling Member offices to beta test new technologies. 
Sec. 305. Creating single point of contact between House offices and HIR. 
Sec. 306. Improving Member feedback regarding outside vendors and HIR serv-
ices. 
Sec. 307. Leveraging bulk purchasing power of the House. 
Sec. 308. Requiring Congressional Research Service to provide rapid response 
short fact sheets. 
Sec. 309. Establishing nonpartisan constituent engagement and services page 
on HouseNet. 
TITLE IV—MAKING THE HOUSE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL 
Sec. 401. Ensuring accessibility of House websites. 
Sec. 402. Close captioning of proceedings; captioning service for videos created 
by House offices. 
Sec. 403. Comprehensive review of accessibility of United States Capitol Build-
ings and Grounds. 
TITLE V—IMPROVING ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS AND 
PUBLICATIONS 
Sec. 501. Adopting standardized format for legislative documents. 
Sec. 502. Legislation comparison project. 
Sec. 503. Database of information on expiration of authorizations of programs. 
Sec. 504. Database of votes taken in committees. 
Sec. 505. Assignment of unique identifiers for reports filed by registered lobby-
ists. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this resolution, the following definitions apply: 
(1) The term ‘‘Chief Administrative Officer’’ 
means the Chief Administrative Officer of the House 
of Representatives. 
(2) The term ‘‘Clerk’’ means the Clerk of the 
House of Representatives. 
(3) The term ‘‘HIR’’ means the Office of House 
Information Resources. 
(4) The term ‘‘Member’’ means a Member of 
the House of Representatives and a Delegate or 
Resident Commissioner to the Congress. 
TITLE 
I—STREAMLINING 
AND 
REORGANIZING HUMAN RE-
SOURCES 
SEC. 101. CENTRALIZED HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
OPERATION
OF
PRO-
GRAM.—In order to improve recruitment and retention of 
a diverse workforce, develop best human resources prac-
tices, and take steps to improve competitive compensation 
and benefits for employees, the Chief Administrative Offi-
cer shall establish and operate a centralized human re-
sources program to assist Member, committee, and leader-
ship office staff. 
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(b) FEATURES OF PROGRAM.—The program estab-
lished under this section shall provide the following serv-
ices: 
(1) Developing a centralized repository of prac-
tices collected from internal and external sources 
that have proven to be successful in hiring, pro-
moting, and managing staff, updated from time to 
time. 
(2) Improving diversity recruitment by imple-
menting and promoting best practices for actively 
seeking out candidates of various backgrounds, expe-
riences, and talents, including through outreach to 
under-represented colleges and universities, commu-
nity colleges, historically Black colleges and univer-
sities, and organizations for individuals with disabil-
ities, and compiling a list of such candidates into the 
House re´sume´ portal. 
(3) Reevaluating current Member, committee, 
and leadership office employee benefits (including 
the evaluation of the capacity and costs of the 
House child care center and student loan repayment 
program) and submitting to the Committee on 
House Administration on a regular and ongoing 
basis recommendations for additions or improve-
ments to such benefits which will improve recruit-
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ment and retention, exploring options such as 
telework, flex schedules, returnship programs, and 
sabbaticals. 
(4) Conducting a biennial staff survey as well 
as offering an optional exit survey to Member, com-
mittee, and leadership office staff. 
(5) Making improvements to the House re´sume´ 
bank, including making such bank into a user- 
friendly, searchable portal through which Member, 
committee, and leadership offices can select a range 
of criteria to narrow down the candidate pool, and 
including ways to promote and publicize the exist-
ence and availability of such bank to internal and 
external users. 
(6) Improving and managing the House Va-
cancy Announcement and Placement Service. 
(7) Providing Members-elect with information 
on the full range of services offered to their staff in 
an easily understandable and organized format im-
mediately following the certification of their election 
results. 
(c) OPERATION OF PROGRAM.— 
(1) STAFF.—The Chief Administrative Officer 
shall designate a Deputy Chief Human Resources 
Officer who shall be responsible for the operation of 
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the program established under this section, using ex-
isting staff and resources of the Office of the Chief 
Administrative Officer. 
(2) LOCATION; AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES ON-
LINE.—The program shall be located in a physical 
location which is easily accessible to the offices using 
the resources of the program, and shall provide an 
online portal through which offices may obtain these 
services. 
(d) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Ad-
ministration may issue regulations and take any other 
steps as may be required to carry out this section. 
SEC. 102. REPORTS ON OPERATION OF OFFICE OF DIVER-
SITY AND INCLUSION. 
In accordance with House Resolution 6, One Hun-
dred Sixteenth Congress, the Office of Diversity and Inclu-
sion of the House of Representatives shall submit the fol-
lowing plans and reports: 
(1) Not later than 60 days after the appoint-
ment of the Director of the Office, the Office shall 
submit to the Committee on House Administration 
an operational plan for the Office that shall include, 
consistent with applicable House rules, regulations, 
and law, a plan for appointing and establishing du-
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ties for staff of the Office which shall set forth a 
proposed maximum number of staff. 
(2) Not later than 90 days after submitting the 
operational plan under paragraph (1), the Office 
shall submit a diversity plan to the Committee on 
House Administration for the Committee’s review 
and approval, and shall include in the plan the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Policies to direct and guide House em-
ploying offices to recruit, hire, train, develop, 
advance, promote, and retain a diverse work-
force, consistent with applicable House rules, 
regulations, and law. 
(B) The development of a survey, in con-
sultation with the Committee on House Admin-
istration, to evaluate diversity in House employ-
ing offices. 
(C) A framework for the annual diversity 
report required under paragraph (3). 
(D) A proposal for the composition of an 
Advisory Council that shall, as necessary, in-
form the work of the Office. 
(E) Any additional components as deter-
mined by the Committee on House Administra-
tion. 
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(3) At the end of each session of Congress, the 
Office shall submit a House of Representatives di-
versity report to the Speaker, the majority leader 
and minority leader, the chair and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on House Administration, 
and the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch of the 
Committee on Appropriations. 
SEC. 103. EXAMINING FEASIBILITY OF UPDATING STAFF 
PAYROLL SYSTEM. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of adoption of this resolution, the Chief Adminis-
trative Officer and the Inspector General of the House of 
Representatives shall submit to the Committee on House 
Administration a report on the feasibility of updating the 
employee payroll system in order to address considerations 
of younger and lower-paid employees, as well as issues ex-
perienced generally by some employees regarding the cur-
rent monthly pay schedule. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) The results of any employee surveys regard-
ing the desirability of changing the employee payroll 
system or providing both a monthly or bimonthly 
system. 
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(2) An analysis of any costs associated with 
making changes to the current employee payroll sys-
tem, including providing additional options for the 
schedule of payments. 
(3) An analysis of any impediments or concerns 
with making any changes to the current staff payroll 
system. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Ad-
ministration may issue regulations to carry out any rec-
ommendations made in the report required under sub-
section (a) or take any other steps as may be required 
to carry out this section. 
SEC. 104. EXAMINING FEASIBILITY OF ADJUSTING THE 
STATUTORY LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF EM-
PLOYEES OF MEMBER OFFICES. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—The Chief Administrative Offi-
cer shall enter into a contract with an outside entity under 
which the entity shall work with the Chief Administrative 
Officer to prepare and submit a report examining the fea-
sibility of adjusting the statutory limitation established in 
1975 on the number of employees who may be employed 
in the office of a Member. 
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report described in 
subsection (a) shall include the following: 
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(1) Information regarding the size and demo-
graphic makeup of each congressional district, in-
cluding the number and coverage area of each dis-
trict office. 
(2) The average number of employees for each 
district office, including common tasks by position. 
(3) Recommendations regarding the optimal 
number of employees in both offices located in 
House office buildings and district offices to address 
common office workflows and constituent requests, 
including changes in technology that have occurred 
recently and are expected to occur in the near future 
that would have an effect on such number. 
(4) Recommendations regarding employee sala-
ries and costs, including recommendations for nec-
essary changes to the Members’ Representational Al-
lowance that would be necessary to carry out such 
recommendations. 
(c) DEADLINES.— 
(1) RECOMMENDATION OF CONTRACTORS.—Not 
later than 60 days after the date of adoption of this 
resolution, the Chief Administrative Officer shall 
identify for the Committee of House Administration 
a multiple number of entities who, in the judgement 
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