I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 643 
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 Representa-
tives among the States accordingly, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 31, 2023 
Mr. CASTEN (for himself, Mr. BEYER, and Mr. BLUMENAUER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
House Administration, 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 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 Rep-
resentatives among the States accordingly, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Equal Voices Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Our Nation’s founders intended the House 
of Representatives to be the chamber closest to the 
American people: ‘‘the People’s House’’. 
(2) The number of Representatives in Congress 
has been 435 since 1911 when the U.S. population 
was 92,228,531 (1910 U.S. Census). The U.S. pop-
ulation has grown to more than three times that size 
to 331,449,281 in 2020 (2020 U.S. Census) while 
the size of the House has remained the same. 
(3) Our electorate has changed significantly 
since the size of the House last grew in 1911. Prior 
to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, the 
Civil Rights Act in 1957, and the Voting Rights Act 
in 1965, women and people of color faced barriers 
and in some cases, legal prohibitions, to voting. 
(4) When the cap on the size of the House was 
statutorily set in 1929, the average Member of the 
House represented approximately 280,000 people, 
compared to approximately 762,000 people in 2020. 
(5) Based on the 2020 Census, individuals in 
the State with the smallest population, Wyoming, 
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had 1.3x more relative representation compared to 
the national average district size. 
(6) Each Member of the House represents far 
more people on average than legislators in nearly all 
developed and developing democracies, and is an 
outlier among other member countries of the Orga-
nization for Economic Cooperation and Development 
(OECD), with nearly 3 times the citizen to rep-
resentative ratio as Japan, the country with next 
largest district size. 
(7) Representatives who serve fewer people are 
more likely to have contact with their constituents, 
receive higher marks for their constituent service, 
and better reflect the views of their districts. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON BASIS OF 
NUMBER OF CONSTITUENTS OF LEAST-POPU-
LOUS STATE. 
(a) METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF NUMBER.— 
Section 22(a) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for 
the fifteenth and subsequent decennial census and to pro-
vide for apportionment of Representatives in Congress’’, 
approved June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 2a(a)), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(a) On the first day’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(a)(1) On the first day’’; 
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(2) by striking ‘‘the then existing number of 
Representatives’’ and inserting ‘‘the number of Rep-
resentatives determined under paragraph (2)’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The number of Representatives determined 
under this paragraph is, with respect to a regular decen-
nial census of the population of the United States, a num-
ber equal to— 
‘‘(A) the whole number of persons in all States 
(as shown in the statement under paragraph (1)); 
divided by 
‘‘(B) the whole number of persons in the State 
with the smallest whole number of persons (as 
shown in such statement), 
rounded to the nearest whole odd number.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The first section 
and section 2 of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act For the appor-
tionment of Representatives in Congress among the sev-
eral States under the Thirteenth Census’’, approved Au-
gust 8, 1911 (2 U.S.C. 2 note), are repealed. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to the first regular 
decennial census conducted after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and each subsequent decennial census. 
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SEC. 3. COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND NUMBER OF MEM-
BERS OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN 
EVENT 
OF 
SIGNIFICANT 
POPULATION 
CHANGE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—If, with respect to a regular 
decennial census of the population of the United States, 
the number of Representatives determined under section 
22(a) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for the fif-
teenth and subsequent decennial census and to provide for 
apportionment of Representatives in Congress’’, approved 
June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 2a(a)), as amended by section 
2(a), is 15 percent greater or lesser than the number of 
Representatives determined under such section with re-
spect to the previous regular decennial census, there shall 
be established in Congress a commission to carry out the 
duties described in subsection (d) with respect to the ap-
portionment of Representatives resulting from that cen-
sus. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—A commission established 
under this section shall consist of 15 members ap-
pointed as follows: 
(A) 5 members appointed by the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives. 
(B) 5 members appointed by the minority 
leader of the House of Representatives. 
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(C) 2 members appointed by the majority 
leader of the Senate. 
(D) 2 members appointed by the minority 
leader of the Senate. 
(E) One member who shall serve as the 
Chair of the Commission, who shall be ap-
pointed by the vote of a majority of the other 
members, of whom— 
(i) at least 2 shall be members ap-
pointed by the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives; 
(ii) at least 2 shall be members ap-
pointed by the minority leader of the 
House of Representatives; 
(iii) at least one shall be one of the 
members appointed by the majority leader 
of the Senate; and 
(iv) at least one shall be one of the 
members appointed by the minority leader 
of the Senate. 
(2) DEADLINE
FOR
APPOINTMENT.—The ap-
pointing authorities under paragraph (1) shall ap-
point the members of the commission not later than 
30 days after the President transmits to Congress 
the statement showing the number of Representa-
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tives to which each State is entitled under section 
22(a) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for the 
fifteenth and subsequent decennial census and to 
provide for apportionment of Representatives in 
Congress’’, approved June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 
2a(a)), as amended by section 2(a). 
(3) QUALIFICATIONS.—In appointing members 
of the commission, the appointing authorities under 
paragraph (1) shall prioritize the appointment of in-
dividuals who are qualified to assess the appropriate 
number of Members of the House of Representatives 
because of their expertise or study of politics, gov-
ernment, and related fields, and their demonstrated 
ability to work in a nonpartisan manner. 
(4) VACANCY.—A vacancy in the commission 
shall be filled in the same manner as the original ap-
pointment was made. 
(5) COMPENSATION.—Members of the commis-
sion— 
(A) shall be paid the daily equivalent of 
the annual rate of basic pay payable for level V 
of the Executive Schedule for each day (includ-
ing travel time) during which the member is en-
gaged in the actual performance of duties vest-
ed in the commission; and 
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(B) shall receive travel expenses, including 
per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance 
with applicable provisions under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. 
(c) STAFF.— 
(1) AUTHORITY TO APPOINT STAFF.—The chair 
of the commission may appoint, prescribe the duties 
and responsibilities of, and fix the pay of such staff 
as the chair considers appropriate to assist the com-
mission in carrying out its duties, without regard to 
the provisions of title 5, United States Code, gov-
erning appointments in the competitive service, and 
without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to 
classification and General Schedule pay rates, except 
that no rate of pay fixed under this paragraph may 
exceed the rate of pay for a member of the commis-
sion. 
(2) EXPERTS
AND
CONSULTANTS.—Section 
202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 
(2 U.S.C. 4301(i)) shall apply with respect to the 
commission in the same manner as such section ap-
plies with respect to a standing committee of the 
Senate. 
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(d) DUTIES.—With respect to a regular decennial 
census, the commission shall carry out the following du-
ties: 
(1) Analyzing the shifts in population among 
the States. 
(2) Analyzing how the application of section 
22(a)(2) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for 
the fifteenth and subsequent decennial census and to 
provide for apportionment of Representatives in 
Congress’’, approved June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 
2a(a)(2)), as added by section 2(a), will affect the 
ability of the House of Representatives to carry out 
its responsibilities in an effective manner. 
(3) Recommending the optimal number of 
Members of the House and the optimal apportion-
ment of Members among the States, taking into ac-
count— 
(A) shifts in population among the States; 
(B) the need to reduce disparities in the 
size of congressional districts; and 
(C) the need to ensure that historically 
under 
represented 
populations 
are 
not 
disenfranchised. 
(e) POWERS.— 
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(1) HEARINGS
AND
OTHER
ACTIVITIES.—For 
the purpose of carrying out its duties, the commis-
sion may hold such hearings and undertake such 
other activities as the commission determines to be 
necessary to carry out its duties. 
(2) AUTHORITY
TO
USE
SUBPOENAS.—The 
commission may require by subpoena the attendance 
of such witnesses and the production of such books, 
papers, and documents, as it considers appropriate. 
(3) ACCESS
TO
LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH
SERV-
ICES.—The commission shall have access to the 
services of the Architect of the Capitol, the Govern-
ment Accountability Office, the Congressional Budg-
et Office, 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 Senate. 
(f) REPORT.—The commission shall submit a report 
to Congress containing its recommendations under sub-
section (d)(3) not later than 6 months after the publica-
tion of the regular decennial census of the population of 
the United States. 
(g) TERMINATION.—A commission established under 
this section shall terminate 30 days after submitting the 
report under subsection (f). 
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(h) 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 subse-
quent decennial census. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR PROVI-
SION OF ADDITIONAL SPACE, FACILITIES, 
PERSONNEL, 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 suc-
ceeding fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to pro-
vide for any additional space, facilities, personnel, and 
other resources for the House which may be required as 
the result of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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