I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 415
To establish a commission to make recommendations on the appropriate 
size of membership of the House of Representatives and the method 
by which Members are elected. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2003
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida 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 Rep-
resentatives and the method by which Members are elect-
ed.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Congress 2006 Com-
mission Act’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established a commission to be known as the 
‘‘Congress 2006 Commission’’ (hereafter in this Act re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 
The Commission shall—
(1) analyze the current size of the membership 
of the House of Representatives considering the re-
quirement for the institution to carry out its respon-
sibilities in an effective manner under the challenges 
of the new century; 
(2) examine alternatives to the current method 
by which Representatives are elected (including cu-
mulative voting and proportional representation) to 
determine if such alternatives would make the House 
of Representatives a more representative body; 
(3) provide consideration to the continuing dis-
solution of adherence to the platforms and can-
didates of the Nation’s two major political parties as 
well as to the reduction in electoral participation by 
the citizenry; 
(4) consider whether alternative methods of 
electing House Members might include more citizens 
in the electoral process; 
(5) to the extent necessary, formulate proposals 
for changes in the size of the membership of, and
the method of electing Representatives to, the House 
of Representatives; and 
(6) not later than the end of the One Hundred 
Eighth Congress, submit to the President and the 
Congress a report of the work of the Commission, 
together with a draft of legislation (including tech-
nical and conforming provisions) to implement the 
proposals referred to in paragraph (5). 
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 
shall be composed of 15 members as follows: 
(1) Two members appointed by the President. 
(2) Ten members appointed by the House of 
Representatives, in the manner prescribed by the 
House of Representatives. 
(3) Three members appointed by the Senate, in 
the manner prescribed by the Senate. 
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—In making appointments 
under this section, the appointing authorities shall make 
a special effort to appoint individuals who are particularly 
qualified to perform the functions of the Commission, by 
reason of either practical experience or academic expertise 
in politics or government. 
(c) TERMS AND VACANCIES.—Each member shall be 
appointed for the life of the Commission. A vacancy in
the Commission shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made. 
(d) PAY AND TRAVEL.—Each member of the Com-
mission, other than a full-time officer or employee of the 
United States—
(1) shall be paid the daily equivalent of the an-
nual rate of basic pay payable for level V of the Ex-
ecutive Schedule for each day (including travel time) 
during which the member is engaged in the actual 
performance of duties vested in the Commission; and 
(2) shall receive travel expenses, including per 
diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sec-
tions 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code. 
(e) QUORUM.—Eight members of the Commission 
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold 
hearings. 
(f) CHAIRMAN.—The Chairman of the Commission 
shall be elected by the members. 
(g) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the 
call of the Chairman or a majority of its members. 
SEC. 5. STAFF. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—With the approval of the Commis-
sion, the Chairman may appoint and fix the pay of not 
more than six individuals for the staff of the Commission. 
Such individuals may be appointed without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing ap-
pointments in the competitive service, and may be paid 
without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and sub-
chapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classifica-
tion and General Schedule pay rates, except that an indi-
vidual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the 
maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS–
15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 
5, United States Code. 
(b) EXPERTS
AND CONSULTANTS.—With the ap-
proval of the Commission, the Chairman may procure tem-
porary and intermittent services in the manner prescribed 
in section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at 
rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of 
the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for grade 
GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 
5, United States Code. 
(c) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request 
of the Commission, the head of any Federal department 
or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the 
personnel of that department or agency to the Commission 
to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act. 
SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 
(a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur-
pose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act