[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1989 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1989

 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

                             April 28, 2005

   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 Representatives and the method by 
                       which Members are elected.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Congress 2008 Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``Congress 
2008 Commission'' (hereafter in this Act referred 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 requirement for the 
        institution to carry out its responsibilities in an effective 
        manner under the challenges of the new century;
            (2) examine alternatives to the current method by which 
        Representatives are elected (including cumulative 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 dissolution of 
        adherence to the platforms and candidates 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 Ninth 
        Congress, submit to the President and the Congress a report of 
        the work of the Commission, together with a draft of 
        legislation (including technical 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 17 
members as follows:
            (1) 3 members appointed by the President.
            (2) 10 members appointed by the House of Representatives, 
        of whom 5 shall be appointed by the Speaker and 5 shall be 
        appointed by the Minority Leader.
            (3) 4 members appointed by the Senate, of whom 2 shall be 
        appointed by the Majority Leader and 2 shall be appointed by 
        the Minority Leader.
    (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 Commission, other than a 
full-time officer or employee of the United States--
            (1) shall be paid the daily equivalent of the annual rate 
        of basic pay payable for level V of the Executive 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 applicable provisions 
        under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code.
    (e) Quorum.--9 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 Commission, 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 
appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid without regard 
to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of 
that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, 
except that an individual 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 approval of the Commission, 
the Chairman may procure temporary 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 purpose of carrying out 
this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take 
testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers 
appropriate.
    (b) Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the Commission may, 
if authorized by the Commission, take any action which the Commission 
is authorized to take by this section.
    (c) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as departments and agencies 
of the United States.
    (d) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$5,000,000, to remain available until expended.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist on the last day of the month in 
which its report is submitted under section 3.
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