[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 622 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 622
To increase the number of Members of the House of Representatives, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 30, 2023
Mr. Blumenauer (for himself and Mr. Casten) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in
addition to the Committees on House Administration, and Transportation
and Infrastructure, 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 increase the number of Members of the House of Representatives, and
for other purposes.
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 ``Restoring Equal and Accountable
Legislators in the House Act'' or the ``REAL House Act''.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES.
(a) In General.--Section 22 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), is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``the then existing
number of Representatives'' and inserting ``the applicable
number of Representatives determined under subsection (d)'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Determination of Applicable Number of Representatives.--
``(1) Initial number for 2030 census.--In the case of the
regular decennial census conducted for 2030, the applicable
number of Representatives determined under this subsection is
585.
``(2) Number for subsequent censuses.--In the case of the
regular decennial census conducted for 2040 and each subsequent
regular decennial census, the applicable number of
Representatives determined under this subsection is the number
equal to the sum of--
``(A) the applicable number of Representatives
determined under this subsection for the previous
regular decennial census; and
``(B) the hold harmless number described in
paragraph (3),
rounded to the nearest odd number.
``(3) Hold harmless number.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the
term `hold harmless number' means, with respect to a
regular decennial census, the number of additional
Representatives which would be required to ensure that,
after the apportionment of the applicable number of
Representatives determined under this subsection for
that regular decennial census, the number of
Representatives received by each State would not be
fewer than the number of Representatives to which that
State was entitled under the statement required by
subsection (a) for the previous decennial census.
``(B) Limit.--The hold harmless number with respect
to a regular decennial census may not exceed 10.''.
(b) Effective Date.--Subject to subsection (c), the amendments made
by this section shall apply with respect to the regular decennial
census conducted for 2030 and each subsequent decennial census.
SEC. 3. STUDY OF FACILITY NEEDS AND LOGISTICAL ISSUES.
(a) Study Relating to Expansion of Number of Members.--
(1) Study.--The Architect of the Capitol, in consultation
with the Administrator of General Services and such other
persons as the Architect considers appropriate, shall conduct a
study of the facility needs and other logistical issues
involved in expanding the number of Members of the House of
Representatives as determined by the regular decennial census
conducted for 2030, as provided in this Act and the amendments
made by this Act.
(2) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2025, the
Architect of the Capitol shall submit a report to the Speaker
of the House of Representatives on the study conducted under
paragraph (1), and shall include in the report such
recommendations as the Architect considers appropriate.
(b) Study Prior to Each Subsequent Reapportionment.--
(1) Study.--After each regular decennial census, the
Architect of the Capitol, in consultation with the
Administrator of General Services and such other persons as the
Architect considers appropriate, shall conduct a study of the
facility needs and other logistical issues involved in setting
the number of Members of the House of Representatives, as
determined by such census, at the applicable number of
Representatives under section 22(d) 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(d)), as amended
by this Act.
(2) Report.--Not later than January 1 of the year
immediately preceding the first year of a Congress for which
the number of Representatives is set at the applicable number
of Representatives under section 22(d) of such Act, as
determined by the regular decennial census, the Architect of
the Capitol shall submit a report to the Speaker of the House
of Representatives on the study conducted under paragraph (1),
and shall include in the report such recommendations as the
Architect considers appropriate.
(3) Effective date.--This subsection shall apply with
respect to the regular decennial census conducted for 2030 and
each subsequent regular decennial census.
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