HR 2797119th CongressIn Committee

House Expansion Commission Act

Introduced: Apr 9, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

House Bill 2797 would create the U.S. House of Representatives Expansion Commission, a 13-member, non–Congressional body charged with studying and proposing ways to expand the size of the House. The commission would examine whether expanding the House is fair, effective, and feasible, including whether to adopt a one-time expansion or ongoing expansions, and it would analyze various methods for determining a larger House (such as the Cube Root Law or the Wyoming Rule). It would also assess practical costs and logistics (offices, staff, voting, funding, and administration) and look at how other countries have handled expansions. The commission would report to the President and Congress within two years, with concrete proposals for expansion and steps to address identified challenges. The commission would terminate 90 days after delivering its report. The commission would be composed of 13 external appointees (not current members of Congress): five named by the Speaker, five by the House minority leader, and two former House members chosen by Senate leadership (one appointed by the Senate majority leader and one by the Senate minority leader). A joint appointment by the House Speaker and House minority leader would designate the chair. Members would generally serve for the life of the commission and would be unpaid, though they could receive travel reimbursement. The act authorizes broad powers for the commission (hearings, data requests, staff hiring, contracts, and support from federal agencies) and provides for administrative support and eventual termination after the two-year study and report.

Key Points

1Establishment of the U.S. House of Representatives Expansion Commission to study and propose expansion of the House, including whether to adopt one-time or recurring expansions and which methods to use to determine size.
2Required study topics include representation fairness and efficacy, costs and logistics of expansion (offices, staff, voting, administration, funding), and comparisons to other nations’ practices, along with consideration of historical context and potential effects on legislative ability.
3Possible expansion methods to evaluate: Cube Root Law, Wyoming Rule, and other relevant approaches for increasing House size.
4Timeline: the Commission must report to the President and Congress within 2 years after its first meeting, including proposals for expansion and solutions to anticipated challenges.
5Membership and appointment structure: 13 external members (not current Members of Congress) with 5 appointed by the Speaker, 5 by the House minority leader, 1 former House member appointed by the Senate majority leader, 1 former House member appointed by the Senate minority leader, and 1 chair jointly appointed by the Speaker and House minority leader.
6Pay and seating: members generally serve without pay but may be reimbursed for travel; staff and director can be hired with pay set at specified Executive Schedule levels; detailed staffing and general services provisions to support the commission.
7Authorities and resources: the commission may conduct hearings, obtain data from federal agencies, obtain support from the General Services Administration, accept volunteer services, use the U.S. Mail, and contract for services as needed.
8Termination: the commission terminates 90 days after delivering its mandated report.
9Funding: there is no dedicated funding in the bill; appropriations are open-ended “such sums as may be necessary” to carry out the Act.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- The American public and congressional constituencies could be affected indirectly by any resulting expansion in representation (e.g., district sizes, accessibility to Members, and potential shifts in constituent services).Secondary group/area affected- House operations and administration (offices, staff hiring, meeting space, voting logistics, and support infrastructure) would face planning needs and potential scaling if expansion moves beyond the Commission’s recommendations.- States and districts, because expanding the House would necessitate redistricting considerations and could influence how districts are drawn, sized, and represented, as well as how district size variance is managed.Additional impacts- Fiscal implications include costs for implementing expansion if pursued (office space, personnel, staff, and related Congressional support entities), though the bill itself does not provide dedicated funding.- Political and procedural ramifications: the process could become a focal point for debates about representation, fairness, and the balance of power among states and parties; any actual expansion would require further legislation and likely complex reapportionment and redistricting steps.- Legal/constitutional considerations: expansion would engage longstanding debates about House size and apportionment; while this bill creates a study commission, any subsequent move to expand would involve statutory changes and coordination with existing apportionment frameworks (and potentially constitutional or statutory limits depending on framing).

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