HRES 20 · 119th CongressIn Committee

Establishing the Select Committee on Electoral Reform.

Latest updateJan 7, 2025

Submitted in House

Congress

Sponsor

Marie Perez

Introduced

January 7, 2025

Latest action

January 7, 2025

Legislative Progress

How far this bill has traveled through Congress

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

Congress currently operates under two major structural constraints established decades ago. The Uniform Congressional District Act of 1967 requires every state to elect House members exclusively from single-member districts—meaning each district sends one representative to Washington. The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 fixed the House at 435 members permanently, ending the historical practice of adding seats after each census as the nation's population grew. These rules shape how Americans vote and who gets elected, yet they remain largely unexamined in light of modern electoral alternatives that other democracies and some U.S. states have adopted.

This resolution establishes a Select Committee on Electoral Reform within the House of Representatives, composed of 14 members appointed by the Speaker and minority leader in equal numbers. The committee will examine current congressional election methods and evaluate alternatives—including multi-member districts with proportional representation, ranked-choice voting, open primaries, and independent redistricting commissions. The committee will conduct hearings with political scientists, current and former members of Congress, state and local officials who have implemented these reforms, and international officials from countries using alternative systems. The committee will also identify federal legal barriers to state experimentation with different electoral systems.

The Select Committee must hold its first meeting within 30 days of full membership and issue a final report to Congress and the President within one year, including recommendations it deems appropriate. The committee will operate under standard House committee rules but cannot take legislative action or pass bills—it functions as an investigative and advisory body only. Funding comes through interim House appropriations and existing House staff resources. After filing its final report, the committee automatically terminates 30 days later. The committee's work will not directly change election law but will provide Congress with analysis and recommendations for potential future electoral reforms.

Key Provisions

1Establishes a 14-member Select Committee on Electoral Reform with equal representation from both parties, led by co-chairs designated by the Speaker and minority leader.
2Directs the Select Committee to examine current congressional election methods and evaluate alternatives including proportional representation, ranked-choice voting, open primaries, and independent redistricting commissions.
3Requires the Select Committee to conduct hearings with political scientists, current and former members of Congress, state and local officials, and international experts who have experience with alternative electoral systems.
4Authorizes the Select Committee to identify federal legal barriers to state experimentation with alternative electoral systems, specifically including the Uniform Congressional District Act requirement for single-member districts.
5Requires the Select Committee to issue a final report to Congress and the President within one year with recommendations, after which the committee automatically terminates 30 days later.

★ Why this matters

The committee will produce the first comprehensive congressional examination of how electoral rules affect representation and governance. Its findings could inform future debates about whether Congress should modify the single-member district requirement, expand House membership, or adopt voting methods like ranked choice. The analysis of international and state-level reforms will provide Congress with evidence about how different systems function in practice, potentially shaping legislative proposals in subsequent years.

● Who this affects

House members and Senate members will receive the committee's recommendations and may use them to draft electoral reform legislation. State election officials and voters in states considering electoral reforms will benefit from the committee's analysis of how federal law constrains state experimentation. Political scientists and election reform advocates will gain a formal congressional platform to present research and recommendations. International observers and officials from countries using proportional representation or ranked-choice voting will participate in hearings, influencing how Congress understands these systems.

Bill Text

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<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 20

         Establishing the Select Committee on Electoral Reform.

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 2025

Ms. Perez (for herself and Mr. Golden of Maine) submitted the following 
        resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

                               RESOLUTION

 
         Establishing the Select Committee on Electoral Reform.

Whereas approval of Congress is unacceptably low, and this disapproval is in 
        part caused by the structure of Congress and how it is elected;
Whereas Americans are increasingly turning to electoral reform to improve their 
        experience of politics and elections, including by adopting proportional 
        representation, ranked choice voting, open primaries, and various 
        redistricting reform measures;
Whereas article I, section 4 of the Constitution of the United States gives 
        Congress the power to enact laws governing the time, place, and manner 
        of elections for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives;
Whereas the law commonly known as the Uniform Congressional District Act, passed 
        in 1967, requires every State to elect its delegation to the House of 
        Representatives exclusively from single-member districts; and
Whereas the law commonly known as the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 
        established that the House of Representatives would permanently have 435 
        representatives, a departure from the earlier practice of adding members 
        after each census to reflect the Nation's growing population: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is hereby established the Select Committee on Electoral 
Reform (hereafter referred to as the ``Select Committee'').

SEC. 2. COMPOSITION.

    (a) Appointment of Members.--The Speaker shall appoint 14 Members 
to the Select Committee, 7 of whom shall be appointed after 
consultation with the minority leader.
    (b) Designation of Co-Chairs.--The Speaker shall designate one 
Member to serve as co-chair of the Select Committee. The minority 
leader shall designate one member to serve as co-chair of the Select 
Committee.
    (c) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Select Committee shall be filled 
in the same manner as the original appointment.

SEC. 3. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--The duties of the Select Committee are the 
following:
            (1) To examine the current methods by which citizens of the 
        United States elect Members of Congress.
            (2) To examine alternatives to these methods to determine 
        how such alternatives would affect the responsiveness, 
        accountability, and functionality of Congress, including--
                    (A) adopting multi-member congressional districts 
                with proportional representation;
                    (B) adjusting the number of Members of the Hous…

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Where House representatives currently stand

Built from official statements, public releases, and voting records where they exist. Members without enough evidence are marked as no position.

448 tracked

Support

445

No Position

Oppose

Support

Members whose public record points toward backing the bill.

Jason Crow

D-Colorado · District 6

Likely support

Representative Crow's website prominently features 'Fighting Corruption' as a top issue and highlights his leadership on the DISCLOSE Act to 'Restore Transparency in Government' and his role in launching the 'End Corruption Caucus.' These policy priorities suggest alignment with electoral reform goals. However, there is no explicit statement about this specific Select Committee on Electoral Reform bill. As a Democrat from Colorado representing a swing district, Crow would likely support reform measures, but without direct evidence of his position on this particular bill, confidence remains moderate rather than high.

Establishing the Select Committee on Electoral Reform.

Legislative Progress

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Establishing the Select Committee on Electoral Reform.

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Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

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