New Commission Launched to Study Expanding the House of Representatives, Report Due in 2 Years

This bill, the "House Expansion Commission Act," sets up a formal group to seriously study whether the U.S. House of Representatives needs more seats. Right now, the number is capped at 435 members, a limit that hasn't changed since 1929, even though the country's population has nearly tripled. The main goal here is to figure out if adding members could make Congress work better and ensure people feel fairly represented.

Digging into the Numbers: Why Look at Expansion?

The core issue driving this study, as laid out in Section 2, is the sheer number of people each Representative now speaks for – close to 800,000 on average, up from around 210,000 back when the 435 cap was set. The bill notes projections showing this could hit 829,000 per district by 2050. The commission established by Section 3 is tasked with exploring if this massive growth impacts how well Congress functions, if constituents feel heard, and if certain groups are underrepresented (Section 4).

The Study Group: Who's Involved and What's on the Agenda?

A 13-member commission will lead this effort, appointed within 90 days by House and Senate leadership from both parties (Section 5). Importantly, no current Members of Congress can be on it, and appointees should have backgrounds in areas like politics, government, or statistics. Their job, detailed in Section 4, involves a deep dive into:

• Feasibility: Can the House realistically be expanded? Should it be a one-time increase or happen regularly?
• Methods: They'll look at specific formulas like the "Cube Root Law" and "Wyoming Rule" for deciding how many new seats.
• Practicalities: What are the real-world costs and logistical hurdles? Think office space, staffing needs, administrative support, and how voting would work in a larger chamber.
• Impact: How might more members affect the legislative process, district size differences between states, and representation for diverse communities?
• Context: They'll also examine the history behind the 1929 cap and how other countries handle legislative expansion.

The commission has two years from its first meeting to consult experts (like the Architect of the Capitol and House administrators) and deliver a report with recommendations to the President and Congress.

Powers, People, and Price Tag

To get the job done, the commission has the authority to hold hearings, gather testimony, and request information from federal agencies (Section 7). It can hire a Director and staff, with some flexibility around standard federal hiring rules but still subject to pay caps (Section 6). While members don't get a salary (just travel expenses), the operation itself will require funding, authorized by Section 9 ("such sums as may be necessary"). The commission wraps up its work 90 days after submitting its final report (Section 8). This act essentially kicks off a detailed investigation, leaving the actual decision on whether—and how—to expand the House for later debate based on the commission's findings.