Sec. 201. Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
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There is hereby established a Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Select Committee ). The Select Committee shall be composed of 12 Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner appointed by the Speaker. The Speaker shall appoint members of the Select Committee as follows: At least 2 members from among Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner serving in their first term. At least 2 members from the Committee on Rules.
At least 2 members from the Committee on House Administration. Of the members of the Select Committee appointed pursuant to paragraph (1), 6 shall be appointed on the recommendation of the Minority Leader, including 1 member each as described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(C)of paragraph (2). The Speaker shall designate one member of the Select Committee as chair, and, upon recommendation of the Minority Leader, shall designate one member of the Select Committee as vice chair. A vacancy in the membership of the Select Committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The Select Committee shall not have legislative jurisdiction and shall have no authority to take legislative action on any bill or resolution. The sole authority of the Select Committee shall be to investigate, study, make findings, hold public hearings, and develop recommendations on modernizing Congress, including recommendations on— rules to promote a more modern and efficient Congress; procedures, including the schedule and calendar; policies to develop the next generation of leaders; staff recruitment, diversity, retention, and compensation and benefits; administrative efficiencies, including purchasing, travel, outside services, and shared administrative staff; technology and innovation; and the work of the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards. Except as specified in subparagraph (B), the Select Committee shall have the authorities and responsibilities of, and shall be subject to the same limitations and restrictions as, a standing committee of the House, and shall be deemed a committee of the House for all purposes of law or rule. Rules X and XI shall apply to the Select Committee where not inconsistent with this section. Service on the Select Committee shall not count against the limitations in clause 5(b)(2) of rule X. Clause 2(m)(1)(B) of rule XI, clause 2(m)(3) of rule XI, and section 103(a) of this resolution shall not apply to the Select Committee, but the Select Committee may recommend subpoenas and depositions and submit such recommendations to the relevant standing committee. Clause 2(d) of rule X shall not apply to the Select Committee. During the first session of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, the Select Committee shall hold a hearing at which it receives testimony from Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner on matters described in subsection (c). To enable the Select Committee to carry out the purposes of this section— the Select Committee may use the services of staff of the House; and the Select Committee shall be eligible for interim funding pursuant to clause 7 of rule X. Every 90 days, the Select Committee shall provide an interim status report on its activities to the Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Rules. Each interim status report must include transcripts of the Select Committee’s proceedings, itemized reporting of its expenditures, and a proposed plan for the next 90 days. The Select Committee may report to the House or any committee from time to time the results of its investigations and studies, together with such detailed findings and policy recommendations as it may deem advisable. The Select Committee may only submit any such report if the report receives the votes of not fewer than 2/3 of its members. At the conclusion of the first session of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, the Select Committee shall submit a final report to the House. The final report shall include the results of the Select Committee’s studies, detailed findings, and any policy recommendations as the select committee may deem advisable. The Select Committee may only submit the report if the report receives the votes of not fewer than 2/3 of its members. The Select Committee shall submit all policy recommendations included in the report to relevant standing committees. The Select Committee shall ensure that reports prepared in accordance with paragraphs
(2)and
(3)shall, upon completion, be made available to the general public in widely accessible formats not later than 30 calendar days following the date any such report is made available to the House or a committee, as applicable. The Select Committee shall terminate on February 1, 2020. Upon its termination, the records of the Select Committee shall be transferred to, and shall become part of, the records of such standing committees as the Speaker may designate.