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”.
Restoring Equal and Accountable Legislators in the House Act
A BILL
To increase the number of Members of the House of Representatives, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Increase in number of Representatives
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—
in subsection (a), by striking “the then existing number of Representatives” and inserting “the applicable number of Representatives determined under subsection (d)”; and
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),
“(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.”
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
Study relating to expansion of number of Members—
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.
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.
Study prior to each subsequent reapportionment—
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.
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.
Effective date— This subsection shall apply with respect to the regular decennial census conducted for 2030 and each subsequent regular decennial census.