Fair Representation Amendment

Plain English Breakdown

The official status shows the bill was referred to the House Committee on Rules, meaning it has not yet been adopted by the full House. Therefore, the six-month review period mentioned in Section 2(a) has not started.

Fair Representation Amendment

This resolution directs specific House committees to review laws under their control and recommend changes that remove excessive power held by executive branch agencies.

What This Bill Does

• Requires listed House committees to study the laws they oversee within six months of this resolution being adopted.
• Asks these committees to find ways to eliminate excessive Executive Branch discretion when applying current laws.
• Directs the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to collect all recommendations from other committees.
• Orders the creation of a new bill called the Article One Restoration Act based only on those collected recommendations.

Who It Names or Affects

• The House Committees listed in Section 2, including Agriculture, Armed Services, Judiciary, and Ways and Means.
• The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which must report the final legislation.
• Executive Branch agencies that currently apply laws with broad discretion.

Terms To Know

Excessive Executive Branch Discretion

When government agencies have too much freedom to decide how to use or enforce a law without clear rules from Congress, which this resolution aims to eliminate.

Jurisdiction

The specific area of laws and topics that a committee is responsible for reviewing.

Limits and Unknowns

• This resolution does not change any current laws until the new bill, Article One Restoration Act, passes both houses of Congress.
• The text defines 'excessive discretion' as something to be eliminated but does not list specific examples of what counts as excessive.

Official Summary Text

Fair Representation Amendment
This resolution directs specified House committees to conduct a comprehensive review of laws within their jurisdiction and to recommend changes to eliminate excessive executive branch discretion in the application of those laws. Thereafter, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform must report legislation containing all such recommendations with the short title
Article One Restoration Act
.
The requirement applies to the following House committees:
Agriculture
Armed Services
Budget
Education and Workforce
Energy and Commerce
Financial Services
Foreign Affairs
Judiciary
Natural Resources
Oversight and Government Reform
Science, Space, and Technology
Small Business
Transportation and Infrastructure
Veterans’ Affairs
Ways and Means
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Current Bill Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 11 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 11

Authorizing and directing certain authorizing committees to review laws
within their jurisdiction and submit to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform changes in such laws necessary to eliminate excessive
Executive Branch discretion in the application of those laws.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 3, 2025

Mr. Davidson submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Authorizing and directing certain authorizing committees to review laws
within their jurisdiction and submit to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform changes in such laws necessary to eliminate excessive
Executive Branch discretion in the application of those laws.

Resolved,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This resolution may be cited as the ``Fair Representation
Amendment''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING COMMITTEE ACTIONS.

(a) In General.--Within 6 months after the date of adoption of this
resolution, the committees listed in subsection (b) shall review laws
within their jurisdiction and submit to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform changes in those laws sufficient to eliminate
excessive Executive Branch discretion in the application of those laws.
(b) Committees Subject to Subsection (a).--The following committees
shall comply with subsection (a):
(1) Committee on Agriculture.
(2) Committee on Armed Services.
(3) Committee on the Budget.
(4) Committee on Energy and Commerce.
(5) Committee on Education and the Workforce.
(6) Committee on Financial Services.
(7) Committee on Foreign Affairs.
(8) Committee on the Judiciary.
(9) Committee on Natural Resources.
(10) Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
(11) Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
(12) Committee on Small Business.
(13) Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
(14) Committee on Veterans Affairs.
(15) Committee on Ways and Means.
(16) Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

SEC. 3. LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE.

Upon receiving all the recommendations made pursuant to section 1,
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform shall expeditiously
report legislation carrying out all such recommendations without any
substantive revision. The short title of this legislation shall be the
Article One Restoration Act.
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