{
  "id": "RL31835",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL31835",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 101567,
      "date": "2003-10-20",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-08T14:36:01.510544",
      "title": "Reorganization of the House of Representatives: Modern Reform Efforts",
      "summary": "On January 7, 2003, the House created a Select Committee on Homeland Security. One of its\nresponsibilities is to conduct a \"thorough and complete study of the operation and implementation\nof the rules of the House, including Rule X, with respect to the issue of homeland security.\" The\nselect committee is required to submit its recommendations on possible changes to the Committee\non Rules not later than September 30, 2004.\n  Numerous official and unofficial reviews by Congress have been conducted in the past 60 years. \nThree joint committees, two select committees, two commissions, and party caucuses and\nconferences have studied various aspects of the House and its committee system. The contemporary\nsystem is primarily a product of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, which, among other\nthings, codified committee jurisdictions, streamlined the committee system, and instituted a\nprofessional committee staffing structure. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 opened\nCongress to public scrutiny, modified committee and floor procedures, and enhanced Congress's\nresearch and budget capabilities. The Committee Reform Amendments of 1974 (Bolling committee)\nrecommended major changes in House committee jurisdiction and referral procedures, although an\nalternative plan was adopted. The work of the Commission on Administrative Review (Obey\ncommission) and the Commission on Information and Facilities (Brooks commission) focused on\nthe administrative structure of the House. The Select Committee on Committees (Patterson\ncommittee) recommended modifications in House energy jurisdiction, committee assignment\nprocess, and committee procedures. The Joint Committee on the Organization of the Congress\naltered aspects of congressional organization and operations. Many decisions affecting committee\nand floor operations are within the purview of the respective party caucuses; they too have modified\nparty and House rules on several occasions since 1946.\n  This report discusses the reform efforts to reorganize the House committee system since the\n1940s. This report will be updated if events warrant.\n  For related information on congressional reorganization efforts, see  CRS Report RL32112(pdf) ,\n Reorganization of the Senate: Modern Reform Efforts , by Judy Schneider, Colton\nCampbell,\nChristopher M. Davis, and Betsy Palmer.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL31835",
          "sha1": "871c33a8137cba0d3cbe25f2337dd292f6b156e0",
          "filename": "files/20031020_RL31835_871c33a8137cba0d3cbe25f2337dd292f6b156e0.pdf",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20031020_RL31835_871c33a8137cba0d3cbe25f2337dd292f6b156e0.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law",
    "Economic Policy",
    "Foreign Affairs"
  ]
}