Implementation
Progress on 116th and 117th Congress Recommendations
Through a series of hearings, listening sessions with staff, and other forums, the Modernization Committee developed and passed 97 recommendations in the 116th Congress, and 45 so far in the 117th Congress.
Over 75 percent (74 of 97) of the Modernization Committee’s recommendations adopted in the 116th Congress have been implemented or have seen meaningful action (i.e., Partially Implemented, In Progress). Of those 74 recommendations, 27 recommendations have been fully implemented and 15 are nearing full implementation.
This report includes detailed descriptions and the implementation statuses of Modernization Committee recommendations from the 116th Congress.
How does the Modernization Committee define recommendation status?
Implemented: Actions that address recommendations are complete.
Partially Implemented: Portions of the recommendation have been implemented.
In Progress: Actions that address the recommendation are underway or the Committee is actively pursuing identified paths towards implementation.
Open: Committee Staff is researching and developing avenues for implementation.
Continued Progress
The Modernization Committee is one of the only congressional reform entities that has worked to hold itself accountable and ensure that its recommendations are monitored and implemented during the Committee's tenure. The Modernization Committee is also the first reform committee in recent history to introduce and pass legislation to implement its recommendations while the Committee is still standing.
Since passage of H.Res. 756 in March 2020, the Modernization Committee has continued to pursue multiple avenues for implementation of its recommendations including legislative actions and advocacy at the committee and leadership level, along with institutional support offices.
Moving forward, the Committee will continue to track recommendations and advocate for implementation of recommendations passed in the 117th Congress.
The Modernization Committee's Progress on Improving
Staff Retention, Diversity, and Recruitment
In order to fulfill its
full Article I responsibilities, Congress must take steps to retain its
talented, experienced, and diverse workforce. Providing staff with the tools
necessary to succeed in their roles will allow members and their offices to be more
effective in serving their districts in Congress.
Below are some detailed examples of implemented recommendations that will work to increase Congressional capacity.
In August 2021, the Chief Administrative Office (CAO) launched a central House of Representatives Human Resources Hub to provide congressional offices with best practices, tips, and templates for hiring, developing, managing, and retaining a diverse and talented workforce.
This centralization of information aims to increase the ability for staff to understand the range of benefits and support available to them. In addition, the Hub aims to streamline the management and hiring process within congressional offices.
Making the Office of Diversity and Inclusion permanent (Rec. #7).
In the 116th Congress, the House Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI) was established to foster diversity among House Offices to better reflect the diversity of the American people. ODI was later made permanent in the 117th Rules Package.
Specifically, ODI and CAO conduct the House Compensation and Diversity survey every Congress; ODI directs and guides House employing offices to recruit, hire, train, develop, advance, promote, and retain a diverse workforce.
Regularly surveying staff on improving pay and benefits (Rec. #10).
The CAO now regularly conducts surveys to capture critical information surrounding staff pay, benefits, and diversity. Better understanding this data allows CAO to gauge problems within the institution and track progress.
The CAO has successfully carried out these surveys in 2019 and 2021 and has plans to conduct similar surveys regularly. Information from these surveys will allow the House to make informed and more routine benefit adjustments to improve retention on the Hill.
Decoupling Staff and Member Pay (Rec. #70).
On August 12, 2021, Speaker Pelosi announced that the House would adopt the Modernization Committee’s recommendation to raise the maximum pay rate for House staff, decoupling it from member pay.
The implemented recommendation will promote the retention and recruitment of a highly talented and diverse staff, as well as ensuring a competitive pay rate comparable to the rest of the federal workforce.
Additional recommendations adopted
by the Modernization Committee that will help increase staff retention include
establishing a nonbinding, voluntary pay band system for House staff and
helping provide more assistance for congressional staff enrolled in the federal
student loan program. A full list of implemented recommendations can be found in
table 1 at the link of the bottom of this page.
The Modernization Committee's Progress on Fostering Civil, Bipartisan Governance in the House
The rise of partisan gridlock has undermined Congress’ ability to create meaningful policy solutions for the American People. The Modernization Committee regularly heard concerns surrounding the partisan nature of new member orientation through hearings and roundtable discussions in the 116th Congress. The Modernization Committee advanced a series of recommendations to instill the importance of civility and allow new members to get to know colleagues from across the political spectrum.
While the Modernization Committee continues to hold hearings addressing these issues in the 117th Congress, several previous recommendations on the subject have already been implemented:
Offering a nonpartisan new member orientation (Rec. #12).
Following the recommendations of the Modernization Committee, members elect and staff participated in more than 20 bipartisan New Member Orientation (NMO) briefings and events ahead of the 117th Congress.
These briefings and events aimed to foster collaborative partnerships between new members, rather than reinforcing party divisions through a partisan NMO.
Promoting civility during New Member Orientation (Rec. #14).
In addition to holding bipartisan briefings and events, the 117th Congress NMO program included a session on decorum and bipartisanship facilitated by Modernization Committee Chair Derek Kilmer, former Modernization Committee Vice-Chair Tom Graves, and additional guest speakers. By emphasizing these norms early on, the Modernization Committee is aiming to help change partisan culture in Congress.
The Modernization Committee's Progress on Promoting Transparency, Access to Information, and Accessibility for Disabled Americans
The People’s House should be accessible and transparent for every American. That includes ensuring constituents have more direct access to public information about the work of their representatives, the progress of legislation, as well as internship and job postings in Congress.
The Modernization Committee has advanced several recommendations to ensure that information is easily found and accessible. Below are several implemented recommendations that aim to help secure this goal.
Improving access to congressional websites for individuals with disabilities (Rec. #27).
In 2019, the CAO started undergoing efforts to ensure that House websites are fully accessible and compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Complying with these regulations helps ensure that disabled Americans can access and use House websites without obstacles.
Prior to the 117th Congress, the CAO developed a new 508 compliant platform that they utilized for new member sites. They also developed a plan to continue monitoring compliant sites and train House staff to ensure newly compliant sites remain accessible.
The CAO continues to access existing House websites and take steps
to ensure full Section 508 compliance. Additional information can be found in
CAO’s website accessibility
report.
Consolidate the regulations governing member office communications, including digital communications, into one easy to find place (Rec. #39).
The House Communications Standard Commission (previously referred to as the Franking Commission) is a bipartisan commission that works to help offices use official communications resources to share important and factual information with constituents.
Following the Modernization Committee’s recommendation, the House Communications Standards Commission released updated standards that took effect on January 7th, 2020 to ensure the information regarding official communications was more transparent and accessible. The new guidelines modernize mass communication by including digital communications rules, improving transparency, and allowing offices to interact with their constituents on a more efficient timeline.
The updated manual can be found here.
Additional recommendations adopted by the Committee that aim to help increase Americans’ access to the People’s House include increasing opportunities for representatives to communicate with their constituents and creating crisis communication guidelines for constituents during long periods of telework. A full list of implemented recommendations can be found in table 1 at the link at the bottom of this page.
The Modernization Committee's Progress on Budget and Appropriations Reforms
One of Congress’ most
important responsibilities is the power of the purse. To fully reclaim its
Article I responsibilities and reduce dysfunction in the annual budgeting
process, the bipartisan members of the Modernization Committee recommended
implementing new Community Funding Projects that would allow members of
Congress to advocate for district-specific projects requested by the
communities themselves. The suggested program was grounded in community input,
bipartisan support, and unprecedented transparency – and led to the establishment
of the House Appropriation Committee’s Community Project Funding program. (Rec. #85).
Reduce dysfunction in the annual budgeting process through the establishment of a congressionally-directed program that calls for transparency and accountability, and that supports meaningful and transformative investments in local communities across the United States. The program will harness the authority of Congress under Article I of the Constitution to appropriate federal dollars.
This fully implemented recommendation established a congressionally-directed program that strengthens transparency and supports community investments across the United States. The Community Project Funding program aims to facilitate community and member input in the appropriations process, and to help ensure that federal funding is allocated to address the most important community needs.
See the status of fully implemented and partially implemented recommendations from the 116th and 117th Congress HERE.