Opening the People’s House Resolution

Bill Number

H.Res. 865

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Congress

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-11-07: Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Last Updated

2025-12-10T09:05:56Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The "Opening the People's House Resolution" (H. Res. 865) aims to amend the Rules of the House of Representatives to create a formal process allowing Members of Congress to end certain scheduled breaks—known as district work periods—early if there is strong support among them. This is intended to increase the House's flexibility in responding to urgent legislative needs and make its operations more responsive to collective Member input.

Key Provisions

• Submission of Letters: During a district work period (a scheduled time when the House is not in session for Members to attend to district duties), any Member can submit a letter to the Clerk of the House requesting an end to the period.
• Public Record and Accessibility: The Clerk must make these letters public by publishing the names of submitting Members in a designated section of the Congressional Record. Cumulative lists of names are made available daily for public inspection in a House office and in electronic form for House offices and the public.
• Majority Threshold for Termination: If letters are submitted by a majority of the House's membership (at least 218 of the 435 Members, assuming all are duly chosen and sworn), the following occurs:
• The action is formally recorded in the House Journal and Congressional Record.
• The district work period ends within 2 days.
• The Speaker is prohibited from scheduling another district work period for 3 weeks after the House reconvenes.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This resolution amends Clause 13 of Rule I of the House Rules by adding a new paragraph (d). Previously, district work periods were designated solely by the Speaker without a built-in mechanism for Members to collectively end them early or impose a cooldown period on rescheduling. This introduces a democratic check on the Speaker's scheduling authority, empowering individual and majority Member action to override or limit such breaks.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Minimal direct impact, but could indirectly affect federal agencies by potentially leading to more frequent House sessions, accelerating legislative processes like bill approvals or oversight hearings.
• On Citizens: Enhances public transparency through accessible records of Member actions, potentially increasing accountability and allowing constituents to see when their representatives push for resuming work. It may result in more timely responses to national issues during what would otherwise be recesses.
• On International Relations: Negligible direct effects, though quicker House reconvenings could speed up foreign policy-related legislation, such as aid packages or treaty approvals.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• House Members: Primary beneficiaries, as they gain a tool to influence the legislative calendar collectively, potentially overriding the Speaker's decisions.
• Speaker of the House: Loses some unilateral control over scheduling district work periods, subject to majority override and a mandatory 3-week restriction post-termination.
• Clerk of the House: Gains administrative duties to handle, record, and publicize Member letters.
• Public and Constituents: Indirectly affected through greater access to information on House activities and possible faster legislative action on public concerns.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: As an internal rule change, it complies with House procedures for amending its own rules, requiring only a House vote for adoption. It does not alter statutory law but could influence how House rules interact with broader federal processes.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which grants each chamber authority to determine its own rules (Section 5). No apparent conflicts with separation of powers or other constitutional provisions.
• Political: Introduces a mechanism for bipartisan or cross-party coalitions to force earlier returns to session, potentially reducing perceptions of congressional gridlock or excessive breaks. It may heighten internal House dynamics, pressuring the Speaker and majority party leadership, and could be seen as a tool for the minority party to challenge scheduling during politically sensitive times.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]

Cosponsors (17)

Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25], Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]

Recent Actions

• 2025-11-07: Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
• 2025-11-07: Submitted in House
• 2025-11-07: Submitted in House

Bill Versions

• Opening the People’s House Resolution — issued 2025-11-07 — PDF (3 pages)