Modernization & Innovation

Jurisdiction

Matters relating to modernization of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Branch, oversight of implementation of modernization initiatives, evaluation and advancement of new and emerging innovations to ensure that congressional modernization efforts are ongoing, and such other matters as may be referred to the subcommittee.

The Future of Congressional Modernization

The Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation was created at the beginning of the 118th Congress to implement recommendations made by the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and to advance new innovations. Over the course of the 118th and 119th congresses, the Subcommittee has successfully implemented or closed the vast majority of the Select Committee’s 202 bipartisan recommendations to improve how Congress works for the American People. Of the remaining open recommendations, 18 fall within the jurisdiction of other committees or require action by House leadership.

At the same time, the Subcommittee has pursued a broad range of new initiatives focused on more contemporary issues. AI, for example, was barely on the House’s radar during the Select Committee’s four-year tenure and today, it’s at the forefront of modernization efforts in the House. As new and emerging technologies continue to rapidly change the way people work and communicate, and as workplace issues like accessibility, staff recruitment and retention, employee benefits, systems administration, data management, procurement, and more continue to evolve, the House needs to stay current or risk falling behind.

As the end of the 119th Congress approaches, the Subcommittee has begun to explore what’s on the horizon for House modernization. Our goal is to think big and think creatively, then develop a set of bipartisan recommendations that will guide our work over the next few years. This longer-term effort will take place alongside the Subcommittee’s ongoing work to develop and implement modernization initiatives that target specific institutional challenges.

What We Are (and are not) Seeking

The Subcommittee is seeking actionable ideas to modernize how the House and/or the Legislative Branch works. In order to be considered, ideas must:

Include a description of the problem the idea seeks to solve
Include an implementation strategy or plan
Include a feasibility statement addressing anticipated cost (high/med/low), resources required, entities involved, likely vehicle (law, rule, internal policy change, etc.), and any potential risks (security, privacy, etc.)
Be bipartisan or non-partisan

The Subcommittee will not consider ideas that are:

Personnel-related grievances or facilities-related requests (new eateries, coffee shops, etc.)
Related to campaigns, elections, redistricting, and political advocacy
Outside of the Subcommittee’s jurisdictional scope (for example, budget and appropriations reform ideas)

How to Submit an Idea

The Subcommittee is interested in hearing from internal stakeholders including House Members, House staff, and Legislative Branch staff, as well as external stakeholders including civil society organizations, nonprofits, vendors, academics, think tanks, and technologists. Ideas can be submitted using this SUBMISSIONS LINK. Submissions sent by email, text, or phone will not be considered. An example of a submission can be seen here.

The window for submitting ideas opens August 3 and closes August 31. The Subcommittee will provide updates on submissions later this fall.

Recommendations Status

During the 116th and 117th congresses, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress passed 202 bipartisan recommendations to make Congress work better for the American people. The Committee on House Administration established the Subcommittee on Modernization at the beginning of the 118th Congress to implement the Select Committee’s recommendations and to develop and carry out additional modernization initiatives. The Subcommittee’s work in the 118th Congress is detailed in its final print. The Subcommittee’s jurisdiction expanded in the 119th Congress to include new, forward-looking initiatives to ensure that Congress is equipped to meet the evolving needs of the people it serves.