Overview
Title
An Act To amend the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 to authorize the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives to designate more than one of the attorneys of the Office of the Legislative Counsel as a Deputy Legislative Counsel, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
The bill allows the House of Representatives' lawyer team to have more than one "helper-in-charge" to make things run better, but it needs clearer rules to avoid confusion on who does what job.
Summary AI
H. R. 9487, titled the “House Office of Legislative Counsel Modernization Act,” seeks to update the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 by allowing the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives to appoint more than one Deputy Legislative Counsel from its pool of attorneys. The bill outlines that if multiple Deputy Legislative Counsels are appointed, the one to perform specific functions will be determined based on an order filed with the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the House. It also makes necessary changes to reflect this new structure by updating the relevant sections of the Act.
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AnalysisAI
The proposed legislation, titled the "House Office of Legislative Counsel Modernization Act," seeks to amend the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970. The main objective of the bill is to permit the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives to designate multiple Deputy Legislative Counsels within the Office of the Legislative Counsel. This adjustment aims to increase flexibility and potentially enhance the operational efficiency of the office.
General Summary of the Bill
The bill, identified as H. R. 9487, includes two primary sections. The first section simply provides the short title of the Act, which is "House Office of Legislative Counsel Modernization Act." The second section introduces the substantive changes by allowing more than one attorney to be designated as Deputy Legislative Counsel. It specifies that if multiple Deputy Legislative Counsels are appointed, a notice detailing the order in which the Deputies will perform the functions of the Legislative Counsel must be filed with key House leaders, namely the Speaker and the Minority Leader.
Summary of Significant Issues
There are several issues associated with this bill. The designation of multiple Deputy Legislative Counsels could lead to confusion regarding leadership duties. The roles of these Deputies, especially in decision-making situations, might become ambiguous. The system relies heavily on a notice filed with the Speaker and the Minority Leader, which may not be transparent or easily accessible for public or administrative scrutiny. Additionally, the bill does not specify detailed procedural guidelines for dividing responsibilities among multiple Deputies. This lack of clarity could result in inefficiencies within the office.
Potential Impacts on the Public
For the general public, the changes proposed by this bill may seem technical and bureaucratic. However, the efficiency and clarity of the legislative support offered by the Office of the Legislative Counsel can have broader implications. Clear and effective legislation drafting aids Congress in enacting laws that address public needs and challenges effectively. Therefore, any impact on the efficiency of this office could indirectly affect how well legislative processes function.
Stakeholder Impacts
The primary stakeholders affected by this bill are members and staff of the Office of the Legislative Counsel, as well as key leaders in the House of Representatives. The ability to designate multiple Deputies could enhance operational flexibility, allowing the office to manage workload and specialization more effectively. However, without clear guidelines on the division of responsibilities, it might also pose challenges in ensuring smooth and coordinated functioning. Legislative leaders will need to ensure that the implementation of these changes does not result in bureaucratic hurdles or inefficiencies.
In summary, while the bill aims to modernize and improve the flexibility of the legislative drafting process, it introduces some areas of concern, particularly regarding clarity and transparency in the roles and processes within the Office of the Legislative Counsel. Addressing these issues would be crucial to achieving the intended enhancements without introducing new operational challenges.
Issues
The designation of multiple Deputy Legislative Counsels may create ambiguity in leadership duties within the Office of the Legislative Counsel, especially in situations where decision-making is critical. This ambiguity could impact legislative processes and should be clearly addressed for transparency and efficiency. Refer to Section 2.
The process for determining which Deputy Legislative Counsel will perform the functions of the Legislative Counsel in the case of multiple appointees relies on a notice filed with the Speaker and Minority Leader. This process lacks transparency and accountability since it may not be immediately clear or publicly accessible. Refer to Section 2.
The amendment to allow the designation of more than one Deputy Legislative Counsel lacks detailed procedural guidelines on how responsibilities will be divided among them, which could lead to operational inefficiencies. This should be rectified to ensure the Legislative Counsel's office functions smoothly. Refer to Section 2.
The 'Short title' section only provides the name of the Act without offering any further clarification or insight into the purpose or scope, limiting understanding of the bill's intent. Refer to Section 1.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
This section states that the Act can be officially referred to as the “House Office of Legislative Counsel Modernization Act.”
2. Designation of multiple Deputy Legislative Counsels Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section updates the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 by allowing the Legislative Counsel to appoint multiple attorneys as Deputy Legislative Counsels. It specifies how responsibilities will be assigned if there is more than one Deputy, ensuring roles are clearly outlined in a notice to key House leaders.