Section 5

A. The House of Representatives

A.1. Qualifications and Term

To serve in the House, a Citizen must be at least twenty-five years old, have been a Citizen of the United States for at least seven years, and reside in the State and district they represent at the time of election. Representatives shall serve two-year terms, with each term beginning on January 1 of each odd-numbered year. A Representative must maintain their primary residence within their district for the duration of their term. A duly elected Representative shall serve out the remainder of their term regardless of changes to district boundaries. Redistricting maps shall take effect only at the next regularly scheduled national election.

A.2 Apportionment

The number of Representatives each State gets shall be based on its population, as counted in the decennial national census. Every State must have at least one Representative, unless Representation in the House has been suspended due to rejected district mapping.

The House must ensure there is sufficient space and technology for all Members to meet and work. If there isn’t, the House must build new assembly chambers as close as possible to the current Capitol building. If doing so, reasonable care should be given to the question of whether new assembly chambers should be built for the Senate, as well.

A.3. Territorial Representation

Each U.S. Territory shall elect one Representative to the House of Representatives. That Representative shall have full voting rights and the same powers and duties as all other Members.

Territories are not entitled to more than one Representative, and they do not receive any Senators unless they become a State as described in this Charter.

A.4. Tribal Representation

Tribal Citizens—defined as enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes—shall be represented in the House of Representatives by one voting Member for every five hundred thousand (500,000) Tribal Citizens, as certified by the federal decennial census. These Representatives shall be selected by an inter-Tribal council, the composition and procedures of which shall be determined by the Tribes themselves. Congress shall have no authority over the internal rules or selection methods of the council, except to confirm compliance with enrollment and population standards set forth in this Charter.

A.5. Elections and Vacancies

a. Electors

Representatives shall be elected by the eligible voters of their districts in free, fair, and secure elections.

b. Declaration of Candidacy

To declare candidacy, a Person must submit a petition signed by at least twenty thousand registered voters from that district, no later than one hundred twenty days before the next national election. A registered voter may sign petitions for more than one candidate.

c. Election Procedure

No nominating contests, party caucuses, or primary elections shall be used to determine eligibility for the ballot. All elections for the House of Representatives shall be conducted using ranked-choice voting.

d. Vacancy

If a seat becomes vacant, a special election shall be held in that district within one hundred eighty days, unless a regular national election is already scheduled within that time. No appointment may be used to fill a vacancy in the House.

A.6 Leadership Selection and Duties

At the start of each new Congress, the House of Representatives shall elect a Speaker and a Vice-Speaker. The Speaker is chosen first. To run for either role, a Representative must meet the rules for serving in the House and be eligible to serve as President or Vice President, in case they are ever needed in the line of succession. The House sets the procedures for the election, but the vote itself must be conducted by secret ballot.

The Speaker of the House presides over the House and sets the legislative agenda. They also assign committees and committee chairs. The Vice Speaker assists the Speaker and assumes their duties in their absence or if they are incapacitated.

A.7. House Procedures

The Members of the House shall set their own rules of procedure. No part of the rule-making process may rely on political party affiliation or structures. The procedures may be as simple or detailed as the Members desire, but the Parliamentarian will enforce the rules.

a. Legislative Procedure

Any Member of the House can introduce a bill. Once a bill is introduced, the full text must be made public right away.

No bill can be voted on until it has been public for at least seven days, unless the Speaker and Vice-Speaker both agree there is a real emergency.

All final votes must be recorded and shared with the public, along with a brief summary of the bill's provisions.

The House can set its own rules for debate and changes to bills, but no rule can block Members from seeing or suggesting changes to the full text.

b. Public Access and District Accountability

Each Representative must hold at least four public town halls or community meetings in their district every year. These meetings must be announced beforehand and open to everyone in the district.

Representatives must maintain an office in their district with staff who can answer questions, assist constituents with government services, and address public concerns.

Each Representative must also post their schedule, voting record, and any public statements online in a way that is easy for people to find and understand.

If a petition is submitted to a Representative’s district or Capitol office asking for the impeachment of a government official, and that petition clearly shows the signatures of at least 10% of the registered voters in that district, the Representative must file Articles of Impeachment based on the reason stated in the petition.

c. Impeachment Procedures

The appropriate House committee must first review all Articles of Impeachment unless they were triggered by a formal petition, judicial referral, or process outlined in this Charter.

A written summary of the committee’s findings must be made public before the full House votes. The full text of the Articles and vote records must also be published.

A simple majority of the full House is required to approve Articles of Impeachment.

d. Miscellaneous Provisions

The House may vote to expel one of its Members for serious misconduct, but only with a two-thirds vote of all current Members.

No Member of the House shall receive special treatment, privileges, or titles unavailable to others. All Members are equal under the rules.

The House may not create any rule or practice that goes against the text or purpose of this Charter.