{
  "id": "RL32112",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32112",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 104150,
      "date": "2003-10-15",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-08T14:36:19.429544",
      "title": "Reorganization of the Senate: Modern Reform Efforts",
      "summary": "Numerous reviews of the operations and structure of the Senate have been conducted in the past\n60\nyears. Three joint committees, two select committees, two commissions, one study group, one\nstanding committee, and party conferences have studied various aspects of the Senate and its\ncommittee system.\n  The contemporary Senate is primarily a product of two major laws and a significant overhaul\nof Senate Rules. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, among other things, codified\ncommittee jurisdictions, streamlined the committee system, and instituted a professional committee\nstaffing structure. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 opened Congress to public scrutiny,\nmodified committee and floor procedures, and enhanced Congress's research and budget capabilities. \nThe work of the Temporary Select Committee to Study the Senate Committee System (Stevenson\nCommittee) resulted in major changes in Senate committee jurisdiction.\n  Other overhaul efforts had a narrower scope or were disregarded at the time of the activity. The\nwork of the Commission on the Operation of the Senate (Culver Commission) focused on the\nadministrative structure of the Senate. The Study Group on Senate Practices and Procedures\n(Pearson-Ribicoff Study Group) issued a wide-ranging set of recommendations concerning Senate\nRules and procedures. The Temporary Select Committee to Study the Senate Committee System\n(Quayle Committee) addressed committee assignments. The Senate Committee on Rules and\nAdministration undertook a study to improve Senate operations, and subsequently reported a number\nof proposals on jurisdictional organization. The Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress\n(JCOC) recommended altering aspects of congressional organization and operations. \n  Changes in party conference rules and practices have also influenced the contemporary Senate.\n  This report discusses efforts to modify Senate operations and structure since the 1940s,\nincluding the origin and makeup of the various reform entities, their recommendations, and the\nconsequences of those recommendations for the Senate. This report will be updated as events\nwarrant.\n  For related information on congressional reorganization efforts, see  CRS Report RL31835(pdf) ,\n Reorganization of the House of Representatives: Modern Reform Efforts , by Judy\nSchneider,\nChristopher M. Davis, and Betsy Palmer.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law",
    "Economic Policy",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}