The “eHopper”
Developed by: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
Used by: Authorized staff in personal offices in the U.S. House of Representatives
Public link: N/A
The eHopper facilitates the electronic submission of select legislative documents, including legislation and cosponsor forms, in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of the Clerk introduced the eHopper to provide Members an alternative method for submitting legislative documents, which, until the eHopper, required physical submission of printed copies to the Hopper, a wooden box on the House Floor.
The box, which is still used today, was first referenced as the “Hopper” in the Congressional Record by Rep. Thomas Lindsay Blanton [D, TX] in 1924.
One Weekend to Launch
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the House to change many procedures to minimize the need for its 441 Members and their staff to be physically present on the Capitol campus.
The first email version of the eHopper was developed over a single weekend in early April 2020 by more than 20 Clerk staff across four divisions: Legislative Computer Systems and the Offices of Legislative Operations, Communications, and Official Reporters. Clerk staff defined needs from Member and support offices, outlined optimal workflows, and designed procedures for electronic submissions, including the introduction of the Staff Authorization Form which Members use to authorize staff to submit documents electronically on their behalf.
[O]n April 6, [] Speaker Pelosi announced a new system for the digital submission of bills, co-sponsorships, and extension of remarks through an email system managed by the House Clerk, in partnership with the Parliamentarian. Within 48 hours, the system was operational, and by May 20, the digital submission of committee reports was also in place. – Congressional modernization jump-started by COVID-19
New and Improved
Over time, the Office of the Clerk upgraded the initial email-based system. Clerk staff met with staff from Member offices to understand specific needs, draft user stories, and design a new system tailored to unique legislative use cases. After several prototypes and extensive user testing with a pilot group, the Clerk’s Office launched a new and improved eHopper, available via a user-friendly website, to streamline the submission procedures both for staff submitting documents from Member offices and Clerk staff processing submissions.
Functionality
The updated eHopper is an online portal for submitting legislative documents that guides staff through step-by-step prompts.
Integrated tooltips and support documentation help staff save time and ensure accuracy. Like the physical Hopper, the eHopper only accepts submissions fifteen minutes before the House convenes, during the session, and until fifteen minutes after the House adjourns.
The eHopper provides detailed directions on how to properly submit PDF files for Constitutional Authority Statements, cosponsor forms, Staff Authorization Forms, and legislation. It also offers the option to generate a cosponsorship form directly within the application, utilizing a built-in pick-list feature to ensure accuracy in selecting representatives. Before submission, it also provides an opportunity to review attachments and a link for requesting assistance.
Adoption
In the first six months of the eHopper, nearly two thousand bills were introduced electronically. As of September 2022, more than 40,000 cosponsors have been added to introduced measures via the eHopper.
In recent testimony, Clerk Cheryl Johnson noted, “The eHopper is now the House’s primary way of introducing bills,” and that the updated website version would “meet the needs of the Bill Clerks as they process an increasing number of bills while improving the user experience for Members and staff.”
In March of 2023, Clerk Johnson testified to the House Appropriations Committee on how the eHopper allowed Members to “carry out their constitutional duties of introducing bills from their living rooms.”
Demo
This eHopper demo was shared during a March 2024 meeting of the Congressional Data Task Force.
For more information about the eHopper, contact the Office of the Clerk in the U.S. House of Representatives at info.clerkweb@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-7000.
