[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4706 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4706

  To provide for certain reductions in Federal spending at or through 
    facilities of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 1994

Mr. Kreidler introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly 
to the Committees on Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, and Science, 
                         Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for certain reductions in Federal spending at or through 
    facilities of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REDUCTION IN FEDERAL INVESTMENT.

    (a) Amount of Reduction.--The total amount of Federal spending at 
or through Department of Energy facilities--
            (1) for fiscal year 1995 shall not exceed the amount which 
        is the greater of--
                    (A) $450,000,000; or
                    (B) 5 percent of the amount appropriated for use at 
                or through Department of Energy facilities for fiscal 
                year 1993,
        less than the amount appropriated for the use at or through 
        Department of Energy facilities for fiscal year 1993;
            (2) for fiscal year 1996 shall not exceed the amount which 
        is the greater of--
                    (A) $900,000,000; or
                    (B) 10 percent of the amount appropriated for use 
                at or through Department of Energy facilities for 
                fiscal year 1993,
        less than the amount appropriated for use at or through 
        Department of Energy facilities for fiscal year 1993;
            (3) for fiscal year 1997 shall not exceed the amount which 
        is the greater of--
                    (A) $1,350,000,000; or
                    (B) 15 percent of the amount appropriated for use 
                at or through Department of Energy facilities for 
                fiscal year 1993,
        less than the amount appropriated for use at or through 
        Department of Energy facilities for fiscal year 1993; and
            (4) for each fiscal year after fiscal year 1997 shall not 
        exceed the amount described in paragraph (3), adjusted annually 
        for inflation.
    (b) Reduction in Department of Energy Facility Funding 
Commission.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established an independent 
        commission to be known as the ``Reduction in Department of 
        Energy Facility Funding Commission''.
            (2) Duties.--(A) The Commission shall prepare and, within 8 
        months after the date of enactment of this title, submit to the 
        Secretary a plan for implementing the funding reductions 
        required under subsection (a). The Commission shall propose 
        achieving such funding reductions first through--
                    (i) contractor reforms, improved account-ability, 
                or reduced overhead at Department of Energy facilities;
                    (ii) private investment to reduce the amount of 
                public investment required; and
                    (iii) elimination of any unnecessary redundancies 
                between Department of Energy facilities.
            (B) If the funding reductions cannot be fully achieved 
        under subparagraph (A), the Commission may propose cutbacks in 
        programs. In doing so, the Commission shall--
                    (i) evaluate programs based on their relevance to 
                current missions and priorities, and focus reductions 
                toward those programs that are no longer relevant;
                    (ii) maintain the Department of Energy facilities' 
                abilities to perform their assigned missions; and
                    (iii) where appropriate, maintain a process of peer 
                review.
            (3) Appointment.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission shall be composed 
                of 8 members appointed by the President, by and with 
                the advise and consent of the Senate, from among 
                individuals--
                            (i) with technical expertise in Department 
                        of Energy facility research;
                            (ii) representing communities affected by 
                        programs at Department of Energy facilities; or
                            (iii) with expertise in management issues.
                The President shall transmit to the Senate the 
                nominations for appointment to the Commission not later 
                than 2 months after the date of the enactment of this 
                title.
                    (B) Consultation.--In selecting individuals for 
                nominations for appointments to the Commission, the 
                President should consult with--
                            (i) the Speaker of the House of 
                        Representatives concerning the appointment of 1 
                        member;
                            (ii) the majority leader of the Senate 
                        concerning the appointment of 1 member;
                            (iii) the minority leader of the House of 
                        Representatives concerning the appointment of 1 
                        member; and
                            (iv) the minority leader of the Senate 
                        concerning the appointment of 1 member.
                    (C) Chairperson.--At the time the President 
                nominates individuals for appointment to the 
                Commission, the President shall designate one such 
                individual who shall serve as Chairperson of the 
                Commission.
            (4) Terms.--The term of each member of the Commission shall 
        expire upon the termination of the Commission under paragraph 
        (12).
            (5) Meetings.--Each meeting of the Commission, other than 
        meetings in which classified information is to be discussed, 
        shall be open to the public.
            (6) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
        in the same manner as the original appointment.
            (7) Pay and travel expenses.--
                    (A) In general.--
                            (i) Basic pay.--Each member, other than the 
                        Chairperson, shall be paid at a rate equal to 
                        the daily equivalent of the minimum annual rate 
                        of basic pay payable for level IV of the 
                        Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 
                        5, United States Code, for each day (including 
                        travel time) during which the member is engaged 
                        in the actual performance of duties vested in 
                        the Commission.
                            (ii) Pay of chairperson.--The Chairperson 
                        shall be paid for each day referred to in 
                        clause (i) at a rate equal to the daily 
                        equivalent of the minimum annual rate of basic 
                        pay payable for level III of the Executive 
                        Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, United 
                        States Code.
                    (B) Travel expenses.--Members shall receive travel 
                expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
                accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, 
                United States Code.
            (8) Director.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission shall, without 
                regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, United States 
                Code, appoint a Director who has not served as a 
                civilian employee of the Department of Energy during 
                the one-year period preceding the date of such 
                appointment.
                    (B) Pay.--The Director shall be paid at the rate of 
                basic pay payable for level IV of the Executive 
                Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
                Code.
            (9) Staff.--
                    (A) Appointment by director.--Subject to 
                subparagraphs (B) and (C), the Director, with the 
                approval of the Commission, may appoint and fix the pay 
                of additional personnel.
                    (B) Applicability of certain civil service laws.--
                The Director may make such appointments without regard 
                to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
                governing appointments in the competitive service, and 
                any personnel so appointed may be paid without regard 
                to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of 
                chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and 
                General Schedule pay rates, except that an individual 
                so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the 
                annual rate of basic pay payable for level IV of the 
                Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
                United States Code.
                    (C) Limitation.--Not more than one-fifth of the 
                personnel employed by or detailed to the Commission may 
                be on detail from the Department of Energy.
                    (D) Support from other agencies.--Upon request of 
                the Director, the head of a Federal agency may detail 
                any of the personnel of that agency to the Commission 
                to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties 
                under this subsection.
                    (E) Support from comptroller general.--The 
                Comptroller General of the United States shall provide 
                assistance, including the detailing of employees, to 
                the Commission in accordance with an agreement entered 
                into with the Commission.
            (10) Other authority.--
                    (A) Temporary and intermittent services.--The 
                Commission may procure by contract, to the extent funds 
                are available, the temporary or intermittent services 
                of experts or consultants pursuant to section 3109 of 
                title 5, United States Code.
                    (B) Authority to lease space and acquire certain 
                property.--The Commission may lease space and acquire 
                personal property to the extent funds are available. To 
                the extent practicable, the Commission shall use 
                suitable real property available under the most recent 
                inventory of real property assets published by the 
                Resolution Trust Corporation under section 
                21A(b)(11)(F) of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (12 
                U.S.C. 1441a(b)(12)(F)).
            (11) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Commission such funds as are necessary to carry out its 
        duties under this subsection. Such funds shall remain available 
        until expended.
            (12) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate not later 
        than 14 months after the date of the enactment of this title.
            (13) Report to congress.--If the Secretary determines that 
        the recommendations of the Commission under this subsection 
        should not be followed in any respect, the Secretary shall, 
        within 45 days after receipt of such recommendations, submit a 
        report to the Congress identifying any points of disagreement 
        and justifying the Secretary's position.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act--
            (1) the term ``Commission'' means the Reduction in 
        Department of Energy Facility Funding Commission established 
        under section 1(b)(1);
            (2) the term ``Department of Energy facility'' means a 
        Department of Energy research and development laboratory, and 
        its related research and commercialization facilities, 
        including commercialization facilities that enhance the 
        replication of technology in the marketplace; and
            (3) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that the savings achieved pursuant 
to section 1(a) should be deposited in the Treasury of the United 
States.
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