[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4999 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4999

   To amend the United States Commission on Civil Rights Act of 1983.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 19, 1994

  Mr. Edwards of California introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the United States Commission on Civil Rights Act of 1983.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Civil Rights Commission Amendments 
Act of 1994''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF 1983 ACT.

    That the portion of the United States Commission on Civil Rights 
Act of 1983 which follows the enacting clause is amended to read as 
follows:

``SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Civil Rights Commission Act of 
1983''.

``SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    ``(a) Generally.--There is established the United States Commission 
on Civil Rights (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').
    ``(b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of eight 
members. Not more than four of the members shall at any one time be of 
the same political party. The initial membership of the Commission 
shall be the members of the United States Commission on Civil Rights as 
on the day before the date of the enactment of the Civil Rights 
Commission Amendments Act of 1994. Thereafter vacancies in the 
membership of the Commission shall continue to be appointed as follows:
            ``(1) 4 members of the Commission shall be appointed by the 
        President.
            ``(2) 2 members of the Commission shall be appointed by the 
        President pro tempore of the Senate, upon the recommendations 
        of the majority leader and the minority leader, and of the 
        members appointed not more than one shall be appointed from the 
        same political party.
            ``(3) 2 members of the Commission shall be appointed by the 
        Speaker of the House of Representatives upon the 
        recommendations of the majority leader and the minority leader, 
        and of the members appointed not more than one shall be 
        appointed from the same political party.
    ``(c) Terms.--(1) The term of office of each member of the 
Commission shall be six years and the current staggering of terms shall 
continue in effect.
    ``(d) Chairperson.--(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and 
(3), the individuals serving as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the 
United States Commission on Civil Rights on the day before the date of 
the enactment of the Civil Rights Commission Amendments Act of 1994 
shall continue in those roles on the Commission.
    ``(2) Thereafter the President may, with the concurrence of a 
majority of the Commission's members, designate a Chairperson or Vice 
Chairperson, as the case may be, from among the Commission's members.
    ``(3) The President shall, with the concurrence of a majority of 
the Commission's members, fill a vacancy by designating a Chairperson 
or Vice Chairperson, as the case may be, from among the Commission's 
members.
    ``(4) The Vice Chairperson shall act in place of the Chairperson in 
the absence of the Chairperson.
    ``(e) Removal of Members.--The President may remove a member of the 
Commission only for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.
    ``(f) Quorum.--5 members of the Commission constitute a quorum of 
the Commission.

``SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    ``(a) Generally.--The Commission shall--
            ``(1) investigate allegations in writing under oath or 
        affirmation relating to deprivations because of color, race, 
        religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or as a 
        result of any pattern or practice of fraud, of the right to 
        vote and have votes counted; and
            ``(2)(A) study and collect information relating to;
            ``(B) make appraisals of;
            ``(C) serve as a national clearinghouse for information 
        relating to; and
            ``(D) prepare public service announcements and advertising 
        campaigns to discourage;
        discrimination or denials of equal protection of the laws 
        because of color, race, religion, sex, age, disability, or 
        national origin, or in the administration of justice.
    ``(b) Reports.--
            ``(1) Annual Report.--The Commission shall submit to the 
        President and Congress at least one annual report that monitors 
        Federal civil rights enforcement efforts in the United States.
            ``(2) Other Reports Generally.--The Commission shall submit 
        such other reports to the President and the Congress as the 
        Commission, the Congress, or the President shall deem 
        appropriate.
    ``(c) Advisory Committees.--The Commission may constitute such 
advisory committees as it deems advisable. The Commission shall 
establish at least one such committee in each State and the District of 
Columbia.
    ``(d) Hearings and Ancillary Matters.--
            ``(1) Power to hold hearings.--The Commission, or upon its 
        authorization, any subcommittee of two or more members of the 
        Commission, at least one of whom shall be of each major 
        political party, may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, 
        hold such hearings and act at such times and places as the 
        Commission or such authorized subcommittee deems advisable. 
        Each member of the Commission shall have the power to 
        administer oaths and affirmations in connection with the 
        proceedings of the Commission.
            ``(2) Power to issue subpoenas.--The Commission may issue 
        subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of 
        written or other matter. Such a subpoena may not require the 
        presence of a witness more than 100 miles outside the State 
        wherein the witness is found or resides or is domiciled or 
        transacts business, or has appointed an agent for receipt of 
        service of process. In case of contumacy or refusal to obey a 
        subpoena, the Attorney General may in a Federal court of 
        appropriate jurisdiction obtain an appropriate order to enforce 
        the subpoena.
            ``(3) Witness fees.--A witness attending any proceeding of 
        the Commission shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are 
        paid witnesses in the courts of the United States.
            ``(4) Depositions and Interrogatories.--The Commission may 
        use depositions and written interrogatories to obtain 
        information and testimony about matters that are the subject of 
        a Commission hearing or report.
    ``(e) Limitation Relating to Abortion.--Nothing in this or any 
other Act shall be construed as authorizing the Commission, its 
advisory committees, or any other person under its supervision or 
control to study and collect, make appraisals of, or serve as a 
clearinghouse for any information about laws and policies of the 
Federal Government or any other governmental authority in the United 
States, with respect to abortion.

``SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    ``(a) Staff.--The President shall, with the concurrence of a 
majority of the members of the Commission, appoint a full time staff 
director for the Commission. If the office of staff director becomes 
vacant, the Chairperson of the Commission may appoint an acting 
Director for a period not to exceed one year. The staff director 
shall--
            ``(1) serve as the administrative head of the Commission; 
        and
            ``(2) within the limitations of appropriations--
                    ``(A) appoint such other personnel as the staff 
                director deems advisable, under the civil service and 
                classification laws; and
                    ``(B) procure services, if the staff director 
                determines it is necessary to do so, as authorized in 
                section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at 
                rates for individuals not in excess of the daily 
                equivalent paid for positions at the maximum rate for 
                GS-15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of 
                title 5, United States Code.
    ``(b) Compensation of Members.--
            ``(1) Generally.--Each member of the Commission who is not 
        otherwise in the service of the Government of the United States 
        shall receive a sum equivalent to the compensation paid at 
        level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 
        5, United States Code, prorated on an daily basis for time 
        spent in the work of the Commission.
            ``(2) Persons otherwise in Government service.--Each member 
        of the Commission who is otherwise in the service of the 
        Government of the United States shall serve without 
        compensation in addition to that received for such other 
        service, but while engaged in the work of the Commission shall 
        be paid actual travel expenses and per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence expenses when away from such member's usual place 
        of residence, under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
        United States Code.
    ``(c) Voluntary or Uncompensated Personnel.--The Commission shall 
not accept or use the services of voluntary or uncompensated persons. 
This limitation shall apply with respect to services of members of the 
Commission as it does with respect to services by other persons.
    ``(d) Rules for Proceedings.--The Commission may make rules, 
consistent with this Act and other law, governing its proceedings. 
Except as inconsistent with this Act, and until modified by the 
Commission, the rules of the Commission on Civil Rights established by 
this Act as in effect on December 31, 1993 shall govern the 
Commission's proceedings.

``SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated, to carry out this Act 
$9,500,000 for fiscal year 1995. None of the sums authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 1995 may be used to create additional 
regional offices.

``SEC. 6. TERMINATION.

    ``This Act shall terminate on September 30, 1995.''
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