[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 497 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 497

     To create the National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 11, 1995

   Mr. Wolf introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To create the National Gambling Impact and Policy Commission.

    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 ``National Gambling Impact and Policy 
Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is established a commission to be known as the National 
Gambling Impact and Policy Commission (in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 9 
members appointed from persons specially qualified by training and 
experience, of which one should be a Governor of a State, to perform 
the duties of the Commission as follows:
            (1) three appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (2) three appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; 
        and
            (3) three appointed by the President of the United States.
    (b) Designation of the Chairman.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and majority leader of the Senate shall designate a 
Chairman and Vice Chairman from among the members of the Commission.
    (c) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--Members shall be appointed 
for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the 
original appointment.
    (d) Initial Meeting.--No later than 30 days after the date on which 
all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall 
hold its first meeting as directed by the President.
    (e) Meetings.--After the initial meeting, the Commission shall meet 
at the call of the Chairman.
    (f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--It shall be the duty of the Commission to 
        conduct a comprehensive legal and factual study of gambling in 
        the United States and existing Federal, State, and local policy 
        and practices with respect to the legalization or prohibition 
        of gambling activities and to formulate and propose such 
        changes in those policies and practices as the Commission shall 
        deem appropriate.
            (2) Matters studied.--The matters studied by the Commission 
        shall include--
                    (A) the economic impact of gambling on the United 
                States, States, political subdivisions of States, and 
                Native American tribes;
                    (B) the economic impact of gambling on other 
                businesses;
                    (C) an assessment and review of the political 
                contributions and influence of gambling businesses and 
                promoters on the development of public policy 
                regulating gambling;
                    (D) an assessment of the relationship between 
                gambling and crime;
                    (E) an assessment of the impact of pathological, or 
                problem gambling on individuals, families, social 
                institutions, criminal activity and the economy;
                    (F) a review of the demographics of gamblers;
                    (G) a review of the effectiveness of existing 
                practices in law enforcement, judicial administration, 
                and corrections to combat and deter illegal gambling 
                and illegal activities related to gambling;
                    (H) a review of the costs and effectiveness of 
                State and Federal gambling regulatory policy, including 
                whether Indian gaming should be regulated by States 
                instead of the Federal Government; and
                    (I) such other relevant issues and topics as 
                considered appropriate by the Chairman of the 
                Commission.
    (b) Report.--No later than three years after the Commission first 
meets, the Commission shall submit a report to the President and the 
Congress which shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and 
conclusions of the Commission, together with its recommendations for 
such legislation and administrative actions as it considers 
appropriate.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings and Subpoenas.--
            (1) The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act at 
        such times and places, administer such oaths, take such 
        testimony, receive such evidence, and require by subpoena the 
        attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the production 
        of such materials as the Commission considers advisable to 
        carry out the purposes of this Act.
            (2) Attendance of witnesses.--The attendance of witnesses 
        and the production of evidence may be required from any place 
        within the United States.
            (3) Failure to obey a subpoena.--If a person refuses to 
        obey a subpoena issued under paragraph (1), the Commission may 
        apply to a United States district court for an order requiring 
        that person to appear before the Commission to give testimony, 
        produce evidence, or both, relating to the matter under 
        investigation. The application may be made within the judicial 
        district where the hearing is conducted or where that person is 
        found, resides, or transacts business. Any failure to obey the 
        order of the court may be punished by the court as civil 
        contempt.
            (4) Service of subpoenas.--The subpoenas of the Commission 
        shall be served in the manner provided for subpoenas issued by 
        a United States district court under the Federal Rules of Civil 
        Procedure for the United States district courts.
            (5) Service of process.--All process of any court to which 
        application is to be made under paragraph (3) may be served in 
        the judicial district in which the person required to be served 
        resides or may be found.
    (b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure 
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the 
Commission considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Upon request of the Chairman of the Commission, the head of such 
department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.

SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members.--Each member of the Commission who is 
not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be 
compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate 
of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including 
travel time) during which such member is engaged in the performance of 
the duties of the Commission. All members of the Commission who are 
officers or employees of the United States shall serve without 
compensation in addition to that received for their services as 
officers or employees of the United States.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Commission shall be 
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes 
or regular places of business in the performance of services for the 
Commission.
    (c) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Chairman of the Commission may, 
        without regard to the civil service laws and regulations, 
        appoint and terminate an executive director and such other 
        additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the 
        Commission to perform its duties. The employment of an 
        executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the 
        Commission.
            (2) Compensation.--The executive director shall be 
        compensated at the rate payable for level V of the Executive 
        Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code. The 
        Chairman of the Commission may fix the compensation of other 
        personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, 
        relating to classification of positions and General Schedule 
        pay rates, except that the rate of pay for such personnel may 
        not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive 
        Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
    (d) Detail of Government Employees.--Any Federal Government 
employee may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and 
such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service 
status or privilege.
    (e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairman of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 
for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of such title.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the 
Commission submits its report under section 4.
                                 <all>