[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1507 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1507

                       One Hundred Fourth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
   the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six


                                 An Act


 
 To provide for the extension of the Parole Commission to oversee cases 
of prisoners sentenced under prior law, to reduce the size of the Parole 
                   Commission, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Parole Commission Phaseout Act of 
1996''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF PAROLE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--For purposes of section 235(b) of the Sentencing 
Reform Act of 1984 (98 Stat. 2032) as it related to chapter 311 of 
title 18, United States Code, and the Parole Commission, each reference 
in such section to ``ten years'' or ``ten-year period'' shall be deemed 
to be a reference to ``fifteen years'' or ``fifteen-year period'', 
respectively.
    (b) Powers and Duties of Parole Commission.--Notwithstanding 
section 4203 of title 18, United States Code, the United States Parole 
Commission may perform its functions with any quorum of Commissioners, 
or Commissioner, as the Commission may prescribe by regulation.
    (c) Reduction in Size.--
        (1) Effective December 31, 1999, the total number of 
    Commissioners of the United States Parole Commission shall not be 
    greater than 2. To the extent necessary to achieve this reduction, 
    the Commissioner or Commissioners least senior in service shall 
    cease to hold office.
        (2) Effective December 31, 2001, the United States Parole 
    Commission shall consist only of that Commissioner who is the 
    Chairman of the Commission.
        (3) Effective when the Commission consists of only one 
    Commissioner--
            (A) that Commissioner (or in the Commissioner's absence, 
        the Attorney General) may delegate to one or more hearing 
        examiners the powers set forth in paragraphs (1) through (4) of 
        section 4203(b) of title 18, United States Code; and
            (B) decisions made pursuant to such delegation shall take 
        effect when made, but shall be subject to review and 
        modification by the Commissioner.

SEC. 3. REPORTS BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

    (a) In General.--Beginning in the year 1998, the Attorney General 
shall report to the Congress not later than May 1 of each year through 
the year 2002 on the status of the United States Parole Commission. 
Unless the Attorney General, in such report, certifies that the 
continuation of the Commission is the most effective and cost-efficient 
manner for carrying out the Commission's functions, the Attorney 
General shall include in such report an alternative plan for a transfer 
of the Commission's functions to another entity.
    (b) Transfer Within the Department of Justice.--
        (1) Effect of plan.--If the Attorney General includes such a 
    plan in the report, and that plan provides for the transfer of the 
    Commission's functions and powers to another entity within the 
    Department of Justice, such plan shall take effect according to its 
    terms on November 1 of that year in which the report is made, 
    unless Congress by law provides otherwise. In the event such plan 
    takes effect, all laws pertaining to the authority and jurisdiction 
    of the Commission with respect to individual offenders shall remain 
    in effect notwithstanding the expiration of the period specified in 
    section 2 of this Act.
        (2) Conditional repeal.--Effective on the date such plan takes 
    effect, paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 235(b) of the Sentencing 
    Reform Act of 1984 (98 Stat. 2032) are repealed.

SEC. 4. REPEAL.

    Section 235(b)(2) of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 (98 Stat. 
2032) is repealed.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.