[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 112 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. J. RES. 112

      Establishing the Joint Committee on Social Security Reform.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 1998

   Mr. Kolbe (for himself, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. Minge, Mr. 
  Cramer, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Tanner, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. John, Mr. Dooley of 
California, Mr. Meehan, Ms. Rivers, Ms. Danner, Mr. Condit, Mr. Berry, 
  Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. Porter, Mr. 
  Gibbons, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Castle, Mr. Shays, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. 
    Greenwood) introduced the following joint resolution; which was 
                   referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
      Establishing the Joint Committee on Social Security Reform.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is hereby established in the legislative branch the Joint 
Committee on Social Security Reform (hereafter in this joint resolution 
referred to as the ``Joint Committee'').

SEC. 2. DUTIES.

    (a) Study of Retirement Financing.--The Joint Committee shall 
conduct a thorough study of retirement financing issues, concentrating 
primarily on the problems related to the long-term financing of the 
old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program under title II of 
the Social Security Act, with a goal of restoring the long-term 
solvency of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and 
the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund and improving financial 
security for retirees.
    (b) Reports.--
            (1) Interim.--The Joint Committee shall submit an interim 
        report to Congress on its activities and findings at any time 
        prior to December 31, 1998, that the Joint Committee considers 
        appropriate.
            (2) Final report and recommendations.--The Joint Committee 
        shall submit a final report to Congress on its activities and 
        findings not later than March 31, 1999, and shall include in 
        the report such recommendations for changes to the programs 
        described in subsection (a), including legislative language to 
        carry out such changes, as the Joint Committee considers 
        appropriate, except that the Joint Committee may not include a 
        recommendation in the report unless the recommendation is 
        approved by a majority of the Senators and a majority of the 
        members of the House who serve on the Joint Committee.
    (c) Consideration of Work of Advisory Commission on Social 
Security.--In carrying out its duties under this section, the Joint 
Committee shall take into consideration the findings and 
recommendations of the 1994-1996 Advisory Council on Social Security 
and the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) In General.--The Joint Committee shall consist of 32 members 
appointed in accordance with this section.
    (b) Senators.--16 members of the Joint Committee shall be Senators, 
who shall be appointed as follows:
            (1) The Majority Leader shall appoint a co-chair of the 
        Joint Committee and 7 other members, of whom--
                    (A) at least 2 shall be members of the Committee on 
                Finance;
                    (B) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on the Budget; and
                    (C) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
            (2) The Minority Leader shall appoint a co-vice chair of 
        the Joint Committee and 7 other members, of whom--
                    (A) at least 2 shall be members of the Committee on 
                Finance;
                    (B) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on the Budget; and
                    (C) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
    (c) Members of the House.--16 members of the Joint Committee shall 
be members of the House of Representatives (who may include a Delegate 
or Resident Commissioner to the Congress), who shall be appointed as 
follows:
            (1) The Speaker shall appoint a co-chair of the Joint 
        Committee and 7 other members, of whom--
                    (A) at least 2 shall be members of the Committee on 
                Ways and Means;
                    (B) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on the Budget;
                    (C) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on Commerce; and
                    (D) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on Banking and Financial Services.
            (2) The Minority Leader shall appoint a co-vice chair of 
        the Joint Committee and 5 other members, of whom--
                    (A) at least 2 shall be members of the Committee on 
                Ways and Means;
                    (B) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on the Budget;
                    (C) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on Commerce; and
                    (D) at least 1 shall be a member of the Committee 
                on Banking and Financial Services.
    (d) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the membership of the Joint Committee 
shall not affect the power of the remaining members to execute the 
functions of the Joint Committee, and shall be filled in the same 
manner as in the case of the original appointment.

SEC. 4. STAFF.

    (a) Appointment of Staff.--The co-chairs of the Joint Committee may 
appoint and fix the pay of such personnel as the co-chairs consider 
appropriate to assist the Joint Committee in carrying out its duties.
    (b) Detail of Federal Employees.--Upon the request of the Joint 
Committee, the head of any Federal agency or of any office in the 
legislative branch is authorized to detail, without reimbursement, any 
of the personnel of such agency or office to the Joint Committee to 
assist the Joint Committee in carrying out its duties.

SEC. 5. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Other Activities.--For the purpose of carrying out 
its duties, the Joint Committee may hold such hearings and undertake 
such other activities as the Joint Committee determines to be necessary 
to carry out its duties.
    (b) Access to Legislative Branch Services.--The Joint Committee 
shall have access to the services of the General Accounting Office, the 
Congressional Budget Office, and the Congressional Research Service in 
the same manner and under the same terms and conditions as any standing 
committee of the House of Representatives or Senate.
    (c) Obtaining Information.--The Joint Committee may secure directly 
from any Federal agency information necessary to enable it to carry out 
its duties, if the information may be disclosed under section 552 of 
title 5, United States Code. Upon request of the co-chairs of the Joint 
Committee, the head of such agency shall furnish such information to 
the Joint Committee.

SEC. 6. SPECIAL RULES REGARDING CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION TO CARRY 
              OUT RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) Terms of the Legislation.--For purposes of this section, 
legislation described in this subsection is any bill or joint 
resolution the substance of which implements a recommendation of the 
Joint Committee submitted under section 2(b)(2).
    (b) Discharge of Committees.--If any committee to which legislation 
described in subsection (a) (or any portion thereof) is referred has 
not reported such legislation (or an identical resolution) by the end 
of the 60-calendar day period beginning on the date on which the 
recommendation involved is submitted under section 2(b)(2), such 
committee shall be, at the end of such period, discharged from further 
consideration of such legislation, and such legislation shall be placed 
on the appropriate calendar of the House involved.
    (c) Consideration.--(1) On or after the third day after the date on 
which the committee to which such legislation is referred has reported, 
or has been discharged (under subsection (b)) from further 
consideration of, such legislation, it is in order (even though a 
previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) for any 
Member of the respective House to move to proceed to the consideration 
of the legislation. A Member may make the motion only on the day after 
the calendar day on which the Member announces to the House concerned 
the Member's intention to make the motion, except that, in the case of 
the House of Representatives, the motion may be made without such prior 
announcement if the motion is made by direction of the committee to 
which the legislation was referred. All points of order against the 
legislation (and against consideration of the legislation) are waived. 
The motion is highly privileged in the House of Representatives and is 
privileged in the Senate and is not debatable. The motion is not 
subject to amendment, or to a motion to postpone, or to a motion to 
proceed to the consideration of other business. A motion to reconsider 
the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be 
in order. If a motion to proceed to the consideration of the 
legislation is agreed to, the respective House shall immediately 
proceed to consideration of the legislation without intervening motion, 
order, or other business, and the legislation shall remain the 
unfinished business of the respective House until disposed of.
    (2) Immediately following the conclusion of the debate on 
legislation described in subsection (a) and a single quorum call at the 
conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with the rules of 
the appropriate House, the vote on final passage of the legislation 
shall occur.
    (3) Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the 
application of the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives, 
as the case may be, to the procedure relating to legislation described 
in subsection (a) shall be decided without debate.
    (d) Consideration by Other House.--(1) If, before the passage by 
one House of legislation of that House described in subsection (a), 
that House receives from the other House legislation described in 
subsection (a), then the following procedures shall apply:
            (A) The legislation of the other House shall not be 
        referred to a committee and may not be considered in the House 
        receiving it except in the case of final passage as provided in 
        subparagraph (B)(ii).
            (B) With respect to legislation described in subsection (a) 
        of the House receiving the legislation--
                    (i) the procedure in that House shall be the same 
                as if no legislation had been received from the other 
                House; but
                    (ii) the vote on final passage shall be on the 
                legislation of the other House.
    (2) Upon disposition of the legislation received from the other 
House, it shall no longer be in order to consider the legislation that 
originated in the receiving House.
    (e) Exercise of Rulemaking Authority.--This section is enacted by 
Congress--
            (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate 
        and the House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it 
        is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but 
        applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in 
        that House in the case of legislation described by this 
        section, and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that 
        it is inconsistent with such rules; and
            (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 
        either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the 
        procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and 
        to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that 
        House.

SEC. 7. VOUCHERS.

    Payments for expenses of the Joint Committee shall be made using 
vouchers authorized by the Joint Committee, signed by the co-chairs of 
the Joint Committee, and approved in a manner directed by the Committee 
on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on House 
Oversight of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate on December 31, 1999.
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