[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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