[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1224 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1224

    To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that the 
 Commissioner of Internal Revenue shall be nominated from individuals 
recommended by a selection panel and to provide a 6-year term for such 
                             Commissioner.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 1997

   Mr. Wolf introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that the 
 Commissioner of Internal Revenue shall be nominated from individuals 
recommended by a selection panel and to provide a 6-year term for such 
                             Commissioner.

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

SECTION 1. SELECTION PANEL TO RECOMMEND INDIVIDUALS FOR COMMISSIONER OF 
              INTERNAL REVENUE.

    (a) President To Nominate New Commissioner From Individuals 
Recommended by Selection Commission.--Subsection (a) of section 7802 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to Commissioner of Internal 
Revenue; Assistant Commissioners; Taxpayer Advocate) is amended by 
inserting ``from individuals recommended by the Selection Commission 
under subsection (e)'' after ``appointed by the President''.
    (b) Selection Commission.--Section 7802 of such Code is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Selection of Commissioner of Internal Revenue.--
            ``(1) In general.--When a vacancy occurs (or is expected to 
        occur within 150 days) in the office of Commissioner of 
        Revenue, a Selection Commission is established to recommend 
        individuals to the President for appointment to the vacant 
        office.
            ``(2) Selection commission.--The Selection Commission shall 
        be composed of 5 individuals (from among individuals having 
        contacts with the Internal Revenue Service in a professional 
        capacity) appointed by the following organizations as follows:
                    ``(A) A representative from the American Institute 
                of Certified Public Accountants who is a certified 
                public accountant.
                    ``(B) A representative from the American Bar 
                Association who is a member of the Tax Division.
                    ``(C) A scientist from the National Academy of 
                Scientists.
                    ``(D) An engineer from the Institute for Electronic 
                and Electrical Engineers.
                    ``(E) An economist from the American Economics 
                Association.
        A vacancy in the Selection Commission shall be filled not later 
        than 14 days after the date of the creation of the vacancy in 
        the manner in which the original appointment was made.
            ``(3) Minimum number of recommended individuals.--A 
        Selection Commission shall recommend at least 3 individuals. 
        The President may request the Selection Commission to recommend 
        additional individuals.
            ``(4) Deadline for recommendations.--Except for additional 
        recommendations requested by the President under paragraph (3), 
        the Selection Commission shall make its recommendations for 
        Commissioner of Internal Revenue not later than 60 days after 
        the date such Commission is established.
            ``(5) Administrative provisions.--
                    ``(A) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the 
                Selection Commission shall be elected by the members. 
                If not so elected within the 10-day period beginning on 
                the date the Selection Commission first meets, the 
                Chairperson shall be appointed by the President.
                    ``(B) Rates of pay.--Members of the Selection 
                Commission shall be paid at a rate equal to the daily 
                equivalent of the minimum annual rate of basic pay 
                payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule (level 
                III in the case of the Chairman of the Selection 
                Commission) for each day (including travel time) during 
                which they are engaged in the actual performance of 
                duties vested in the Selection Commission.
                    ``(C) Travel expenses.--Each member of the 
                Selection Commission shall receive travel expenses, 
                including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
                accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, 
                United States Code.
                    ``(D) Staff.--The Selection Commission shall 
                appoint a Director who shall be paid at the rate of 
                basic pay payable for level IV of the Executive 
                Schedule. With the approval of the Selection 
                Commission, the Director may appoint and fix the pay of 
                not more than 2 additional employees who shall be paid 
                at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay payable 
                for level IV of the Executive Schedule.
                    ``(E) Applicability of certain civil service 
                laws.--The Director and staff of the Selection 
                Commission may be appointed without regard to the 
                provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
                appointments in the competitive service, and may be 
                paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
                subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
                classification and General Schedule pay rates.
                    ``(F) Meetings.--The meetings of the Selection 
                Commission shall be in executive session.
                    ``(G) Mails.--The Selection Commission may use the 
                United States mails in the same manner and under the 
                same conditions as other Federal agencies.
            ``(6) Termination.--The Selection Commission shall 
        terminate at the close of the 7th day after the date on which 
        an individual recommended by the Commission is sworn in as 
        Commissioner of Internal Revenue.''
    (c) Term of Commissioner of Internal Revenue.--Subsection (a) of 
section 7802 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following 
new sentence: ``The term of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue is 6 
years.''
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act but the amendment made 
by subsection (c) shall not apply to the individual holding the office 
of Commissioner of Internal Revenue on such date.
                                 <all>