[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 271 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 271

  To establish a Second National Blue Ribbon Commission to Eliminate 
                          Waste in Government.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 1997

  Mr. Royce introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Government Reform and Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a Second National Blue Ribbon Commission to Eliminate 
                          Waste in Government.

    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 ``Second National Blue Ribbon 
Commission to Eliminate Waste in Government Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission known as the Second National Blue 
Ribbon Commission to Eliminate Waste in Government (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--It shall be the duty of the Commission--
            (1) to conduct a private sector survey on management and 
        cost control in the Federal Government;
            (2) to conduct in-depth reviews of the operations of the 
        executive agencies;
            (3) to review existing Government Accounting Office (GAO), 
        Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and inspector general 
        reports and other existing governmental and nongovernmental 
        recommendations for reducing waste including recommendations 
        from the President's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control, and 
        based on this review periodically submit to the President and 
        Congress a list of those recommendations with estimated savings 
        the Commission determines are most significant and shall 
        include in the report a determination of whether the 
        recommendation can be implemented by Executive order or whether 
        it requires legislative action; and
            (4) to submit to the President and the Congress 
        recommendations for improving the budget process, management 
        and reducing waste and costs in the Federal Government.
    (b) Particular Areas To Be Examined.--In fulfilling the duties 
described in subsection (a), the Commission shall identify and 
address--
            (1) opportunities for increased efficiency and reduced 
        costs in the Federal Government that can be realized by 
        executive action or legislation;
            (2) areas in the Federal Government where managerial 
        accountability can be enhanced and administrative control can 
        be improved;
            (3) specific Federal programs that have accomplished their 
        objectives and ought to be terminated;
            (4) specific Federal program services that could be 
        provided at a lower cost by the private sector;
            (5) specific reforms of the budget process that would yield 
        savings, increase accountability and efficiency, and enhance 
        public confidence in the budget process; and
            (6) specific areas in the Federal Government where further 
        study can be justified by potential savings.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 12 
members appointed as follows:
            (1) 12 individuals appointed by the President from among 
        individuals who are not officers or employees of any government 
        and who are especially qualified to serve on the Commission by 
        virtue of their education, training, or experience.
            (2) The majority leader and minority leader of the Senate, 
        as well as the Speaker and minority leader of the House of 
        Representatives may submit recommendations to the President 
        concerning appointments to the Commission.
            (3) Not more than 6 members of the Commission shall be of 
        the same political party.
    (b) Continuation of Membership.--If an individual is appointed to 
the Commission, and later becomes an officer or employee of a 
government, such individual may continue as a member of the Commission 
for not longer than the 30-day period beginning on the date such 
individual becomes such an officer or employee.
    (c) Appointment of Members.--Appointments shall be made not later 
than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (d) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of the 
Commission.
    (e) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled within 
30 days in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (f) Compensation.--
            (1) Rates of pay.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        members of the Commission shall serve without pay.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Commission shall 
        receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsidence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 
        5, United States Code.
    (g) Quorum.--5 members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, 
but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (h) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall be 
elected by the members from among the members.
    (i) Meeting.--The Commission shall meet at least once each month at 
the call of the Chairperson of the Commission.

SEC. 5. STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

    (a) Director.--The Commission shall have a Director appointed by 
the Chairperson of the Commission and paid by a rate determined by the 
Commission.
    (b) Staff.--With the approval of the Commission, the Director of 
the Commission may appoint personnel as the Director considers 
appropriate.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 
take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers 
appropriate.
    (b) Delegation of Authority.--Any member or agent of the Commission 
may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which the 
Commission is authorized to take by this section.
    (c) Information.--The Commission may secure directly from any 
Federal agency information necessary to enable it to carry out this 
Act. Upon request of the chairperson of the Commission, the head of the 
Federal agency shall furnish the information to the Commission.
    (d) Contract Authority.--The Commission may contract with and 
compensate government and private agencies or persons for supplies or 
services without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 
U.S.C. 5).

SEC. 7. REPORTS.

    (a) Periodic Reports.--Pursuant to section 3(a)(3), the Commission 
shall issue periodic reports to the President and the Congress.
    (b) Final Report.--Not later than the expiration of the 24-month 
period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission 
shall submit to the President and the Congress a final report setting 
forth the finding and conclusions of the Commission and specific 
recommendations for legislative and administrative actions that the 
Commission determines to be appropriate.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate not later than the expiration of the 
30-day period beginning on the date on which the Commission submits its 
final report under section 7(b).

SEC. 9. FUNDING.

    The Commission is to be funded, staffed and equipped, to the extent 
practicable and permitted by law, by the private sector without cost to 
the Federal Government. To accomplish this objective, it is expected 
that the Secretary of Commerce will engage in a joint project, with a 
nonprofit organization, pursuant to section 1 of Public Law 91-412 (15 
U.S.C. 1525), for the purpose of providing support for the Commission 
as described in section 5 and section 6 of this Act.
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