[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 344 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 344

  To establish the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare to 
 make findings and issue recommendations on the future of the Medicare 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 1997

 Mr. Stearns (for himself, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Rohrabacher, and Mr. Wolf) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
  Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Commerce, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare to 
 make findings and issue recommendations on the future of the Medicare 
                                program.

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

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF BIPARTISAN COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF 
              MEDICARE.

    There is established a commission to be known as the Bipartisan 
Commission on the Future of Medicare (hereinafter in this Act referred 
to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 2. DUTIES.

    (a) Findings.--The Commission shall make specific findings 
regarding each of the following:
            (1) Patterns of spending under the medicare program under 
        title XVIII of the Social Security Act.
            (2) The long-term solvency of the Federal Hospital 
        Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of the Social Security 
        Act and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund 
        under section 1841 of such Act.
            (3) The feasibility and desirability of expanding the 
        choices available to medicare beneficiaries in the methods 
        through which medicare benefits are provided, including 
        providing benefits through managed care arrangements and 
        through coordination with employer-sponsored or other private 
        health benefit plans.
            (4) The extent to which the solvency of the trust funds 
        described in paragraph (2) is endangered by waste, fraud, and 
        abuse under the medicare program.
            (5) The quality of services provided under the medicare 
        program.
            (6) The effectiveness of the existing structure and 
        administration of the medicare program.
    (b) Recommendations.--The Commission shall make specific 
recommendations to the Congress regarding its findings under subsection 
(a).

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Appointment.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
        members appointed as follows:
                    (A) The President shall appoint 5 members, of whom 
                not more than 3 may be of the same political party and 
                at least one shall be under 35 years of age at the time 
                of appointment.
                    (B) The majority leader of the Senate shall 
                appoint, after consultation with the minority leader of 
                the Senate, 5 members of the Senate, of whom not more 
                than 3 may be of the same political party and at least 
                one shall be under 35 years of age at the time of 
                appointment.
                    (C) The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
                shall appoint, after consultation with the minority 
                leader of the House of Representatives, 5 members of 
                the House, of whom not more than 3 may be of the same 
                political party and at least one shall be under 35 
                years of age at the time of appointment.
            (2) Deadline for appointment.--The members of the 
        Commission shall be appointed not later than 30 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Chairman.--As the first item of business at the first meeting 
of the Commission, the members of the Commission shall elect a chairman 
of the Commission from among its members.
    (c) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the Commission 
shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was 
made and shall not affect the power of the remaining members to execute 
the duties of the Commission.
    (d) Quorum.--A quorum shall consist of 8 members of the Commission, 
except that 4 members may conduct a hearing under section 5(a).
    (e) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of its 
chairman or a majority of its members.
    (f) Compensation and Reimbursement of Expenses.--Members of the 
Commission are not entitled to receive compensation for service on the 
Commission. Members may be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and 
other necessary expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of the 
Commission.

SEC. 4. STAFF AND CONSULTANTS.

    (a) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and determine the 
compensation of such staff as may be necessary to carry out the duties 
of the Commission. Such appointments and compensation may be made 
without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, that 
govern appointments in the competitive services, and the provisions of 
chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title that relate 
to classifications and the General Schedule pay rates.
    (b) Consultants.--The Commission may procure such temporary and 
intermittent services of consultants under section 3109(b) of title 5, 
United States Code, as the Commission determines to be necessary to 
carry out the duties of the Commission.

SEC. 5. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Other Activities.--For the purpose of carrying out 
its duties, the Commission may hold such hearings and undertake such 
other activities as the Commission determines to be necessary to carry 
out its duties.
    (b) Studies by General Accounting Office.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Comptroller General shall conduct such studies or 
investigations as the Commission determines to be necessary to carry 
out its duties.
    (c) Cost Estimates by Congressional Budget Office.--
            (1) In general.--Upon the request of the Commission, the 
        Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall provide to 
        the Commission such cost estimates as the Commission determines 
        to be necessary to carry out its duties.
            (2) Reimbursement.--The Commission shall reimburse the 
        Director of the Congressional Budget Office for expenses 
        relating to the employment in the office of the Director of 
        such additional staff as may be necessary for the Director to 
        comply with requests by the Commission under paragraph (1).
    (d) Detail of Federal Employees.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the head of any Federal agency is authorized to detail, 
without reimbursement, any of the personnel of such agency to the 
Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties. Any 
such detail shall not interrupt or otherwise affect the civil service 
status or privileges of the Federal employee.
    (e) Technical Assistance.--Upon the request of the Commission, the 
head of a Federal agency shall provide such technical assistance to the 
Commission as the Commission determines to be necessary to carry out 
its duties.
    (f) Use of Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as Federal agencies, 
and shall, for purposes of the frank, be considered a commission of 
Congress as described in section 3215 of title 39, United States Code.
    (g) Obtaining Information.--The Commission 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 Chairman of the Commission, 
the head of such agency shall furnish such information to the 
Commission.
    (h) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission on a reimbursable basis such administrative support services 
as the Commission may request.
    (i) Acceptance of Donations.--The Commission may accept, use, and 
dispose of gifts or donations of services or property.
    (j) Printing.--For purposes of costs relating to printing and 
binding, including the costs of personnel detailed from the Government 
Printing Office, the Commission shall be deemed to be a committee of 
the Congress.

SEC. 6. REPORT.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Commission shall submit to Congress a report containing its 
findings and recommendations under section 2, and shall include in the 
report recommendations for appropriate legislative initiatives to carry 
out its recommendations.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the date of submission 
of the report required in section 6.
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