[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4536 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4536

            To establish a National Commission on Terrorism.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 9, 1998

  Mr. Wolf (for himself, Mr. Saxton, Mrs. Myrick, Mr. Frost, Mr. Bob 
 Schaffer of Colorado, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Horn, Mr. McCollum, and Mr. 
   Gilman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee 
  on the Judiciary, 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 a National Commission on Terrorism.

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

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a national commission on 
terrorism to review counter-terrorism policies regarding the prevention 
and punishment of international acts of terrorism directed at the 
United States. The Commission shall be known as ``The National 
Commission on Terrorism''.
    (b) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 members 
appointed as follows:
            (1) Five members shall be appointed by the President from 
        among officers or employees of the executive branch, private 
        citizens of the United States, or both. Not more than 3 members 
        selected by the President shall be members of the same 
        political party.
            (2) Five members shall be appointed by the Majority Leader 
        of the Senate, in consultation with the Minority Leader of the 
        Senate, from among members of the Senate, private citizens of 
        the United States, or both. Not more than 3 of the members 
        selected by the Majority Leader shall be members of the same 
        political party and 3 members shall be members of the Senate.
            (3) Five members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives, in consultation with the Minority 
        Leader of the House of Representatives, from among members of 
        the House of Representatives, private citizens of the United 
        States, or both. Not more than 3 of the members selected by the 
        Speaker shall be members of the same political party and 3 
        members shall be members of the House of Representatives.
            (4) The appointments of the members of the Commission 
        should be made no later than 3 months after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (c) Qualifications.--The members should have a knowledge and 
expertise in matters to be studied by the Commission.
    (d) Chairman.--The chairman of the Commission shall be elected by 
the members of the Commission.

SEC. 2. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall consider issues relating to 
international terrorism directed at the United States as follows:
            (1) Review the laws, regulations, policies, directives, and 
        practices relating to counterterrorism in the prevention and 
        punishment of international terrorism directed towards the 
        United States.
            (2) Assess the extent to which laws, regulations, policies, 
        directives, and practices relating to counterterrorism have 
        been effective in preventing or punishing international 
        terrorism directed towards the United States. At a minimum, the 
        assessment should include a review of the following:
                    (A) Evidence that terrorist organizations have 
                established an infrastructure in the western hemisphere 
                for the support and conduct of terrorist activities.
                    (B) Executive branch efforts to coordinate 
                counterterrorism activities among Federal, State, and 
                local agencies and with other nations to determine the 
                effectiveness of such coordination efforts.
                    (C) Executive branch efforts to prevent the use of 
                nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons by 
                terrorists.
            (3) Recommend changes to counterterrorism policy in 
        preventing and punishing international terrorism directed 
        toward the United States.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date on which the 
Commission first meets, the Commission shall submit to the President 
and the Congress a final report of the findings and conclusions of the 
Commission, together with any recommendations.

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.

    (a) Meetings.--
            (1) The Commission shall hold its first meeting on a date 
        designated by the Speaker of the House which is not later than 
30 days after the date on which all members have been appointed.
            (2) After the first meeting, the Commission shall meet upon 
        the call of the chairman.
            (3) A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
        constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings.
    (b) Authority of Individuals To Act for Commission.--Any member or 
agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any 
action which the Commission is authorized to take under this Act.
    (c) Powers.--
            (1) The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act at 
        such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such 
        evidence as the Commission considers advisable to carry out its 
        duties.
            (2) The Commission may secure directly from any agency of 
        the Federal Government such information as the Commission 
        considers necessary to carry out its duties. Upon the request 
        of the chairman of the Commission, the head of a department or 
        agency shall furnish the requested information expeditiously to 
        the commission.
            (3) The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
        same manner and under the same conditions as other departments 
        and agencies of the Federal Government.
    (d) Pay and Expenses of Commission Members.--
            (1) Each member of the Commission who is not an employee of 
        the government shall be paid at a rate equal for the daily 
        equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level 
        IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
        United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during 
        which such member is engaged in performing the duties of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Members and personnel for the Commission may travel on 
        aircraft, vehicles, or other conveyances of the Armed Forces of 
        the United States when travel is necessary in the performance 
        of a duty of the Commission except when the cost of commercial 
        transportation is less expensive.
            (3) The members of the Commission may be allowed travel 
        expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
        authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 
        chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from 
        their homes or regular places of business in the performance of 
        services for the Commission.
            (4)(A) A member of the Commission who is an annuitant 
        otherwise covered by section 8344 or 8468 of title 5, United 
        States Code, by reason of membership on the Commission shall 
        not be subject to the provisions of such section with respect 
        to membership on the Commission.
            (B) A member of the Commission who is a member or former 
        member of a uniformed service shall not be subject to the 
        provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of section 5532 of such 
        title with respect to membership on the commission.
    (e) Staff and Administrative Support.--
            (1) The chairman of the Commission may, without regard to 
        civil service laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an 
        executive director and up to 3 additional staff members as 
        necessary to enable the Commission to perform its duties. The 
        Chairman of the Commission may fix the compensation of the 
        executive director and other personnel without regard to the 
        provisions of chapter 51, and subchapter III of chapter 53, of 
        title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of 
        positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate 
        of pay may not exceed the maximum rate of pay for GS-15 under 
        the General Schedule.
            (2) Upon the request of the Chairman of the Commission, the 
        head of any department or agency of the Federal Government may 
        detail, without reimbursement, any personnel of the department 
        or agency to the Commission to assist in carrying out its 
        duties. The detail of an employee shall be without interruption 
        or loss of civil service status or privilege.

SEC. 4. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the 
Commission submits a final report.

SEC. 5. FUNDING.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
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