[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 144 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
105th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 144
To establish the Commission to Study the Federal Statistical System,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 21, 1997
Mr. Moynihan (for himself and Mr. Kerrey) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Commission to Study the Federal Statistical System,
and for other purposes.
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 ``Commission to Study the Federal
Statistical System Act of 1997''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress, recognizing the importance of statistical information
in the development and administration of policies for the private and
public sector, finds that--
(1) accurate Federal statistics are required to develop,
implement, and evaluate government policies and laws;
(2) Federal spending consistent with legislative intent
requires accurate and appropriate statistical information;
(3) business and individual economic decisions are
influenced by Federal statistics and contracts are often based
on such statistics;
(4) statistical information on the manufacturing and
agricultural sectors is more complete than statistical
information regarding the service sector which employs more
than half the Nation's workforce;
(5) experts in the private and public sector have long-
standing concerns about the accuracy and adequacy of numerous
Federal statistics, including the Consumer Price Index, gross
domestic product, trade data, wage data, and the poverty rate;
(6) Federal statistical data should be accurate,
consistent, continuous, and be designed to best serve
explicitly stated purposes;
(7) the Federal statistical infrastructure should be
modernized to accommodate the increasingly complex and ever
changing American economy;
(8) Federal statistical agencies should utilize all
practical technologies to disseminate statistics to the public;
(9) the Federal statistical infrastructure should maintain
the privacy of individuals; and
(10) the Federal statistical system should be designed to
limit redundancy of activities while achieving the maximum
practical level of knowledge, expertise, and data.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known
as the Commission to Study the Federal Statistical System (hereafter in
this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 13
members of whom--
(A) 5 shall be appointed by the President;
(B) 4 shall be appointed by the President pro
tempore of the Senate, in consultation with the
Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate; and
(C) 4 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, in consultation with the
Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Political party limitation.--(A) Of the 5 members of
the Commission appointed under paragraph (1)(A), no more than 3
members may be members of the same political party.
(B) Of the 4 members of the Commission appointed under
subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1), respectively, no
more than 2 members may be members of the same political party.
(3) Consultation before appointments.--In making
appointments under paragraph (1), the President, the President
pro tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall consult with the National Academy of
Sciences and appropriate professional organizations, such as
the American Economic Association and the American Statistical
Association.
(4) Qualifications.--An individual appointed to serve on
the Commission--
(A) shall have expertise in statistical policy and
a background in such disciplines as actuarial science,
demography, economics, finance, and management;
(B) may not be a Federal officer or employee; and
(C) should be an academician, a statistics user in
the private sector, a corporate manager with experience
related to information technology, or a former
government official with experience related to--
(i) the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
Department of Labor; or
(ii) the Bureau of Economic Analysis or the
Bureau of the Census of the Department of
Commerce.
(5) Date.--The appointments of the members of the
Commission shall be made no later than 150 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
(c) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--Members shall be appointed
for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not
affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment.
(d) Initial Meeting.--No later than 30 days after the date on which
all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall
hold its first meeting.
(e) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chairman.
(f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
(g) Chairman.--The President shall designate a Chairman of the
Commission from among the members.
SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall conduct a
comprehensive study of all matters relating to the Federal
statistical infrastructure, including longitudinal surveys
conducted by private agencies and partially funded by the
Federal Government, for the purpose of identifying
opportunities to improve the quality of statistics in the
United States.
(2) Study and recommendations.--The matters studied by and
recommendations of the Commission shall include--
(A) an evaluation of the accuracy and
appropriateness of key statistical indicators and
recommendations on ways to improve such accuracy and
appropriateness so that the indicators better serve the
major purposes for which they were intended;
(B) an examination of multipurpose statistical
agencies that collect and analyze data of broad
interest across department and functional areas, such
as the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of
the Census of the Commerce Department, and the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the Labor Department, for the
purpose of understanding the interrelationship and flow
of data among agencies;
(C) a review and evaluation of the collection of
data for purposes of administering such programs as
Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance and
Unemployment Insurance under the Social Security Act;
(D) a review and evaluation of the mission and
organization of various statistical agencies,
including--
(i) recommendations with respect to
statistical activities that should be expanded
or eliminated;
(ii) the order of priority such activities
should be carried out;
(iii) a review of the advantages and
disadvantages of a centralized statistical
agency or a partial consolidation of the
agencies for the Federal Government; and
(iv) an assessment of which agencies could
be consolidated into such an agency;
(E) an examination of the methodology involved in
producing official data and recommendations for
technical changes to improve statistics;
(F) a review of interagency coordination of
statistical data and recommendations of methods to
standardize collection procedures and surveys, as
appropriate, and presentation of data throughout the
Federal system;
(G) a review of information technology and
recommendations of appropriate methods for
disseminating statistical data, with special emphasis
on resources, such as the Internet, that allow the
public to obtain and report information in a timely and
cost-effective manner;
(H) an identification and examination of issues
regarding individual privacy in the context of
statistical data;
(I) a comparison of the United States statistical
system to statistical systems of other nations for the
purposes of identifying best practices and developing a
system of maintaining best practices over time;
(J) a consideration of the coordination of
statistical data with other nations and international
agencies, such as the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development; and
(K) a recommendation of a strategy for maintaining
a modern and efficient Federal statistical
infrastructure to produce meaningful information as the
United States society and economy change.
(b) Report.--
(1) Interim report.--No later than June 1, 1998, the
Commission shall submit an interim report on the study
conducted under subsection (a) to the President and to the
Congress.
(2) Final report.--No later than January 15, 1999, the
Commission shall submit a final report to the President and the
Congress which shall contain a detailed statement of the
findings and conclusions of the Commission, and recommendations
for such legislation and administrative actions as the
Commission considers appropriate.
SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings.--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 the
purposes of this Act.
(b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the
Commission considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Upon request of the Chairman of the Commission, the head of such
department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.
(c) Postal Services.--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) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or
donations of services or property.
SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) Compensation of Members.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), each member of
the Commission shall be compensated at a rate equal to 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 the performance of the
duties of the Commission.
(2) Chairman.--The Chairman shall be compensated at a rate
equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay
prescribed for level III 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
the performance of the duties of the Commission.
(b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Commission shall 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. Such travel may include travel outside the United States.
(c) Staff.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Commission
shall, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United
States Code, relating to the competitive service, appoint an
executive director who shall be paid at a rate equivalent to a
rate established for the Senior Executive Service under section
5382 of title 5, United States Code. The Commission shall
appoint such additional personnel as the Commission determines
to be necessary to provide support for the Commission, and may
compensate such additional personnel without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, relating to the
competitive service.
(2) Limitation.--The total number of employees of the
Commission (including the executive director) may not exceed
30.
(d) Detail of Government Employees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and
such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service
status or privilege.
(e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The
Chairman of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates
for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule
under section 5316 of such title.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.
The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the
Commission submits the final report of the Commission.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated $2,500,000 for fiscal year
1997, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, and $2,500,000 for fiscal year
1999 to the Commission to carry out the purposes of this Act.
<all>