[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1453 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1453

 To establish a Commission on Fairness in the Workplace, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 7, 1997

   Mr. Dodd introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a Commission on Fairness in the Workplace, 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 ``National Commission on Fairness in 
the Workplace Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) there is an increasing trend toward the use of part-
        time workers;
            (2) part-time jobs often have no or limited health or 
        pension benefits and few labor protections;
            (3) there is a trend toward the creation of more part-time 
        jobs than full-time jobs;
            (4) questions have been raised regarding the impact of 
        part-time employment on wage levels, benefits, earning 
        potential, and productivity; and
            (5) a Federal commission should be established to conduct a 
        thorough study of all matters relating to the impact of part-
        time employment on wage levels, benefits, earning potential, 
        and productivity and to study the practice of providing 
        different wage and benefit levels to part-time and full-time 
        workers.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the National Commission on Fairness in the Workplace (hereafter 
referred to in this Act as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 9 members of 
whom--
            (1) 3 shall be appointed by the President;
            (2) 3 shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of 
        the Senate, upon the recommendation of the Majority and 
        Minority Leaders of the Senate; and
            (3) 3 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives, in consultation with the Minority Leader of 
        the House of Representatives.
    (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.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission 
shall hold its first meeting as directed by the President.
    (e) Meetings.--After the initial meeting, the Commission shall meet 
at the call of the Chairperson.
    (f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a lesser 
number of members may hold hearings.
    (g) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The Commission shall select 
a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among its members.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall conduct a 
        comprehensive study of the impact of part-time employment in 
        the United States.
            (2) Matters to be studied.--The matters to be studied by 
        the Commission under paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) a review of the trend toward creation of more 
                part-time than full-time jobs;
                    (B) an assessment of the relationship between part-
                time work and wage levels, benefits, earning potential, 
                and productivity; and
                    (C) a review of the practice of providing different 
                wage and benefit levels to part-time and full-time 
                workers.
    (b) Report.--No later than 12 months after the Commission holds its 
first meeting, the Commission shall submit a report on the study to the 
President and Congress. The report shall contain a detailed statement 
of the findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with its 
recommendations for such legislation and administrative actions as it 
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 its duties 
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 Chairperson of the Committee, the head of such 
department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.

SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members.--Each member of the Commission who is 
not otherwise an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be 
compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate 
of basic pay prescribed for a position at 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. Each member of the 
Commission who is otherwise an officer or employee of the United States 
shall serve without compensation in addition to that received for 
services as an officer or employee of the United States.
    (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 service for the 
Commission.
    (c) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission may, 
        without regard to the civil service laws and regulations, 
        appoint and terminate an executive director and such other 
        additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the 
        Commission to perform its duties. The employment and 
        termination of an executive director shall be subject to 
        confirmation by a majority of the members of the Commission.
            (2) Compensation.--The executive director shall be 
        compensated at a rate not to exceed the rate payable for a 
        position at level V of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5316 of title 5, United States Code. The Chairperson may fix 
        the compensation of 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 for such personnel may not exceed the rate payable for a 
        position at level V of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5316 of such title.
            (3) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal Government 
        employee, with the approval of the head of the appropriate 
        Federal agency, may be detailed to the Commission without 
        reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or 
        loss of civil service status, benefits, or privilege.
    (d) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 
for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate 
of basic pay prescribed for a position at level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of such title.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Any sums 
appropriated shall remain available, without fiscal year limitation, 
until expended.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate 30 days after submission of its 
report under section 4(b).
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