[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 266 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 266

To establish the Government 2000 Commission to increase the efficiency 
      and effectiveness of the Government, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 5, 1997

   Mr. Roth introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
           referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Government 2000 Commission to increase the efficiency 
      and effectiveness of the Government, 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 AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Government 2000 
Act''.
    (b) Purposes.--
            (1) In general.--The purpose of this Act is to reduce the 
        costs and increase the effectiveness of the Federal Government 
        by reorganizing departments and agencies, consolidating 
        redundant activities, streamlining operations, and 
        decentralizing service delivery in a manner that promotes 
        economy, efficiency, and accountability in Government programs. 
        This Act is intended to result in a smaller Federal workforce, 
        but one provided with a better organizational environment in 
        which to work, including the more effective use of modern 
        technology, in order to provide better service to the public. 
        There shall be appropriate venues for the representation of 
        constituency interests in the policy formulation and service 
        delivery process.
            (2) Specific goals.--This Act is intended to achieve the 
        following goals for improvements in the performance of the 
        Federal Government by fiscal year 2004:
                    (A) An immediate reduction in the number of cabinet 
                departments to no more than 10.
                    (B) A reduction in the costs of administration by 
                35 percent.
                    (C) A ten-fold improvement in timely delivery of 
                services to the public.
                    (D) A compound annual improvement in productivity 
                of 6 percent.
                    (E) Responsiveness and customer-service levels 
                comparable to those achieved in the private sector.

SEC. 2. THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established an independent commission 
to be known as the Government 2000 Commission (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Duties.--
            (1) Examination and recommendations.--The Commission 
        shall--
                    (A) examine the issues related to the organization 
                and operations of the departments and agencies of the 
                Federal Government; and
                    (B) develop recommendations to reduce the costs, 
                streamline the operations, and improve the performance, 
                responsiveness, and accountability of Federal 
                departments, agencies, and programs.
            (2) Legislative proposal.--The recommendations of the 
        Commission shall be encompassed in a single legislative 
        proposal that--
                    (A) implements a comprehensive reorganization plan 
                for the executive branch; and
                    (B) makes other institutional and operational 
                changes to the Federal Government, consistent with the 
                purposes stated in section 1 and the requirements of 
                section 3.
    (c) Appointment.--
            (1) Composition.--
                    (A) The Commission shall be composed of 9 members.
                    (B)(i) Two members shall be appointed by the 
                President.
                    (ii) Two members shall be appointed by the Majority 
                Leader of the Senate.
                    (iii) One member shall be appointed by the Minority 
                Leader of the Senate.
                    (iv) Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker 
                of the House of Representatives.
                    (v) One member shall be appointed by the Minority 
                Leader of the House of Representatives.
                    (vi) One member shall be appointed by the 
                President, in concurrence with the Majority Leader of 
                the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 
                Representatives. That member shall be the Chairman of 
                the Commission.
            (2) Membership.--A member of the Commission may be any 
        citizen of the United States, including any elected or 
        appointed public official, career civil servant, or private 
        citizen.
            (3) Conflict of interests.--For purposes of the provisions 
        of chapter 11 of part I of title 18, United States Code, a 
        member of the Commission (to whom such provisions would not 
        otherwise apply except for this paragraph) shall be a special 
        Government employee.
            (4) Date of appointments.--All members of the Commission, 
        except the Chairman, shall be appointed no later than 25 
        calendar days after enactment of this Act. The Chairman shall 
        be appointed no later than 40 calendar days after enactment of 
        this Act.
    (d) Terms.--Each member shall serve until the termination of the 
Commission.
    (e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled in the 
same manner as was the original appointment.
    (f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet as necessary to carry out 
its responsibilities. The Commission may conduct meetings outside the 
District of Columbia when necessary.
    (g) Pay and Travel Expenses.--
            (1) Pay.--(A) Except for an individual who is Chairman of 
        the Commission and is otherwise a Federal officer or employee, 
        the Chairman shall be paid at a rate equal to the daily 
        equivalent of the minimum annual rate of basic pay payable for 
        level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 
        5, United States Code, for each day (including traveltime) 
        during which the Chairman is engaged in the performance of 
        duties vested in the Commission.
            (B) Except for the Chairman, each member of the Commission 
        who is not a Federal officer or employee shall be paid at a 
        rate equal to the daily equivalent of the minimum annual rate 
        of basic pay payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule 
        under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day 
        (including traveltime) during which the member is engaged in 
        the performance of duties vested in the Commission.
            (2) Travel.--Members of the Commission shall receive travel 
        expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
    (h) Director.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Commission shall by an affirmative 
        vote of at least 5 members appoint a Director of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Pay.--The Director shall be paid at the rate of basic 
        pay payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
        section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.
    (i) Staff.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Director may, with the approval of 
        the Commission, appoint and fix the pay of employees of the 
        Commission without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
        States Code, governing appointment in the competitive service, 
        and any Commission employee may be paid without regard to the 
        provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of 
        that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay 
        rates, except that a Commission employee may not receive pay in 
        excess of the annual rate of basic pay payable for level V of 
        the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United 
        State Code.
            (2) Detail.--(A) Upon request of the Director, the head of 
        any Federal department or agency may detail any of the 
        personnel of the department or agency to the Commission to 
        assist the Commission in carrying out its duties under this 
        Act.
            (B) Upon request of the Director, a Member of Congress or 
        an officer who is the head of an office of the Senate or House 
        of Representatives may detail an employee of the office or 
        committee of which such Member or officer is the head to the 
        Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties 
        under this Act.
            (C) Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to the 
        Commission with or without reimbursement, and such detail shall 
        be without interruption or loss of civil service status or 
        privilege.
    (j) Support.--
            (1) Support services.--The Office of Management and Budget 
        shall provide support services to the Commission.
            (2) Assistance.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States may provide assistance, including the detailing of 
        employees, to the Commission in accordance with an agreement 
        entered into with the Commission.
    (k) Other Authority.--The Commission may procure by contract, to 
the extent funds are available, the temporary or intermittent services 
of experts or consultants pursuant to section 3109 of title 5, United 
States Code. The Commission shall give public notice of any such 
contract before entering into such contract.
    (l) Application of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Commission 
shall be subject to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
    (m) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commission $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 to carry 
out its responsibilities under this Act.
    (n) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate no later than 
October 31, 1998.

SEC. 3. LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) Reorganization Plan.--The Commission shall develop and 
recommend a plan for reorganization of Federal departments and 
agencies, consistent with the following provisions:
            (1) Executive departments.--
                    (A) There shall be no more than 10 departments, 
                which shall have responsibility for the development of, 
                and ensuring the proper execution of, governmental and 
                program policy.
                    (B) There shall be a reduction in the layers of 
                organizational hierarchy and in the concentration of 
employees in staff and overhead functions within departments and 
agencies to achieve a substantial reduction in the total number of mid-
level supervisory and staff positions, administrative positions, and 
political employees.
            (2) Program operating units.--
                    (A) There shall be an adequate number of agencies 
                and subdepartment bureaus, offices, divisions, and 
                other operating units having primary responsibility for 
                program administration and service delivery, as 
                distinguished from policy development.
                    (B) The reorganization plan shall provide for a 
                substantial net reduction in the number of program 
                operating units, and in the total administrative costs 
                of the functions performed by such units. The reduction 
                shall be achieved through the consolidation, 
                integration, and reengineering of similar and related 
                functions and work activities throughout the 
                Government.
            (C) The Commission shall consider, and recommend where 
        appropriate, the consolidation of program administration and 
        service delivery functions into operating units that are 
        independent of individual executive departments, to maximize 
        the coordination of services to particular segments of the 
        public and to the public generally.
            (3) Local offices.--
                    (A) There shall be an appropriate field office 
                structure for Federal departments and agencies in order 
                to improve service delivery and responsiveness while 
                reducing costs.
                    (B) Among the alternatives considered by the 
                Commission shall be appropriate consolidation of 
                regional and field offices of various departments and 
                agencies that provide related services into a system of 
                local offices providing one-stop services.
            (4) Centralized administration.--The Commission shall 
        consider whether substantial cost savings and improved 
        performance would result from the centralization within one 
        organization of primary responsibility for particular 
        government-wide administrative functions, and make appropriate 
        recommendations in that regard.
    (b) Structural Arrangements.--
            (1) Recommendations.--The Commission shall recommend 
        structural arrangements of responsibility and authority between 
        and within the various departments, agencies, and program 
        operating units in order to maximize accountability for 
        performance.
            (2) Accountability.--Such arrangements shall seek to 
        clarify appropriate accountability for policy development and 
        for program administration and service delivery.
            (3) Considerations.--Among the alternatives considered by 
        the Commission shall be whether the heads of program operating 
        units described under paragraph (a)(2) should be non-political, 
        non-career appointments hired for a fixed term under an 
        employment contract with specific, measurable program 
        performance goals.
    (c) Transition Plan.--The Commission shall recommend a plan for 
transition from the existing organization of the executive branch to 
the proposed reorganization plan, to minimize any disruption in program 
performance and service and to maintain managerial accountability.

SEC. 4. DEFINITION.

    For purposes of this Act the term ``agency'' means each authority 
of the Federal Government, including all departments, independent 
agencies, Government-sponsored enterprises, and Government 
corporations, except the legislative branch, judicial branch, the 
governments of the territories or possessions of the United States, or 
the District of Columbia.

SEC. 5. DEPARTMENT AND AGENCY COOPERATION.

    All Federal agencies and employees of all agencies shall cooperate 
fully with all requests for information from the Commission and shall 
respond to any such request for information within 30 calendar days or 
such other time agreed upon by the requesting and requested parties.

SEC. 6. PROCEDURES FOR MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) Submission of Recommendations.--No later than June 1, 1998, the 
Commission shall submit to the Congress--
            (1) a single legislative proposal to implement its 
        recommendations developed pursuant to section 3 of this Act, 
        with an explanation of the reasons for such recommendations; or
            (2) a message that the Commission was unable to agree on 
        such a proposal.
    (b) Commission Votes.--No legislative proposal may be submitted by 
the Commission without the affirmative vote of at least 6 members.

SEC. 7. CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF REFORM PROPOSAL.

    (a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``implementation bill'' means only a bill 
        which is introduced as provided under subsection (b), and 
        contains the proposed legislation submitted by the Commission 
        under section 6 without modification.
            (2) the term ``calendar day of session'' means a calendar 
        day other than one on which either House is not in session 
        because of an adjournment of more than three days to a date 
        certain.
    (b) Introduction, Referral, and Report or Discharge.--
            (1) Introduction.--On the first calendar day of session on 
        which both Houses are in session, on or immediately following 
        the date on which a proposal is submitted to the Congress under 
        section 6(a)(1), an implementation bill shall be introduced--
                    (A) in the Senate by the Majority Leader of the 
                Senate, for himself and the Minority Leader of the 
                Senate, or by Members of the Senate designated by the 
                Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate; and
                    (B) in the House of Representatives by the Majority 
                Leader of the House of Representatives, for himself and 
                the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, or 
                by Members of the House of Representatives designated 
                by the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the House 
                of Representatives.
            (2) Referral.--The implementation bill introduced in the 
        Senate under paragraph (1) shall be referred concurrently to 
        the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and other 
        committees with jurisdiction. The implementation bill 
        introduced in the House of Representatives shall be referred 
        concurrently to the Committee on Government Reform and 
        Oversight of the House of Representatives, and other committees 
        with jurisdiction. A committee to which an implementation bill 
        is referred under this paragraph may report such bill to the 
        respective House with amendments proposed to be adopted. No 
        such amendment may be proposed unless such proposed amendment 
        is germane to such bill.
            (3) Report or discharge.--If any committee to which an 
        implementation bill is referred has not reported such bill by 
        the end of the 30th calendar day of session after the date of 
        the introduction of such bill, such committee shall be 
        immediately discharged from further consideration of such bill, 
        and upon being reported or discharged from all committees, such 
        bill shall be placed on the appropriate calendar of the House 
        involved.
    (c) Senate Consideration.--
            (1) In general.--On or after the second calendar day of 
        session after the date on which an implementation bill is 
        placed on the Senate calendar under subsection (b)(3), it is in 
        order (even if a previous motion to the same effect has been 
        disagreed to) for any Senator to make a privileged motion to 
        proceed to the consideration of the implementation bill (but 
        only on the day after the calendar day of session on which such 
        Senator announces on the floor of the Senate an intention to 
        make such a motion). This motion is subject to debate which 
        shall be confined to 2 hours, to be equally divided. All points 
        of order against the implementation bill (and against 
        consideration of the implementation bill) other than points of 
        order under Senate Rule 15, 16, or for failure to comply with 
        requirements of this section are waived. The motion is not 
        subject to a motion to postpone. A motion to reconsider the 
        vote by which the motion to proceed is agreed to or disagreed 
        to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the 
        consideration of the implementation bill is agreed to, the 
Senate shall immediately proceed to consideration of the implementation 
bill.
            (2) Debate.--In the Senate, no amendment which is not 
        germane shall be in order. A motion to postpone or a motion to 
        recommit the implementation bill is not in order. A motion to 
        reconsider the vote by which the implementation bill is agreed 
        to or disagreed to is not in order.
            (3) Motion to suspend or waive application.--No motion to 
        suspend or waive the application of this subsection shall be in 
        order, except by unanimous consent.
            (4) Appeals from chair.--Appeals from the decisions of the 
        Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate to 
        the procedure relating to an implementation bill shall be 
        subject to debate confined to 1 hour, to be equally divided.
            (5) Final passage.--Immediately following the conclusion of 
        the debate on an implementation bill and a single quorum call 
        at the conclusion of the debate if requested in accordance with 
        the rules of the Senate, the vote on final passage of the 
implementation bill shall occur.
    (d) Consideration in the House of Representatives.--
            (1) In general.--At any time on or after the second session 
        day after the date on which each committee of the House of 
        Representatives to which an implementation bill is referred has 
        reported that bill, or has been discharged under subsection 
        (b)(3) from further consideration of that bill, the Speaker 
        may, pursuant to clause 1(b) of rule XIII, declare the House 
        resolved into the Committee of the Whole house on the State of 
        the Union for the consideration of that bill. All points of 
        order against the bill, the consideration of the bill, and 
        provisions of the bill shall be waived, and the first reading 
        of the bill shall be dispensed with. After general debate, 
        which shall be confined to 10 hours, to be equally divided and 
        controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader, the 
        bill shall be considered for amendment by title under the five-
        minute rule and each title shall be considered as having been 
        read.
            (2) Amendments.--Each amendment shall be considered as 
        having been read, shall not be subject to a demand for a 
        division of the question in the House or in the Committee of 
        the Whole, and shall be debatable for not to exceed 30 minutes, 
        equally divided and controlled by the proponent and a Member 
        opposed thereto, except that the time for consideration, 
        including debate and disposition, of all amendments to the bill 
        shall not exceed 20 hours.
            (3) Final passage.--At the conclusion of the consideration 
        of the bill, the Committee shall rise and report to the House 
        with such amendments as may have been agreed to, and the 
        previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill 
        and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening 
        motion except one motion to recommit.
    (e) Conference.--
            (1) Appointment of conferees.--In the Senate, a motion to 
        elect or authorize the appointment of conferees shall not be 
        debatable.
            (2) Conference report.--No later than 20 calendar days of 
        session after the appointment of conferees, the conferees shall 
        report to the respective Houses.
    (f) Rules of the Senate and House.--This section is enacted by 
Congress--
            (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate 
        and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it is 
        deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but 
        applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in 
        that House in the case of an implementation bill described in 
subsection (a), and it supersedes other rules only to the extent that 
it is inconsistent with such rules; and
            (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 
        either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the 
        procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and 
        to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that 
        House.

SEC. 8. IMPLEMENTATION.

    (a) Responsibility for Implementation.--The Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget shall have primary responsibility for 
implementation of the Commission's recommendations and the Act enacted 
under section 7 (unless such Act provides otherwise). The Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget shall notify and provide direction 
to heads of affected departments, agencies, and programs. The head of 
an affected department, agency, or program shall be responsible for 
implementation and shall proceed with the recommendations provided 
under subsection (b).
    (b) Departments and Agencies.--After the enactment of an Act under 
section 7, each affected Federal department and agency as a part of its 
annual budget request shall transmit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress its schedule for implementation of the provisions of the Act.
    (c) GAO Oversight.--The Comptroller General shall have oversight 
responsibility over the implementation of the Commission's 
recommendations and the Act enacted under section 7. The Comptroller 
General shall periodically report to the Congress and the President 
regarding the accomplishment, the costs, the timetable, and 
effectiveness of the implementation

SEC. 9. DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS.

    Any proceeds from the sale of assets of any department or agency 
resulting from the enactment of an Act under section 7 shall be--
            (1) applied to reduce the Federal deficit; and
            (2) deposited in the Treasury and treated as general 
        receipts.
                                 <all>