[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 876 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 876

  To establish a nonpartisan commission on Federal election campaign 
  practices and provide that the recommendations of the commission be 
               given expedited consideration by Congress.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 11, 1997

Mr. Gregg (for himself, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, and 
 Mr. Johnson) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a nonpartisan commission on Federal election campaign 
  practices and provide that the recommendations of the commission be 
               given expedited consideration by Congress.

    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 ``Claremont Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    On June 11, 1995, in Claremont, New Hampshire, the President of the 
United States and the Speaker of the House of Representatives made an 
historic handshake agreement calling for establishment of an 
independent Federal election campaign reform commission. The purpose of 
this Act is to effectuate that agreement.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is established a nonpartisan commission to be known as the 
``Claremont Commission'' (referred to in this Act as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 4. GOALS OF THE COMMISSION.

    The Commission is established to help effectuate the following 
goals of Federal election campaign reform:
            (1) Limit the influence of money in Federal election 
        campaigns.
            (2) Increase public confidence in the Federal electoral 
        process.
            (3) Increase voter participation.
            (4) Encourage qualified candidates to seek public office.
            (5) Create a more equitable electoral system for both 
        challengers and incumbents.
            (6) Remove the negative aspects of financing of Federal 
        election campaigns.
            (7) Safeguard the role of political parties in the Federal 
        electoral process.

SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall study the law (including 
regulations) that affects how election campaigns for Federal office are 
conducted and may make recommendations for change.
    (b) Matters To Be Considered.--In studying Federal election 
campaign practices, the Commission shall consider--
            (1) whether too much or too little money is spent on 
        campaigns for Federal office (both directly by candidates and 
        by other persons trying to influence the outcome of the 
        election) and whether the funds that are spent are sufficiently 
        disclosed;
            (2) whether the law governing campaigns for Federal office 
        encourages or discourages those most qualified to hold office 
        from seeking it;
            (3) whether the existing system of financing campaigns for 
        Federal office promotes trust and confidence in the political 
        process among the electorate;
            (4) whether the current system for financing campaigns for 
        Federal office ensures that the electorate has the greatest 
        possible opportunity to be informed of candidates' positions on 
        the issues;
            (5) whether the law should be amended to prohibit from 
        making contributions to candidates or political committees--
                    (A) persons who are not eligible to vote in Federal 
                elections in the United States; or
                    (B) United States' subsidiaries of foreign 
                corporations;
            (6) whether the law governing the manner in which unions 
        and union multicandidate political committees (commonly 
        referred to as political action committees or PAC's), or 
        corporations and corporate multicandidate political committees 
        may raise money for spending on political election campaigns 
        and other politically-related activities should be amended;
            (7) whether amounts given to or spent by a political party 
        that are not subject to the limitations or reporting 
        requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
        U.S.C. 431 et seq.) (commonly referred to as ``soft money'') 
        should be limited or banned;
            (8) whether the law should be amended to restrict or limit 
        the making of independent expenditures, including independent 
        expenditures made by corporations;
            (9) whether the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
        U.S.C. 431 et seq.) should be amended to define ``express 
        advocacy'' and ``independent expenditure'' to include certain 
        forms of issue advertising under the limits and requirements of 
        such Act;
            (10) whether discounted broadcast time should be made 
        available to candidates for Federal office;
            (11) whether the law should be amended to increase or 
        decrease the current limits on contributions by individuals or 
        multicandidate political committees;
            (12) whether the law governing required disclosures in the 
        financing of campaigns for Federal office should be amended to 
        ensure more accurate disclosure, including broadening the 
        required disclosures;
            (13) whether--
                    (A) the Federal Election Commission has adequate 
                powers to effectively oversee the existing system of 
                financing campaigns for Federal office; or
                    (B) the Commission should be given additional 
                enforcement powers; and
            (14) such other matters as the Commission considers 
        appropriate.

SEC. 6. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 9 members of 
the private sector, appointed as follows:
            (1) Two shall be appointed by the President.
            (2) Two shall be appointed by the majority leader of the 
        Senate.
            (3) Two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (4) One shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 
        Senate.
            (5) One shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (6) One, who shall act as chairperson, shall be appointed 
        jointly by the majority leader and minority leader of the 
        Senate and the Speaker and minority leader of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (b) Expedited Appointments.--The President, majority leader and 
minority leader of the Senate, and Speaker and minority leader of the 
House of Representatives shall make the appointments under subsection 
(a) not later than 10 days after the date of enactment of the Act.
    (c) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (d) Compensation.--Each member of the Commission shall each be 
entitled to receive the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic 
pay in effect for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 
of title 5, United States Code, for each day during which the member is 
engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the Commission.
    (e) Quorum.--Six members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum, and any decision of the Commission shall require the 
affirmative vote of 6 members.
    (f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
chairperson or at the request of 6 members of the Commission.

SEC. 7. STAFF OF COMMISSION; SERVICES.

    Subject to such rules as may be adopted by the Commission, the 
chairperson, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service and without 
regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 
of that title relating to classifications and General Schedule pay 
rates, may appoint such staff personnel as the chairperson considers 
necessary and procure temporary and intermittent services to the same 
extent as is authorized by section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
Code.

SEC. 8. RECOMMENDATION; FAST TRACK PROCEDURES.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report describing 
the study conducted under section 5.
    (b) Recommendations.--The report under subsection (a) may include 
any recommendations for changes in the laws (including regulations) 
governing the conduct of Federal campaigns, including any changes in 
the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives, to which 5 or 
more members of the Commission agree.
    (c) Preparation of Bill.--If 6 or more members concur on a plan to 
make changes in Federal election campaign law, and related laws and 
regulations, the members agreeing to the plan shall prepare a bill to 
implement the plan and the implementing bill shall be submitted with 
the report under subsection (a).
    (d) Consideration by Congress.--The implementing bill submitted 
with the report under subsection (a) shall be given expedited 
consideration under the same provisions and in the same way as an 
implementing bill for a trade agreement under section 151 of the Trade 
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2191).

SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist 30 days after submission of the 
report under section 8.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $750,000 to carry out this 
Act.
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