[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 919 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 919

To establish the Independent Bipartisan Commission on Campaign Finance 
   Reform to recommend reforms in the law relating to elections for 
                            Federal office.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 17, 1997

Mr. Kohl (for himself and Mr. Brownback) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Independent Bipartisan Commission on Campaign Finance 
   Reform to recommend reforms in the law relating to elections for 
                            Federal office.

    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 ``Independent Bipartisan Commission on 
Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the ``Independent Bipartisan Commission on Campaign Finance Reform'' 
(referred to in this Act as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Duties.--The duties of the Commission are to study the law 
relating to elections for Federal office and to report and recommend 
legislation to reform that law.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Composition.--
            (1) Number.--The Commission shall be composed of 12 members 
        appointed by the President not later than the date that is 15 
        days after the date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Requirements.--The members shall be appointed from 
        among individuals who--
                    (A) are not incumbent Members of Congress; and
                    (B) are specially qualified to serve on the 
                Commission by reason of education, training, or 
                experience.
    (b) Appointment.--
            (1) In general.--Members shall be appointed as follows:
                    (A) 3 members (one of whom is a political 
                independent (as defined in paragraph (3))) shall be 
                appointed from among a list of nominees submitted by 
                the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
                    (B) 3 members (one of whom is a political 
                independent) shall be appointed from among a list of 
                nominees submitted by the Majority Leader of the 
                Senate.
                    (C) 3 members (one of whom is a political 
                independent) shall be appointed from among a list of 
                nominees submitted by the Minority Leader of the House 
                of Representatives.
                    (D) 3 members (one of whom is a political 
                independent) shall be appointed from among a list of 
                nominees submitted by the Minority Leader of the 
                Senate.
            (2) Failure to submit list of nominees.--If an official 
        described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph 
        (1) fails to submit a list of nominees to the President during 
        the 15-day period that begins on the date of enactment of this 
        Act--
                    (A) the applicable subparagraph shall no longer 
                apply; and
                    (B) the President shall appoint 3 members (one of 
                whom is a political independent) who meet the 
                requirements described in subsection (a) and such other 
                criteria as the President may determine to apply.
            (3) Political independent.--In this subsection, the term 
        ``political independent'' means an individual who at no time on 
        or after January 1, 1992--
                    (A) has held elective office as a member of the 
                Democratic or Republican party;
                    (B) has received any compensation from the 
                Democratic or Republican party or from a Democratic or 
                Republican party officeholder or candidate; or
                    (C) has provided substantial volunteer services or 
                made any substantial contribution to the Democratic or 
                Republican party or to a Democratic or Republican party 
                officeholder or candidate.
    (c) Chairperson.--At the time of the appointment, the President 
shall designate 1 member of the Commission as the chairperson of the 
Commission.
    (d) Period of Appointment.--A member of the Commission shall be 
appointed for the life of the Commission.
    (e) Vacancy.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (f) Political Affiliation.--Not more than 4 members of the 
Commission may be of the same political party (as defined in section 
301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431)).

SEC. 4. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
        carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at such times 
        and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as 
        the Commission considers appropriate.
            (2) Open meetings.--In carrying out the preceding 
        paragraph, the Commission shall ensure that a substantial 
        number of its meetings are open meetings, with significant 
        opportunities for testimony from members of the general public.
    (b) Quorum.--7 members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, 
but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (c) Voting.--The approval of at least 9 members of the Commission 
is required when approving all or a portion of the recommended 
legislation.
    (d) Power of Member.--A member of the Commission may, if authorized 
by the Commission, take an action that the Commission is authorized to 
take under this section.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Pay and Travel Expenses of Members.--
            (1) Pay rate.--Each member of the Commission shall be paid 
        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 the member is engaged in 
        the actual performance of duties vested in the Commission.
            (2) Travel expenses.--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.
    (b) Staff Director.--The Commission shall, without regard to 
section 5311(b) of title 5, United States Code, appoint a staff 
director, who 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.
    (c) Staff of Commission; Services.--
            (1) In general.--With the approval of the Commission, the 
        staff director of the Commission may appoint additional 
        personnel, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
        States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 
        and may fix the pay of additional personnel, 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.
            (2) Maximum rate of pay.--An an individual appointed under 
        paragraph (1) may not receive pay in excess of the maximum 
        annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-15 of the General 
        Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.
            (3) Experts and consultants.--The Commission may procure by 
        contract the temporary or intermittent services of experts or 
        consultants pursuant to section 3109 of title 5, United States 
        Code.

SEC. 6. REPORT AND RECOMMENDED LEGISLATION.

    (a) Report.--Not later than July 1, 1998, or the date that is 240 
days after the date on which the last of the members of the Commission 
is appointed under section 3 (whichever occurs earlier), the Commission 
shall submit to the President, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the 
House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the 
Senate a report of the activities of the Commission.
    (b) Recommendations; Draft of Legislation.--The report under 
subsection (a) shall include--
            (1) any recommendations for changes in the law (including 
        regulations) relating to elections for Federal office 
        (including any changes in the rules of the Senate or the House 
        of Representatives) to which 9 or more members of the 
        Commission agree; and
            (2) at least 1 bill (including technical and conforming 
        provisions) approved by the members of the Commission to 
        implement the recommendations.
    (c) Goals of Recommendations and Legislation.--In making 
recommendations and preparing legislation under this section, the 
Commission shall consider the following primary goals:
            (1) Encouraging fair and open Federal elections that 
        provide voters with meaningful information about candidates and 
        issues.
            (2) Eliminating the disproportionate influence of special 
        interest financing of Federal elections.
            (3) Creating a more equitable electoral system for 
        challenger and incumbent candidates.

SEC. 7. EXPEDITED CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION.

    (a) In General.--Each bill submitted under section 6(b) shall--
            (1) not later than 3 days after the Commission submits the 
        bill under section 6(a), be introduced (by request) in the 
        House of Representatives by the Majority Leader of the House 
        and shall be introduced (by request) in the Senate by the 
        Majority Leader of the Senate; and
            (2) be given expedited consideration under the same 
        provisions and in the same way, subject to subsection (b), as a 
        joint resolution under section 2908 of the Defense Base Closure 
        and Realignment Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. 2678 note).
    (b) Special Rules.--For purposes of applying subsection (a) with 
respect to such provisions, the following rules shall apply:
            (1) Section 2908(a) of the Defense Base Closure and 
        Realignment Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. 2678 note) shall not apply.
            (2) Any reference to the resolution described in subsection 
        (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the bill submitted 
        under section 6(b) of this Act.
            (3) Any reference to the Committee on National Security of 
        the House of Representatives shall be deemed to be a reference 
        to the Committee on House Oversight of the House of 
        Representatives and any reference to the Committee on Armed 
        Services of the Senate shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
        Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.
            (4) Any reference to the date on which the President 
        transmits a report shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
        date on which the recommendation of the Commission is submitted 
        under section 6(b).
            (5) Notwithstanding section 2908(d)(2) of the Act--
                    (A) debate on the bill in the House of 
                Representatives, and on all debatable motions and 
                appeals in connection with the bill, shall be limited 
                to not more than 10 hours, divided equally between 
                those favoring and those opposing the bill;
                    (B) debate on the bill in the Senate, and on all 
                debatable motions and appeals in connection with the 
                bill, shall be limited to not more than 10 hours, 
                divided equally between those favoring and those 
                opposing the bill; and
                    (C) debate in the Senate on any single debatable 
                motion and appeal in connection with the bill shall be 
                limited to not more than 1 hour, divided equally 
                between the proponent of the motion and the manager of 
                the bill, except that if the manager of the bill is in 
                favor of the motion or appeal, the time in opposition 
                to the motion or appeal shall be controlled by the 
                Minority Leader or the Leader's designee, and the 
                Majority and Minority Leader may each allot additional 
                time from time under such Leader's control to any 
                Senator during the consideration of any debatable 
                motion or appeal.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist on the date that is 90 days 
after the date of the submission of its report under section 6.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission such sums 
as are necessary to carry out its duties under this Act.
                                 <all>