[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4035 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4035

  To establish a commission to review and explore ways for the United 
            States to become energy self-sufficient by 2010.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 20, 2000

    Mr. Gekas (for himself, and Mr. Young of Alaska) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a commission to review and explore ways for the United 
            States to become energy self-sufficient by 2010.

    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 Resource Governance Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) energy prices have risen dramatically, leading to 
        significant harm to particular sectors of the economy;
            (2) an affordable domestic energy supply is vital to the 
        continued growth and vitality of our Nation's economy;
            (3) an uninterrupted supply of oil and other energy is 
        necessary to protect the United States national security 
        interests; and
            (4) the United States continued dependence on foreign 
        sources of energy, particularly on the Organization of 
        Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), for the majority of its 
        petroleum and energy needs is harmful to our national security 
        and will not guarantee lower fuel prices and protect our 
        economy.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is established the National Energy Self-Sufficiency 
Commission (in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Duties.--The duties of the Commission are--
            (1) to investigate and study issues and problems relating 
        to issues involving the importation of and dependence on 
        foreign sources of energy;
            (2) to evaluate proposals and current arrangements with 
        respect to such issues and problems with the goal of seeking 
        out ways to make the United States self-sufficient in the 
        production of energy by the year 2010;
            (3) to explore whether alternate sources of energy such as 
        ethanol, solar power, electricity, natural gas, coal, hydrogen, 
        wind energy, and any other forms of alternative power sources 
        should be considered, including other potential and actual 
        sources;
            (4) to investigate the affordability of oil exploration and 
        drilling in areas which currently are not being used for 
        drilling, whether because of the cost of doing so, because of 
        current law, or because of environmental regulation that may 
        prohibit such drilling;
            (5) to appear at any congressional oversight hearing before 
        the proper congressional oversight committee to testify as to 
        the progress and operation of the Commission and its findings;
            (6) to consider tax credits and other financial incentives, 
        along with expanded drilling in areas such as the Arctic 
        National Wildlife Refuge and offshore, to help promote and 
        establish the viability and research of alternative forms of 
        energy and domestic oil exploration;
            (7) to prepare and submit to the Congress and the President 
        a report in accordance with section 9; and
            (8) to take into account the adverse environmental impact 
        of its proposals.
    (b) Limitation.--This Act shall not permit the Commission to 
recommend an increase in taxes or other revenues or import restrictions 
on oil or other commodities.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 9 
members as follows:
            (1) 3 members appointed by the President, 1 of whom shall 
        be designated as chairman by the President.
            (2) 2 members appointed by the Majority Leader of the 
        Senate.
            (3) 1 member appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
        Senate.
            (4) 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (5) 1 member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House 
        of Representatives.
    (b) Term.--Members of the Commission shall be appointed for the 
life of the Commission.
    (c) Quorum.--5 members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, 
but a lesser number may conduct meetings.
    (d) Appointment Deadline.--The first appointments made under 
subsection (a) shall be made within 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act.
    (e) First Meeting.--The first meeting of the Commission shall be 
called by the chairman and shall be held within 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act.
    (f) Vacancy.--A vacancy on the Commission resulting from the death 
or resignation of a member shall not affect its powers and shall be 
filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (g) Continuation of Membership.--If any member of the Commission 
who was appointed to the Commission as a Member of Congress or as an 
officer or employee of a government leaves that office, or if any 
member of the Commission who was not appointed in such a capacity 
becomes an officer or employee of a government, the member may continue 
as a member of the Commission for not longer than the 90-day period 
beginning on the date the member leaves that office or becomes such an 
officer or employee, as the case may be.

SEC. 6. COMPENSATION.

    (a) Pay.--
            (1) Nongovernment employees.--Each member of the Commission 
        who is not otherwise employed by the United States Government 
        shall be entitle to receive the daily equivalent of the 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 travel time) during which he or she is 
        engaged in the actual performance of duties as a member of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Government employees.--A member of the Commission who 
        is an officer or employee of the United States Government shall 
        serve without additional compensation.
    (b) Travel.--Members of the Commission shall be reimbursed for 
travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them in 
the performance of their duties.

SEC. 7. STAFF OF COMMISSION; EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.

    (a) Staff.--
            (1) Appointment.--The chairman of the Commission may, 
        without regard to the civil service laws and regulations, 
        appoint and terminate an executive director and such other 
        personnel as are necessary to enable the Commission to perform 
        its duties. The employment of an executive director shall be 
        subject to confirmation by the Commission.
            (2) Compensation.--The chairman of the Commission may fix 
        the compensation of the executive director and other personnel 
        without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter 
        II 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 the executive director and 
        other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level V of 
        the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title.
    (b) Experts and Consultants.--The Commission may procure temporary 
and intermittent services of experts and consultants under section 
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 8. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings and Meetings.--The Commission or, on authorization of 
the Commission, a member of the Commission may hold such hearings, sit 
and act at such time and places, take such testimony, and receive such 
evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. The Commission or a 
member of the Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to 
witnesses appearing before it.
    (b) Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly from any 
Federal department, agency, or court information necessary to enable it 
to carry out this Act. Upon request of the chairman of the Commission, 
the head of a Federal department or agency or chief judge of a Federal 
court shall furnish such information to the Commission.
    (c) Facilities and Support Services.--The Administrator of General 
Services shall provide to the Commission on a reimbursable basis such 
facilities and support services as the Commission may request. Upon 
request of the Commission, the head of a Federal department or agency 
may make any of the facilities or services of the agency available to 
the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties 
under this Act.
    (d) Expenditures and Contracts.--The Commission or, on 
authorization of the Commission, a member of the Commission may make 
expenditures and enter into contracts for the procurement of such 
supplies, services, and property as the Commission or member considers 
appropriate for the purposes of carrying out the duties of the 
Commission. Such expenditures and contracts may be made only to such 
extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts.
    (e) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal departments 
and agencies of the United States.
    (f) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or 
donations of services or property.

SEC. 9. REPORT.

    The Commission shall submit to the Congress and the President a 
report not later than 2 years after the date of its first meeting. The 
report shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and 
conclusions of the Commission, together with its recommendations for 
such legislative or administrative action as it considers appropriate.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist on the date that is 30 days 
after the date on which it submits its report under section 9.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $3,500,000 to carry out this 
Act for each fiscal year for the duration of the Commission.
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