[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4777 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4777

       To establish the Commission on Gasoline and Fuel Pricing.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2000

  Ms. Kaptur introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       To establish the Commission on Gasoline and Fuel Pricing.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Commission on 
Gasoline and Fuel Pricing Act of 2000''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) During the first 6 months of the year 2000, gasoline 
        and natural gas prices increased as much as 100 percent in 
        several regions of the United States.
            (2) For many families and businesses, the increase in 
        gasoline prices has become an emergency as costs are rising 
        faster than their ability to keep pace.
            (3) Trucking and transport firms, petroleum fuel-dependent 
        businesses, homeowners, farmers, and even charitable 
        organizations whose transportation budgets are being pushed 
        over their projected expenditures are feeling the crunch of 
        rising fuel prices.
            (4) The growing dependence of the United States economy on 
        foreign oil is a national strategic vulnerability, as imported 
        crude has doubled in price to over $30 per barrel with 
        resulting price increases being passed on to consumers. In 
        regions such as the Midwest, gasoline is selling at the pump 
        for $2.00 per gallon or more.
            (5) Refining capacity in the United States has diminished 
        over the past 20 years, resulting in historically low fuel 
        reserves in most regions of the United States.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``Commission 
on Gasoline and Fuel Pricing'' (in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    The duties of the Commission shall be to--
            (1) ascertain reasons for the spiraling, atypical increase 
        in retail prices of gasoline on both regional and national 
        levels;
            (2) determine to what extent the increased price of 
        gasoline is caused by market manipulation and the 
        anticompetitive practices of multinational oil companies, OPEC 
        production quotas, processor, refiner dealer, and distributor 
        market manipulations, as well as Government regulations 
        relating to reformulated gas and other environmental standards; 
        and
            (3) make recommendations as to how the United States can 
        move toward domestic energy self-sufficiency in this decade.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 5 
members appointed as follows:
            (1) 2 members appointed by the President.
            (2) 2 members appointed by the Congress.
            (3) 1 member appointed by the Chairperson of the Board of 
        Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
    (b) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of the 
Commission.
    (c) Basic Pay.--Members shall serve without pay.
    (d) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 
5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (e) Quorum.--Four members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (f) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall be 
elected by the members.
    (g) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
Chairperson or a majority of its members.

SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION; EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.

    (a) Director.--The Commission shall have a Director who shall be 
appointed by a majority of the members of the Commission.
    (b) Staff.--With the approval of the Commission, and without regard 
to section 5311(b) of title 5, United States Code, the Director may 
appoint and fix the pay of additional personnel as the Director 
considers appropriate.
    (c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The Director and 
staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the 
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in 
the competitive service, and 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 
an individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the annual 
rate of basic pay payable for GS-14 of the General Schedule.
    (d) Experts and Consultants.--With the approval of the Commission, 
the Director may procure temporary and intermittent services under 
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for 
individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual 
rate of basic pay payable for GS-14 of the General Schedule.
    (e) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Commission, the 
head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 
basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the 
Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.

SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 
take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers 
appropriate. The Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to 
witnesses appearing before it.
    (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the 
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action which 
the Commission is authorized to take by this section.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information 
necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the 
Chairperson of the Commission, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the Commission.
    (d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.
    (e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act.
    (f) Subpoena Power.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may issue subpoenas 
        requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the 
        production of any evidence relating to any matter which the 
        Commission is empowered to investigate by section 3. The 
        attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence may be 
        required from any place within the United States at any 
        designated place of hearing within the United States.
            (2) Failure to obey a subpoena.--If a person refuses to 
        obey a subpoena issued under paragraph (1), the Commission may 
        apply to a United States district court for an order requiring 
        that person to appear before the Commission to give testimony, 
        produce evidence, or both, relating to the matter under 
        investigation. The application may be made within the judicial 
        district where the hearing is conducted or where that person is 
        found, resides, or transacts business. Any failure to obey the 
        order of the court may be punished by the court as civil 
        contempt.
            (3) Service of subpoenas.--The subpoenas of the Commission 
        shall be served in the manner provided for subpoenas issued by 
        a United States district court under the Federal Rules of Civil 
        Procedure for the United States district courts.
            (4) Service of process.--All process of any court to which 
        application is be made under paragraph (2) may be served in the 
        judicial district in which the person required to be served 
        resides or may be found.

SEC. 7. REPORT.

    The Commission shall transmit a report to the Congress not later 
than October 1, 2000. The report shall contain a detailed statement of 
the findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with its 
recommendations for legislation the Commission considers appropriate.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate 60 days after submitting its final 
report pursuant to section 7. Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.; relating to the termination of 
advisory committees) shall not apply to the Commission.

SEC. 9. BUDGET ACT COMPLIANCE.

    Any spending authority (as defined in subparagraphs (A) and (C) of 
section 401(c)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 
651(c)(2)(A) and (C))) authorized by this Act shall be effective only 
to such extent and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation 
Acts.
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