[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5233 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5233

        To establish the National Commission on Budget Concepts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2000

Mr. Radanovich introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on the Budget

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
        To establish the National Commission on Budget Concepts.

    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 Commission on Budget 
Concepts Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The conceptual framework of the budget, which is 
        central to Federal planning and policy, has not been 
        comprehensively reviewed for over 30 years.
            (2) Over those years, there has been a significant change 
        in the way that policy makers and economists view the role of 
        government in the economy.
            (3) In addition, major changes have occurred in the scope 
        of Federal activity, in the economy, in the use of the budget 
        for fiscal policy purposes, and in information technology.
            (4) Because the Federal budget is inherently complex, 
        budget concepts may need to be modified to increase public 
        understanding of the operation of the Federal Government and 
        its impact on the economy.
            (5) Federal budget concepts should be reviewed and, if 
        appropriate, revised in light of the best current thinking in 
        accounting, budgeting, and economics.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish the National 
Commission on Budget Concepts to review the current structure, 
concepts, classifications, and bases of accounting of the Federal 
budget and to report recommendations to the President and Congress for 
modifications that would enhance the usefulness of the budget for 
public policy and financial planning.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL COMMISSION ON BUDGET CONCEPTS.

    There is established a commission to be known as the National 
Commission on Budget Concepts (hereinafter referred to as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 13 members, as 
follows:
            (1) The chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the 
        Senate.
            (2) The chairman of the Committee on the Budget of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (3) The ranking member of the Committee on the Budget of 
        the Senate.
            (4) The ranking member of the Committee on the Budget of 
        the House of Representatives.
            (5) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
            (6) The Comptroller General of the United States.
            (7) The Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
            (8) The Secretary of the Treasury.
            (9) One member appointed by the majority leader of the 
        Senate.
            (10) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (11) One member appointed by the minority leader of the 
        Senate.
            (12) One member appointed by the minority leader of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (13) One member appointed by the President of the United 
        States.
    (b) Qualifications and Term.--
            (1) Qualifications.--Members appointed to the Commission 
        pursuant to subsection (a) shall--
                    (A) have expertise and experience in the fields or 
                disciplines related to the subject areas to be 
                considered by the Commission; and
                    (B) not be Members of Congress, officers, or 
                employees of the Federal Government.
            (2) Term of appointment.--The term of an appointment to the 
        Commission shall be for the life of the Commission.
            (3) Chair and vice chair.--The appointee under subsection 
        (a)(13) shall be the Chair of the Commission. A Vice Chair may 
        be elected and shall assume the duties of the Chair in the 
        Chair's absence.
    (c) Meetings; Quorum; Vacancies; and Procedures.--
            (1) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at least once a 
        month on a day to be decided by the Commission. The Commission 
        may meet at such other times at the call of the Chair or of a 
        majority of its members. The meetings of the Commission shall 
        be open to the public, unless by public vote, the Commission 
        shall determine to close a meeting or any portion of a meeting 
        to the public.
            (2) Quorum.--A simple majority of the full membership shall 
        constitute a quorum of the Commission, except that five members 
        may conduct hearings.
    (d) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled in the 
same manner in which the original appointment was filled under 
subsection (a).
    (e) Procedures.--The Commission shall adopt administrative and 
procedural rules that are consistent with this section, the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act, and the General Service Administration 
guidelines thereunder.
    (f) Compensation and Expenses.--Members of the Commission shall 
receive no additional pay, allowance, or benefits by reason of their 
service on the Commission. Each member appointed from outside of the 
Federal Government, while engaged in the performance of Commission 
duties away from their homes, regular place of business, or official 
duty station, may receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu 
of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under 
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 5. STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

    (a) Staff.--With the advance approval of the Commission, the 
executive director may appoint such personnel as is appropriate. The 
staff of the Commission, including any experts or consultants, shall be 
appointed without regard to political affiliation and without regard to 
the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments 
in the competitive service, the provision of chapter 51 and subchapter 
III of chapter 53 of such title, and without regard to section 5 of 
title 41, United States Code (relating to classifications and General 
Schedule).
    (b) Executive Director.--The Chairman shall appoint an executive 
director, who shall be paid the rate of basic pay for level II of the 
Executive Schedule.
    (c) Experts and Consultants.--With the advance approval of the 
Commission, the executive director may procure by contract the 
temporary and intermittent services of experts and consultants without 
regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
appointments in the competitive service.
    (d) Technical and Administrative Assistance.--Upon the request of 
the Commission--
            (1) the head of any agency, office, or establishment within 
        the Executive or Legislative Branches of the United States 
        Government shall provide, without reimbursement, such technical 
        assistance as the Commission determines is necessary to carry 
        out its duties; and
            (2) the Administrator of the General Services 
        Administration shall provide, on a reimbursable basis, such 
        administrative support services as the Commission may require.
    (e) Detail of Federal Personnel.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the head of an agency, office, or establishment in the 
Executive or Legislative branch of the United States Government is 
authorized to detail, without reimbursement, any of the personnel of 
that agency, office, or establishment to the Commission to assist the 
Commission in carrying out its duties. Any such detail shall not 
interrupt or otherwise affect the employment status or privileges of 
that employee.
    (f) Facilities and Support.--The Administrator of the General 
Services Administration shall locate suitable office space for the 
operation of the Commission and such facilities shall be furnished with 
all necessary equipment and incidentals required for the proper 
functioning of the Commission.

SEC. 6. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Duties of the Commission.--The Commission shall--
            (1) review the 1967 Report of the President's Commission on 
        Budget Concepts and assess the implementation of the 
        recommendations of that Report;
            (2) identify and evaluate structure, concepts, 
        classifications, and bases of accounting of the Federal budget;
            (3) identify any applicable general accounting principles 
        and practices in the private sector and evaluate their value to 
        budget practices in the Federal sector; and
            (4) report, in accordance with subsection (g), 
        recommendations for modifications to the structure, concepts, 
        classifications, and bases of accounting of the Federal budget 
        that would enhance the usefulness of the budget for public 
        policy and financial planning.
    (b) Powers of the Commission.--
            (1) Conduct of business.--The Commission may hold hearings, 
        take testimony, receive evidence, undertake such other 
        activities, as it determines necessary to carry out its duties.
            (2) Access to information.--(A) The Commission is 
        authorized to obtain directly from any Federal agency 
        information that the Commission determines is necessary to 
        carry out its duties. The Federal agency requested, shall 
        provide the information requested, but shall notify the 
        Commission if any of the information provided is protected from 
        disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, or 
        some similar statute.
            (B) Subject to section 552 of title 5, United States Code, 
        the records, reports, transcripts, minutes, and other documents 
        which were prepared by the Commission shall be available for 
        public inspection and copying in the office of the Commission. 
        Any documents made available to the Commission from sources 
        outside of the Commission, to which were attached notices that 
        the information is protected from disclosure, shall not be made 
        available by the Commission for inspection or copying.
            (3) Postal service.--The Commission may use the United 
        States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
        as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
            (4) Printing.--For purposes of cost relating to the 
        printing and binding, including the cost of any personnel 
        detailed from the Government Printing Office, the Commission 
        shall be deemed to be a committee of the Congress.

SEC. 7. REPORT.

    Not later than February 28, 2002, the Commission shall submit a 
report to the President and the Congress with recommendations for 
modifications to the current structure, concepts, classifications, and 
bases of accounting of the Federal budget. A detailed explanation of 
the basis of those recommendations and conclusions shall be included in 
the report. At the request of any Commission member, the report shall 
include that member's dissenting views or opinions.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the date of submission 
of the report required in section 7.

SEC. 9. FUNDING.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act. Sums so appropriated shall remain available 
until expended.

SEC. 10. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall become effective on January 31, 2001. The Commission 
shall not be considered constituted to conduct business until the 
earlier of the appointment of all appointed members or March 31, 2001.
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