[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5647 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5647

   To establish the Federal Elections Review Commission to study the 
   nature and consequences of the Federal electoral process and make 
 recommendations to ensure the integrity of, and public confidence in, 
                           Federal elections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 8, 2000

 Mr. Lampson (for himself, Mrs. Morella, and Mr. Rodriguez) introduced 
   the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the Federal Elections Review Commission to study the 
   nature and consequences of the Federal electoral process and make 
 recommendations to ensure the integrity of, and public confidence in, 
                           Federal elections.

    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 ``21st Century Election Rules and 
Technology Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION; MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Federal Elections 
Review Commission (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Commission shall be to study the 
nature and consequences of the Federal electoral process and make 
recommendations to ensure the integrity of, and public confidence in, 
Federal elections.
    (c) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 12 members, 
who shall be appointed as follows:
            (1) Three members shall be appointed by the President pro 
        tempore of the Senate based on recommendations by the majority 
        leader of the Senate.
            (2) Three members shall be appointed by the President pro 
        tempore of the Senate based on recommendations of the minority 
        leader of the Senate.
            (3) Three members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (4) Three members shall be appointed by the minority leader 
        of the House of Representatives.
    (d) Qualifications of Members.--Members shall be appointed to the 
Commission from among individuals who--
            (1) have expertise in Federal election laws, election and 
        information technology, the United States Constitution, and the 
        history of the United States, or other pertinent qualifications 
        or experience; and
            (2) are not officers or employees of the United States.
    (e) Other Considerations.--In appointing members of the Commission, 
every effort shall be made to ensure that the members--
            (1) represent a broad cross section of regional and 
        political perspectives in the United States; and
            (2) are individuals who will provide fresh insights to 
        analyzing the Federal electoral process in order to maintain 
        the integrity and accuracy of, and public confidence in, such 
        process.
    (f) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--(1) Members of the 
Commission shall be appointed not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act. Appointments shall be for the life of the 
Commission.
    (2) Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the powers of 
the Commission, and shall be filled in the same manner as the original 
appointment.
    (g) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission 
shall hold its first meeting.
    (h) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The members of the 
Commission shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from among 
the members of the Commission.
    (i) Additional Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of 
the chairperson.
    (j) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
    (k) Voting.--A vote of a member of the Commission with respect to 
the duties of the Commission shall have the same weight as the vote of 
any other member of the Commission.

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall examine and report on the 
nature and consequences of the Federal electoral process, and shall 
include in its report recommendations to ensure the integrity of, and 
public confidence in, Federal elections.
    (b) Specific Issues To Be Addressed.--In conducting its examination 
and preparing its report under this Act, the Commission shall address 
(at a minimum) the following issues:
            (1) The current election technology used by States and 
        local governments across the Nation, the current best practices 
of election technology, and the need for research and development 
regarding new election technologies.
            (2) The need for new practices and technologies to aid 
        voters with disabilities.
            (3) Voter registration issues, including same-day 
        registration, universal registration, the impact of the voter 
        registration requirements of the National Voter Registration 
        Act of 1993 (commonly known as the ``Motor Voter Act''), and 
        the accuracy of voter registration rolls.
            (4) Ballot access issues, including the role of mail-in 
        balloting in Federal elections, the distinction between mail-in 
        and absentee balloting, the uniformity or lack of uniformity in 
        the deadlines established for the receipt of such ballots, and 
        the possibility of fraud associated with the use of such 
        ballots.
            (5) The financial, training, and resource needs of State 
        and local election agencies.
            (6) The feasibility and advisability of voting through the 
        Internet.
            (7) The impact of polling place closing times (including an 
        analysis of the feasibility and advisability of establishing a 
        uniform national poll closing time for Presidential elections), 
        the number and accessibility of polling places, and training of 
        poll workers.
            (8) The impact of the physical ballot design, including the 
        technology used to cast and count votes and the uniformity of 
        such technology and a consideration of a uniform design 
        standard, and the impact of the language used on ballots, 
        including the need for simplicity of language and the 
        feasibility and advisability of using foreign language.
            (9) The adequacy of the options available to voters and 
        candidates to seek redress for electoral irregularities.

SEC. 4. FINAL REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the 
initial meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to the 
President, the Federal Election Commission, and the Congress a final 
report including--
            (1) the findings and conclusions of the Commission; and
            (2) recommendations of the Commission for addressing the 
        problems identified by its analysis.
    (b) Separate Views.--Any member of the Commission may submit 
additional findings and recommendations as part of the final report.

SEC. 5. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act 
at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such 
evidence as the Commission may find advisable to fulfill the 
requirements of this Act. The Commission shall hold at least one 
hearing in the District of Columbia, and at least four hearings in 
other regions of the United States.
    (b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure 
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the 
Commission considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Upon request of the chairperson of the Commission, the head of such 
department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.
    (c) Postal Services.--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.

SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation.--Each member of the Commission shall be 
compensated 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 performance of 
the duties of the Commission.
    (b) Staff.--(1) The chairperson of the Commission may appoint staff 
of the Commission, request the detail of Federal employees, and accept 
temporary and intermittent services in accordance with section 3161 of 
title 5, United States Code.
    (2) The employment of an executive director of the Commission shall 
be subject to the approval of the Commission.
    (3) The rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel 
of the Commission may not exceed the rate payable for level V of the 
Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.

SEC. 7. SUPPORT SERVICES.

    The Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission on a reimbursable basis such administrative support services 
as the Commission may request.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate not later than the date that is 30 
days after the date the Commission submits its final report under 
section 4.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for the 
Commission to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>