[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 47 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 47

   To establish a commission to study the impact on voter turnout of 
 making the deadline for filing federal income tax returns conform to 
                     the date of federal elections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 19, 1999

    Mr. Kyl introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a commission to study the impact on voter turnout of 
 making the deadline for filing federal income tax returns conform to 
                     the date of 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 ``Voter Turnout Enhancement Study 
Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that:
            (1) The right of citizens of the United States to vote is a 
        fundamental right.
            (2) It is the duty of federal, state, and local governments 
        to promote the exercise of that right to vote to the greatest 
        extent possible.
            (3) The power to tax is a power that citizens of the United 
        States only guardedly vest in their elected representatives to 
        the federal, state, and local governments.
            (4) The only regular contacts most Americans have with 
        their government are the filing of their personal income tax 
        returns and their participation in federal, state, and local 
        elections.
            (5) About 115 million individual income tax returns were 
        filed in 1998, but only about 70 million Americans cast votes 
        in that year's congressional elections.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the Voter Turnout Enhancement Study Commission (hereafter in this 
Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of nine 
        members of whom--
            (A) 3 shall be appointed by the President;
            (B) 3 shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of the 
        Senate; and
            (C) 3 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (c) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--Members shall be appointed 
no later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
serve for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission 
shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as 
the original appointment.
    (d) Compensation.--
            (1) Rates of pay.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        members of the Commission shall serve without pay.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Commission shall 
        receive travel expenses, include per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 
        5, United States Code.
    (e) Initial Meeting.--No later than 30 days after the date on which 
all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall 
hold its first meeting.
    (f) Meetings.--After the initial meeting, the Commission shall meet 
at the call of the Chairman.
    (g) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
    (h) Chairman and Vice Chairman.--The Commission shall select a 
Chairman and Vice Chairman from among its members.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall conduct a thorough 
        study of all matters relating to the propriety of conforming 
        the annual filing date for federal income tax returns with the 
        date for holding biennial federal elections.
            (2) Matters studied.--The matters studied by the Commission 
        shall include--
                    (A) whether establishment of a single date on which 
                individuals can fulfill their obligations of 
                citizenship as both electors and taxpayers would 
                increase participation in federal, state, and local 
                elections; and
                    (B) a cost-benefit analysis of any change in tax 
                filing deadlines.
    (b) Report.--No later than 12 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit a report to the 
President and the Congress which shall contain a detailed statement of 
the findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with its 
recommendations for such legislation and administrative actions as it 
considers appropriate.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act 
at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such 
information as the Commission considers advisable to carry out the 
purposes of this Act.
    (b) Information To Be Gathered.--The Commission shall obtain 
information from sources as it deems appropriate, including, but not 
limited to, taxpayers and their representatives, Governors, state and 
federal election officials, and the Commissioner of the Internal 
Revenue Service.

SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall terminate upon the submission of the report 
under section 4.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.

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