[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 163 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 163

 To establish a special committee of the Senate to study the causes of 
                     firearms violence in America.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 26, 1999

 Mrs. Boxer submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
               the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 To establish a special committee of the Senate to study the causes of 
                     firearms violence in America.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) In the past eleven years, nearly 400,000 Americans have 
        died from gunshots, and about 35,000 Americans will die in 1999 
        because of gun violence;
            (2) Death by gunshots is the second leading cause of 
        accidental death in the United States and is expected to become 
        the number one cause within the next four years;
            (3) Treating gunshot injuries costs the American health 
        care system approximately $4.5 billion annually, with 80 
        percent of the costs paid for by the public in tax dollars or 
        cost-shifting.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a special committee of the 
Senate to be known as the Special Committee on Firearms Violence 
(hereafter in this resolution referred to as the ``special 
committee'').
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the special committee is--
            (1) to study the causes of firearms violence in America;
            (2) to make such findings of fact as are warranted and 
        appropriate, including the impact of firearms violence on the 
        well-being of American children; and
            (3) to explore ways to reduce firearms violence in America, 
        including increasing controls on the sale and distribution of 
        firearms, and to make recommendations for such legislation and 
        administrative actions as the special committee determines to 
        be necessary and appropriate.
No proposed legislation shall be referred to the special committee, nor 
shall the special committee have power to report by bill or otherwise 
have legislative jurisdiction.
    (c) Treatment as Standing Committee.--For purposes of paragraphs 1, 
2, 7(a) (1) and (2), and 10(a) of rule XXVI and rule XXVII of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, and section 202 (i) and (j) of the 
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, the special committee shall be 
treated as a standing committee of the Senate.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION.

    (a) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--the special committee shall consist of 7 
        members of the Senate--
                    (A) 4 of whom shall be appointed by the President 
                pro tempore of the Senate from the majority party of 
                the Senate upon the recommendation of the Majority 
                Leader of the Senate; and
                    (B) 3 of whom shall be appointed by the President 
                pro tempore of the Senate from the minority party of 
                the Senate upon the recommendation of the Minority 
                Leader of the Senate.
            (2) Vacancies.--Vacancies in the membership of the special 
        committee shall not affect the authority of the remaining 
        members to execute the functions of the special committee and 
        shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments are 
        made.
            (3) Service.--For the purpose of paragraph 4 of rule XXV of 
        the Standing Rules of the Senate, service of a Senator as a 
        member, chairman, or vice chairman of the special committee 
        shall not be taken into account.
    (b) Chairman.--The chairman of the special committee shall be 
selected by the Majority Leader of the Senate and the vice chairman of 
the special committee shall be selected by the Minority Leader of the 
Senate. The vice chairman shall discharge such responsibilities as the 
special committee or the chairman may assign.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--For the purposes of this resolution, the special 
committee is authorized, in its discretion--
            (1) to make expenditures from the contingent fund of the 
        Senate;
            (2) to employ personnel;
            (3) to hold hearings;
            (4) to sit and act at any time or place during the 
        sessions, recesses, and adjourned periods of the Senate;
            (5) to require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance of 
        witnesses and the production of correspondence, books, papers, 
        and documents;
            (6) to take depositions and other testimony;
            (7) to procure the services of individual consultations or 
        organizations thereof, in accordance with the provisions of 
        section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946; 
        and
            (8) with the prior consent of the Government department or 
        agency concerned and the Committee on Rules and Administration, 
        to use on a nonreimbursable basis the services of personnel of 
        any such department or agency.
    (b) Oaths for Witnesses.--The chairman of the special committee or 
any member thereof may administer oaths to witnesses.
    (c) Subpoenas.--Subpoenas authorized by the special committee may 
be--
            (1) issued over the signature of the chairman after 
        consultation with the vice chairman, or any member of the 
        special committee designated by the chairman after consultation 
        with the vice chairman; and
            (2) served by any person designated by the chairman or the 
        member signing the subpoena.
    (d) Other Committee Staff.--The special committee may use, with the 
prior consent of the chairman of any other Senate committee or the 
chairman of any subcommittee of any committee of the Senate and on a 
nonreimbursable basis, the facilities or services of any members of the 
staff of such other Senate committee whenever the special committee or 
its chairman, following consultation with the vice chairman, considers 
that such action is necessary or appropriate to enable the special 
committee to make the investigation and study provided for in this 
resolution.

SEC. 4. REPORT AND TERMINATION.

    The special committee shall report its findings, together with such 
recommendations as it deems appropriate, to the Senate prior to 
December 31, 2000.

SEC. 5. FUNDING.

    (a) In General.--From the date this resolution is agreed to through 
December 31, 2000, the expenses of the special committee incurred under 
this resolution shall be paid out of the miscellaneous items account of 
the contingent fund of the Senate and shall not exceed $250,000 for the 
period beginning on the date of adoption of this resolution through 
March 1, 2000, and $250,000 for the period of March 1, 2000 through 
December 31, 2000, of which amount not to exceed $75,000 shall be 
available for each period for the procurement of the services of 
individual consultants, or organization thereof, as authorized by 
section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 
72a(i)).
    (b) Payment of Benefits.--The retirement and health benefits of 
employees of the special committee shall be paid out of the 
miscellaneous items account of the contingent fund of the Senate.
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