[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 561 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 561

To establish the Bipartisan Commission on Election Reform to study and 
make recommendations on issues affecting the conduct and administration 
       of elections in the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2001

 Mr. Dingell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 
   the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Bipartisan Commission on Election Reform to study and 
make recommendations on issues affecting the conduct and administration 
       of elections in the United States, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Election Reform Commission Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is hereby established a commission to be known as the 
Bipartisan Commission on Election Reform (hereafter in this Act 
referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 17 
members who shall be appointed as follows:
            (1) 4 members shall be appointed by the President, of whom 
        not more than 2 may be affiliated with the same political 
        party.
            (2) 3 members shall be appointed by the majority leader of 
        the Senate.
            (3) 3 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
        the Senate.
            (4) 3 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (5) 3 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
        the House of Representatives.
            (6) 1 member (who shall serve as the Chair of the 
        Commission) shall be appointed jointly by the President, the 
        majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the 
        Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the 
        minority leader of the House of Representatives.
    (b) Terms.--Members of the Commission shall be appointed not later 
than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act. Appointments 
shall be for the life of the Commission.
    (c) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its 
powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original 
appointment.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) 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.
            (2) Additional meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the 
        call of the Chair or a majority of its members.
    (e) Quorum.--A majority of the Commission shall constitute a quorum 
for the transaction of business.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall examine issues affecting the 
conduct and administration of elections for Federal, State, and local 
offices in the United States and make recommendations on its findings.
    (b) Specific Issues To Be Addressed.--Among other issues the 
Commission determines are relevant, the Commission shall examine and 
make recommendations on the following issues:
            (1) Electoral college.--Issues relating to the electoral 
        college, including its impact on voter turnout and alternative 
        methods of allocating electoral votes among candidates.
            (2) Voter registration.--Issues relating to voter 
        registration, including the impact and effectiveness of the 
        National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the feasibility and 
        effectiveness of permitting voter registration on the day of an 
        election, and the feasibility and effectiveness of permitting 
        voter registration through the use of the Internet.
            (3) Ballot design and technology.--Issues relating to the 
        design of ballots and the technology used to process and count 
        ballots, including whether certain types of voting equipment 
        and technology are more likely to result in undercounted or 
        uncounted votes, the advantages of uniform ballot designs, the 
        need for uniform standards for the design and maintenance of 
        voting equipment and technology, and steps the Federal 
        Government may take to reduce counting errors, including 
        providing need-based grants to enable State and local 
        governments to replace outdated equipment and prohibiting 
the use or sale of voting equipment which produces disproportionately 
high error rates.
            (4) Polling places.--Issues relating to the timing of 
        elections and the quality of services provided at polling 
        places, including the feasibility and effectiveness of 
        establishing a uniform poll closing time across the United 
        States, establishing Election Day as a Federal public holiday, 
        holding elections over a weekend or over other multiple days, 
        ensuring an appropriate number of accessible polling places, 
        ensuring that workers at polling places have sufficient 
        training, and providing education to voters in the mechanics of 
        voting.
            (5) Ballot access.--Issues relating to alternative methods 
        of casting votes in elections, including voting through the use 
        of the mails or the Internet, ensuring the absent military and 
        overseas voters are able to cast votes in an effective and 
        timely manner, and ensuring that election officials are able to 
        verify the legality of votes cast outside of polling places.
    (c) Final Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the 
initial meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to 
Congress and the President a final report which includes an analysis of 
the matters discussed under subsection (b) and recommendations for 
addressing the problems identified as part of the Commission's 
analysis.
    (d) Separate Views.--Any member of the Commission may submit 
additional findings and recommendations as part of the final report.

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 
evidence as the Commission may find advisable to fulfill the 
requirements of this Act. The Commission may administer oaths and 
affirmations to witnesses appearing before the Commission.
    (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 Chair 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.
    (d) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the Chair 
of the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide 
to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services that are necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its 
duties under this Act.

SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members.--Each member of the Commission who is 
not an officer or employee of the Federal Government 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 such member is engaged in the performance of 
the duties of the Commission. All members of the Commission who are 
officers or employees of the United States shall serve without 
compensation in addition to that received for their services as 
officers or employees of the United States.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Commission shall be 
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter 1 of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes 
or regular places of business in the performance of services for the 
Commission.
    (c) Staff.--(1) The Chair of the Commission may appoint and 
terminate 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.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the date on which it 
submits its final report under section 4(c).

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary for the Commission to carry out this Act.
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