[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4416 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4416

   To establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 2004

  Mr. Ehlers introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
      Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee.

    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 ``Great Lakes Protection and 
Restoration Committee Act''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES PROTECTION AND RESTORATION COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a committee to be known as 
the ``Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee'' (hereinafter 
referred to in this section as the ``Committee'').
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Committee is to conduct a study 
and report on programs established and carried out to achieve 
restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors of 
Great Lakes States and to make recommendations for prioritization of 
such goals, legislation and funding to achieve such goals, and 
improvement of coordination among programs and governments with respect 
to such goals.
    (c) Study and Report.--
            (1) Study.--The Committee shall conduct a study, based on 
        restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors 
        of Great Lakes States, to identify the best methods by which to 
        protect and restore the Great Lakes. The study shall include--
                    (A) an analysis of Federal and State funding for 
                the 10-year period ending on the date of the enactment 
                of this Act for programs established and carried out to 
                achieve the restoration goals, including an assessment 
                of the success of the programs; and
                    (B) an analysis of the expected accomplishments of 
                such programs for the 10-year period beginning on the 
                date of the enactment of this Act based on existing 
                funding levels for the programs.
            (2) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
        initial meeting of the Committee under subsection (e)(1), the 
        Committee shall submit to the President, Congress, and the 
        Governor of each Great Lakes State, and make available to the 
        national Government of Canada and the Premiers of the Provinces 
        of Ontario and Quebec, a report that includes--
                    (A) the results of the study, including a detailed 
                statement of the findings and conclusions of the 
                Committee;
                    (B) recommendations for the prioritization of the 
                restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the 
                Governors of the Great Lakes States;
                    (C) specific benchmarks for the 10-year period 
                beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act to 
                measure the achievement of such restoration goals;
                    (D) recommendations for proposed Federal and State 
                legislation for obtaining additional authority and 
                funding as necessary to achieve such restoration goals;
                    (E) recommendations for methods to improve 
                coordination among existing Federal, State, local, and 
                non-governmental programs established to achieve the 
                restoration goals prepared by the Governors of the 
                Great Lakes States; and
                    (F) recommendations for methods to improve 
                coordination between Federal, State, and local programs 
                in the United States and the national Government of 
                Canada and the Governments of the Provinces of Ontario 
                and Quebec with respect to environmental protection and 
                restoration activities in the Great Lakes.
    (d) Membership.--
            (1) Voting members.--The Committee shall be composed of 25 
        voting members, of whom--
                    (A) 8 members shall be the Governors of the Great 
                Lakes States (or designees of the Governors);
                    (B) 13 members shall be appointed by the President, 
                of whom--
                            (i) 1 member shall be a representative of 
                        the Department of the Interior;
                            (ii) 1 member shall be a representative of 
                        the Corps of Engineers;
                            (iii) 1 member shall be a representative of 
                        the Great Lakes National Program Office of the 
                        Environmental Protection Agency;
                            (iv) 1 member shall be a representative of 
                        the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                        Administration;
                            (v) 1 member shall be a representative of 
                        the Department of Agriculture; and
                            (vi) 8 members shall be chief executives of 
                        cities, counties, or municipalities in the 
                        Great Lakes Region, of whom 1 member shall be 
                        from each Great Lakes State;
                    (C) 1 member shall be appointed by the Speaker of 
                the House of Representatives;
                    (D) 1 member shall be appointed by the minority 
                leader of the House of Representatives;
                    (E) 1 member shall be appointed by the President 
                pro tempore of the Senate; and
                    (F) 1 member shall be appointed by the minority 
                leader of the Senate.
            (2) Nonvoting members.--The Committee shall include 10 
        nonvoting members appointed by the President, of whom--
                    (A) 2 members shall be representatives of the 
                environmental community;
                    (B) 2 members shall be representatives of industry;
                    (C) 2 members shall be representatives of the 
                scientific community with expertise on the 
                environmental conditions of the Great Lakes;
                    (D) 2 members shall be representatives of Indian 
                tribes located in the Great Lakes Region;
                    (E) 1 member shall be a United States Commissioner 
                of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission appointed under 
                section 3(a)(1) of the Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956 
                (16 U.S.C. 932(a)(1)); and
                    (F) 1 member shall be the Chair of the United 
                States Section of the International Joint Commission 
                established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.
            (3) Nonvoting observers.--The Committee may include 
        nonvoting observers, including--
                    (A) the Premiers of the Canadian Provinces of 
                Ontario and Quebec;
                    (B) a representative of the national Government of 
                Canada; and
                    (C) a representative of the Department of State.
            (4) Date of appointment.--The appointment of each member of 
        the Committee shall be made not later than 90 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
            (5) Term.--A member shall be appointed for the life of the 
        Committee.
            (6) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Committee--
                    (A) shall not affect the powers of the Committee; 
                and
                    (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the 
                original appointment was made.
            (7) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--The Committee shall 
        select a Chairperson from among the members of the Committee 
        described in paragraph (1)(A) and a Vice Chairperson from among 
        the members of the Committee appointed under clauses (i) 
        through (v) of paragraph (1)(B).
            (8) Compensation.--Members of the Committee shall serve 
        without pay.
            (9) Travel expenses.--A member of the Committee shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 
        5, United States Code.
    (e) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
        which all members of the Committee have been appointed, the 
        Committee shall hold the initial meeting of the Committee.
            (2) Subsequent.--The Committee shall meet at the call of 
        the Chairperson.
            (3) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members of the 
        Committee described in subsection (d)(1) shall constitute a 
        quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
    (f) Powers.--
            (1) Hearings.--The Committee may hold hearings, meet and 
        act, take testimony, and receive evidence as the Committee 
        considers advisable to carry out this Act.
            (2) Information from federal agencies.--
                    (A) In general.--The Committee may secure directly 
                from a Federal agency such information as the Committee 
                considers necessary to carry out this Act.
                    (B) Provision of information.--On request of the 
                Chairperson of the Committee, the head of the agency 
                shall provide the information to the Committee.
            (3) Postal services.--The Committee may use the United 
        States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
        as other agencies of the Federal Government.
            (4) Gifts.--The Committee may accept, use, and dispose of 
        gifts or donations of services or property.
    (g) Staff.--
            (1) Appointment.--
                    (A) Executive director.--The Committee may appoint 
                and terminate an executive director.
                    (B) Other staff.--The Chairperson of the Committee 
                may appoint and terminate such other additional 
                personnel as are necessary to enable the Committee to 
                perform the duties of the Committee.
            (2) Compensation.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the Chairperson of the Committee may fix the 
                compensation of the executive director and other 
                personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 
                51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United 
                States Code, relating to classification of positions 
                and General Schedule pay rates.
                    (B) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the 
                executive director and other personnel shall not exceed 
                the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule 
                under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
            (3) Detail of federal government employees.--
                    (A) In general.--An employee of the Federal 
                Government may be detailed to the Committee without 
                reimbursement.
                    (B) Civil service status.--The detail of the 
                employee shall be without interruption or loss of civil 
                service status or privilege.
            (4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
        The Chairperson of the Committee may procure temporary and 
        intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of 
        title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do 
        not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
        prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5316 of that title.
    (h) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate 90 days after the 
date on which the Committee submits the report of the Committee under 
subsection (c)(2).
    (i) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Great lakes.--The term ``Great Lakes'' means Lake Erie, 
        Lake Huron (including Lake Saint Clair), Lake Michigan, Lake 
        Ontario, Lake Superior, and the connecting channels of those 
        lakes, including the Saint Mary's River, the Saint Clair River, 
        the Detroit River, and the Saint Lawrence River to the Canadian 
        border.
            (2) Great lakes state.--The term ``Great Lakes State'' 
        means each of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, 
        Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
            (3) Great lakes region.--The term ``Great Lakes region'' 
        means the region comprised of the Great Lakes States.
            (4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
        authorization of appropriations under paragraph (1) are 
        authorized to remain available until the date of termination of 
        the Committee under subsection (h).
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