[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 656 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 656

    To establish the National Commission on Youth Crime and School 
                               Violence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 7, 2003

 Ms. Granger introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the National Commission on Youth Crime and School 
                               Violence.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.

     There is established a commission to be known as the ``National 
Commission on Youth Crime and School Violence'' (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 2. DUTY OF COMMISSION.

     The Commission shall make recommendations on how to deter youth 
crime and protect children from violence in schools.

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 8 
members appointed from among persons who are not officers or employees 
of any government, as follows:
            (1) 2 members appointed by the President.
            (2) 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (3) 2 members appointed by the Majority Leader of the 
        Senate.
            (4) 1 member appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
        Senate.
            (5) 1 member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House 
        of Representatives.
    (b) Term of Office.--
            (1) In general.--Each member shall be appointed for the 
        life of the Commission.
            (2) Special rule.--A member who is appointed to the 
        Commission and who becomes an officer or employee of a 
        government may not continue as a member.
    (c) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (d) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall be 
elected by the members. For purposes of such election, the provisional 
Chairperson shall be designated by the President.
    (e) Pay and Travel Expenses.--
            (1) Rate of pay.--Each Commission member shall each be paid 
        at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the minimum annual 
        rate of basic pay payable 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 members are 
        engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the 
        Commission.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Each Commission member shall receive 
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United 
        States Code.

SEC. 4. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

    (a) Director.--The Commission shall appoint a Director without 
regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, United States Code. The Director 
shall be paid at the rate of basic pay payable for level IV of the 
Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.
    (b) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Director, 
        with the approval of the Commission, may appoint and fix the 
        pay of additional personnel.
            (2) Inapplicability of certain civil service laws.--The 
        Director may make such appointments subject to the provisions 
        of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the 
        competitive service, and any personnel so appointed shall be 
        paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates.
    (c) Staff of Federal Agencies.--On request of the Commission, the 
head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 
basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the 
Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.
    (d) Administrative Support Services.--On the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall meet at the call of 
        the Chairperson.
            (2) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission 
        shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold 
        hearings.
    (b) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 
take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers 
appropriate.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information 
necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the 
Commission, the head of that department or agency shall furnish that 
information to the Commission.
    (d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    (a) Interim Report.--Within 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the Speaker, the 
Minority Leader, and Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives, and the Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, an interim report on the 
activities of the Commission under this Act.
    (b) Final Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall transmit to the officials 
specified in subsection (a) a final report. The final report shall 
contain a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the 
Commission, together with its recommendations for legislation, 
administrative action, and such other action as the Commission 
considers appropriate.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

     The Commission shall terminate 15 days after submitting its final 
report pursuant to section 6(b).
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