[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3749 Introduced in House (IH)]


109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3749

 To establish a national commission to address the rebirth and renewal 
    of neighborhoods and communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 13, 2005

  Mr. Leach introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a national commission to address the rebirth and renewal 
    of neighborhoods and communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.

    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 ``Gulf State Community Renewal 
Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Whereas Hurricane Katrina's devastation is colossal in scope;
    Whereas it poses a massive national redevelopment obligation; and
    Whereas the expertise of America's professionals in the fields of 
city and regional planning, architecture, home building, and finance is 
required.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is established the Gulf State Community Renewal Commission 
(in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 4. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of the Commission are to--
            (1) examine, evaluate, and report on the rebuilding of 
        communities in both urban and rural areas that were affected by 
        Hurrican Katrina;
            (2) identify actions necessary for rebuilding such 
        communities, and neighborhoods and town centers in such 
        communities;
            (3) identify professions and resources available to such 
        communities to assist in such rebuilding; and
            (4) create models and plans for such rebuilding that 
        address--
                    (A) transportation needs;
                    (B) economic development and job creation;
                    (C) the tourism industry;
                    (D) housing needs;
                    (E) agriculture development;
                    (F) environmental concerns;
                    (G) natural disaster mitigation; and
                    (H) any other areas of the public and private 
                sectors determined relevant by the Commission.

SEC. 5. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Members.--Subject to the requirements of subsection (b), the 
Commission shall be composed of 21 members, appointed by the President, 
who shall include--
            (1) not less than 11 members who are experts in city or 
        regional planning issues;
            (2) not less than 3 members who are historians or otherwise 
        employed in academic institutions;
            (3) not less than 3 members who are hombuilders, 
        architects, or contractors;
            (4) not less than 2 members who are experts in mortgage 
        finance; and
            (5) not less than 2 members who are experts in small 
        business issues.
    (b) Qualifications.--
            (1) State representation.--The Commission shall include a 
        total of 14 members from the States of Alabama, Mississippi, 
        and Louisiana, and 7 members representative of other States.
    (c) Deadline for Appointment.--All members of the Commission shall 
be appointed on or before October 30, 2005.
    (d) Chairperson; Vice Chairpersons.--The Commission shall have a 
chairperson and two vice chairpersons, with a resident of each State 
referred to in subsection (b)(1) holding one of the three positions.
    (e) Initial Meeting.--The Commission shall meet and begin the 
operations of the Commission as soon as practicable after appointment 
of all the members.
    (f) Quorum; Vacancies.--After its initial meeting, the Commission 
shall meet upon the call of the Chairperson or a majority of its 
members. 11 members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum. Any 
vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be 
filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.

SEC. 6. FUNCTIONS.

    The functions of the Commission are--
            (1) to hold such hearings and conduct such examinations and 
        studies as may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of the 
        Commission under section 2; and
            (2) to submit to the President and Congress such reports as 
        are required by section 10 containing such findings, 
        conclusions, and recommendations as the Commission shall 
        determine regarding actions, plans, and models for rebuilding 
        neighborhoods and communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.

SEC. 7. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for purposes of 
carrying out this Act hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 
take testimony, receive evidence, and administer oaths.
    (b) Contracting.--The Commission may enter, to such extent and in 
such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, into contracts to 
enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this Act.
    (c) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure 
directly from any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United 
States any information related to any inquiry of the Commission 
conducted under this Act. Each such department, agency, or 
instrumentality shall, to the extent authorized by law, furnish such 
information directly to the Commission upon request.
    (d) Assistance From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) General services administration.--The Administrator of 
        General Services shall provide to the Commission on a 
        reimbursable basis administrative support and other services 
        for the performance of the Commission's functions.
            (2) Other departments and agencies.--In addition to the 
        assistance prescribed in paragraph (1), departments and 
        agencies of the United States are authorized to provide to the 
        Commission such services, funds, facilities, staff, and other 
        support services as they may determine advisable and as may be 
        authorized by law.
    (e) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States 
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as departments 
and agencies of the United States.
    (f) Powers of Subcommittees, Members, and Agents.--Any 
subcommittee, member, or agent of the Commission may take, if 
authorized by the Commission, any action which the Commission is 
authorized to take by this section.

SEC. 8. STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Director.--The Commission shall have a Director who shall be 
appointed by the Chairperson.
    (b) Staff.--The Chairperson, in consultation with the Vice 
Chairpersons, may appoint additional personnel as may be necessary to 
enable the Commission to carry out its functions.
    (c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The Director and 
staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to the 
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in 
the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the 
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title 
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates; except that 
no rate of pay fixed under this subsection may exceed the equivalent of 
that payable for a position at level V of the Executive Schedule under 
section 5316 of title 5, United States Code. Any individual appointed 
under subsection (a) or (b) shall be treated as an employee for 
purposes of chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, and 90 of such title.
    (d) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to 
the Commission without reimbursement from the Commission, and such 
detailee shall retain the rights, status, and privileges of his or her 
regular employment without interruption.
    (e) Consultant Services.--The Commission is authorized to procure 
the services of experts and consultants in accordance with section 3109 
of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed the daily 
rate paid a person occupying a position at level IV of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 9. COMPENSATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES.

    (a) Compensation.--Each member of the Commission may be compensated 
at not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
in effect for a position at level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day during which 
that member is engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the 
Commission.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--While away from their homes or regular places 
of business in the performance of services for the Commission, members 
of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem 
in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed 
intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under 
section 5703(b) of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 10. REPORTS; TERMINATION.

    (a) Initial Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
first meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to the 
President and the Congress an initial report containing such findings, 
conclusions, and recommendations for the rebuilding of communities and 
neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Katrina as have been agreed to by a 
majority of Commission members.
    (b) Incremental Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the 
President and the Congress an incremental report containing such 
findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the rebuilding of 
communities and neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Katrina as have 
been agreed to by a majority of Commission members, at each of the 
following times:
            (1) Not later than 12 months after the submission of the 
        initial report of the Commission.
            (2) Not later than 24 months after the submission of the 
        initial report of the Commission.
    (c) Termination.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission, and all the authorities of 
        this Act, shall terminate 60 days after the date on which the 
        second incremental report is submitted under subsection (b)(2).
            (2) Administrative activities before termination.--The 
        Commission may use the 60-day period referred to in paragraph 
        (1) for the purpose of concluding its activities, including 
        providing testimony to committees of Congress concerning its 
        reports.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission to carry 
out this Act $7,500,000. Such funds shall remain available until 
expended.
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