[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5911 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5911

 To establish the United States Commission to Monitor Slavery and its 
                         Eradication in Sudan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2006

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the United States Commission to Monitor Slavery and its 
                         Eradication in Sudan.

    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 ``Eradication of Slavery in Sudan Act 
of 2006''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION.

    (a) In General.--There is established the United States Commission 
to Monitor Slavery and its Eradication in Sudan (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of six 
        members, who shall be United States citizens who are not 
        employees of the Federal Government, and who shall be appointed 
        as follows:
                    (A) One member of the Commission shall be appointed 
                by the President.
                    (B) Two members of the Commission shall be 
                appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, 
                of whom one shall be appointed upon the recommendation 
                of the leader in the Senate of the political party that 
                is not the political party of the President, and of 
                whom shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the 
                leader in the Senate of the other political party.
                    (C) Two members of the Commission shall be 
                appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
                Representatives, of whom shall be appointed upon the 
                recommendation of the leader in the House of the 
                political party that is not the political party of the 
                President, and of whom one shall be appointed upon the 
                recommendation of the leader in the House of the other 
                political party.
            (2) Selection.--
                    (A) In general.--Members of the Commission shall be 
                selected from among distinguished individuals noted for 
                their knowledge and experience in fields relevant to 
                the issues of abduction and enslavement of persons in 
                Sudan, human rights, and international law.
                    (B) Security clearances.--Each member of the 
                Commission shall be required to obtain an appropriate 
                security clearance necessary to carry out the purposes 
                of this Act.
            (3) Time of appointment.--The appointments required under 
        paragraph (1) shall be made not later than 90 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Term of Office.--The term of office of each member of the 
Commission shall be three years. Members of the Commission shall be 
eligible for reappointment to a second term.
    (d) Time for Meetings and Elections of Chair.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 60 days after all the 
        appointments have been made under subsection (b), the 
        Commission shall hold its initial meeting.
            (2) Election of chair.--A majority of the members of the 
        Commission present and voting at the initial meeting shall 
        elect the Chair of the Commission.
            (3) Subsequent meetings.--Each year the Commission shall 
        meet at the call of the Chair or, if no Chair has been elected 
        for that calendar year, at the call of three voting members of 
        the Commission.
            (4) Subsequent elections of chair.--At the first meeting of 
        the Commission in each calendar year, a majority of the members 
        of the Commission present and voting shall elect the Chair of 
        the Commission.
    (e) Executive Director.--Not later than 60 days after the initial 
meeting under subsection (d)(1), the Chair, in consultation with the 
members of the Commission, shall hire an Executive Director.
    (f) Duties of Executive Director.--The Executive Director hired 
under subsection (e) shall--
            (1) prepare a workplan for the Commission's duties under 
        section 3;
            (2) devise a budget for the annual operations of the 
        Commission;
            (3) hire staff and consultants for the Commission;
            (4) develop working relationships with like-minded civil 
        society organizations; and
            (5) work with the General Services Administration to 
        identify offices for the Commission and take all necessary 
        actions for the Commission to occupy its space, acquire 
        equipment, and secure all necessary services.
    (g) Quorum.--Three voting members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum for purposes of conducting the affairs of the 
Commission.
    (h) Vacancies.--Any vacancy of the Commission shall not affect its 
powers, but shall be filled in the manner in which the original 
appointment was made.
    (i) Administrative Support.--The President shall provide working 
space for the Commission at no cost through the General Services 
Administration.
    (j) Funding.--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 I 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.

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall have as its primary 
responsibility--
            (1) reporting on progress made by the Government of Sudan 
        and nongovernmental organizations in identifying the location 
        of slaves in Sudan and ensuring their freedom;
            (2) working with the Government of Sudan to ensure safe 
        passage of freed slaves and family reunification;
            (3) documenting existing cases of slavery and working to 
        prevent new cases from occurring;
            (4) ensuring that former slaves have access to basic 
        education and skill training, as well as medical, social, and 
        psychological support needed for their effective rehabilitation 
        and reintegration into society; and
            (5) ensuring that those individuals responsible for slavery 
        are brought to justice.
    (b) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out its duties under this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at 
times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the 
Commission determines necessary.
    (c) Policy Review and Recommendations in Response to Failure To 
Eradicate Slavery.--The Commission, in evaluating United States 
Government policies in response to the failure of the Government of 
Sudan to eradicate slavery, shall consider and recommend options for 
actions to be taken by the United States Government with respect to the 
Government of Sudan, including diplomatic inquiries, diplomatic 
protest, official public protest, demarche of protest, condemnation 
within multilateral fora, delay or cancellation of cultural or 
scientific exchanges, delay or cancellation of working, official, or 
state visits, reduction or termination of certain assistance funds, 
imposition of targeted or broad trade sanctions, and withdrawal of the 
chief of mission.
    (d) Policy Review and Recommendations in Response to Progress.--The 
Commission may make policy recommendations to the Secretary of State 
with respect to matters involving the eradication of slavery in Sudan. 
The Commission shall consider and recommend policy options, including 
private commendation, diplomatic commendation, official public 
commendation, commendation within multilateral fora, an increase in 
cultural or scientific exchanges or both, termination or reduction of 
existing Presidential actions, an increase in certain assistance funds, 
and invitations for working, official, or state visits.

SEC. 4. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than October 1st of each year, the 
Commission shall submit to the Secretary of State a report on the 
efforts of the Commission with respect to its duties under subsection 
(a) of section 3, including its recommendations for United States 
policy options based on its evaluations under subsections (c) and (d) 
of such section.
    (b) Classified Form of Report.--The report may be submitted in 
classified form, together with a public summary of recommendations, if 
the classification of information would further the purposes of this 
Act.
    (c) Individual or Dissenting Views.--Each member of the Commission 
may include the individual or dissenting views of the member.

SEC. 5. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAWS.

    The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply 
to the Commission.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Commission $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and $1,500,000 for fiscal 
year 2008 to carry out the purposes of this Act.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated 
under subparagraph (a) are authorized to remain available until 
expended but not later than the date of the termination of the 
Commission.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate six years after the initial 
appointment of all of the members of the Commission.
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