[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 67 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 67

To establish the National Commission on the Modernization of the United 
                                Nations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2005

 Mr. Crenshaw introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the National Commission on the Modernization of the United 
                                Nations.

    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 ``National Commission on the 
Modernization of the United Nations Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``National 
Commission on the Modernization of the United Nations''.

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall--
            (1) conduct a study of the areas specified in this section;
            (2) recommend reforms with respect to such areas; and
            (3) enumerate methods to implement each recommendation.
    (b) Study of Extent of Modernization Within Confines of Present 
Charter.--The Commission shall--
            (1) study the requirements for and extent to which a 
        modernization of the organizational structure and practices of 
        the United Nations can be effectuated that do not require 
        substantive changes to be made to the Charter of the United 
        Nations; and
            (2) make recommendations to implement such a modernization.
    (c) Study of Extent of Modernization Requiring Modifications to 
Present Charter.--The Commission shall--
            (1) study the requirements for and extent to which a 
        modernization of the organizational structure and practices of 
        the United Nations can only be effectuated by requiring 
        substantive changes to be made to the Charter, paying 
        particular attention to the areas of study enumerated in 
        subsections (d) through (i); and
            (2) make recommendations to implement such a modernization.
    (d) Study of Member State Principles.--The Commission shall study 
the principles to which states should adhere as members of the United 
Nations, paying particular attention to the following:
            (1) Whether states that espouse and enforce values that are 
        counter to the Charter should be permitted to be members of the 
        United Nations.
            (2) What recourse should be available to the United Nations 
        to respond to a member state that has engaged in conduct 
        counter to the Charter.
            (3) What conduct on the part of a member state would 
        constitute sufficient grounds for--
                    (A) expulsion;
                    (B) condemnation; or
                    (C) sanction.
    (e) Study of Member State Status.--The Commission shall study the 
feasibility of mandating the following requirements of member states:
            (1) Requirement of regular review by the United Nations of 
        the status of all member states to determine if member states 
        continue to adhere to the principles outlined in the Charter.
            (2) Requirement for member states to--
                    (A) sign a ``Declaration of Member States'' 
                declaring that the signatory state agrees to adhere to 
                the principles of United Nations membership; and
                    (B) review the principles of the United Nations to 
                determine whether the state should withdraw from 
                membership if the state determines that the United 
                Nations is not adhering to the implementation of the 
                Charter.
    (f) Study of Proportional Representation on Principal Organs.--The 
Commission shall study the following:
            (1) Whether all states should have one vote in the General 
        Assembly.
            (2) Whether the United Nations should be structured in a 
        bi-cameral fashion.
    (g) Study of Organizational and Business Functions.--The Commission 
shall study the following:
            (1) Whether auxiliary commissions and organizations of the 
        United Nations should be funded by member dues.
            (2) Whether such commissions and organizations detract from 
        the Charter principles by draining resources away from the 
        primary functions of the United Nations.
            (3) Whether member states can create caucuses and fund them 
        to deal with matters of common interest without detracting from 
        the main objectives of the United Nations.
    (h) Study of Use, Structure, and Goals of Peacekeeping and 
Humanitarian Efforts.--The Commission shall study the following:
            (1) Whether the United Nations should maintain a separate 
        peacekeeping force.
            (2) Identification of successes of past peacekeeping and 
        humanitarian efforts.
    (i) Study of Enforcement of Resolutions.--The Commission shall 
study the credibility of resolutions when the United Nations does not 
mandate their absolute obedience.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 
nine members appointed from among persons who are not officers or 
employees of any government, as follows:
            (1) Two members appointed by the President.
            (2) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (3) Two members appointed by the Majority Leader of the 
        Senate.
            (4) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
        Senate.
            (5) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (6) One member appointed by the Secretary of State
    (b) Terms 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 subsequently becomes an officer or employee 
        of any 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 after consultation with the Speaker and minority 
leader of the House of Representatives and the majority leader and 
minority leader of the Senate. Pending such election, a provisional 
Chairperson shall be designated by the President.
    (e) Travel Expenses.--Each 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. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

    (a) Director.--The Commission shall appoint a Director who shall be 
paid at the rate of basic pay 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) Applicability 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 such title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates.
    (c) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon 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.--Upon 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 duties under 
this Act.

SEC. 6. 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) 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.
    (c) 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. 7. REPORTS.

    (a) Interim Report.--Within six months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress 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 submit to Congress a final 
report containing a statement of the findings, conclusions, and 
recommendations of the Commission.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate 15 days after submission of its 
final report under section 7(b).

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Charter.--The term ``Charter'' means the Charter of the 
        United Nations.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the National 
        Commission on the Modernization of the United Nations.
            (3) Member.--The term ``member'' means a member of the 
        Commission.
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