[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 79 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 79

    To establish the Medicare Eligible Military Retiree Health Care 
                         Consensus Task Force.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2005

 Mrs. Emerson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the Medicare Eligible Military Retiree Health Care 
                         Consensus Task Force.

    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 ``Military Retiree Health Care Task 
Force Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a task force to be known as the ``Medicare 
Eligible Military Retiree Health Care Consensus Task Force'' (in this 
Act referred to as the ``Task Force'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF TASK FORCE.

    (a) Study.--It shall be the duty of the Task Force to conduct a 
comprehensive legal and factual study of the following matters:
            (1) Promises, commitments, or representations made to 
        members of the uniformed services by Department of Defense 
        personnel with respect to health care coverage of such members 
        and their families after separation from the uniformed 
        services.
            (2) Sharing agreements and contracts between the Department 
        of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding 
        health care coverage for military retirees and their 
        dependents.
            (3) Proposals to provide for a full continuum of health 
        care coverage for medicare eligible military retirees and their 
        dependents, including any such proposal developed by the 
        Department of Defense.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the Task Force first 
meets, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report containing a 
detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the Task Force 
with respect to the study conducted under subsection (a), together with 
its recommendations for such legislative and administrative actions as 
it considers appropriate.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Task Force shall be composed of 12 
members appointed as follows:
            (1) The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 
        minority leader of the House of Representatives shall jointly 
        appoint nine members from among qualified individuals as 
        follows:
                    (A) Two members shall be representatives of 
                veterans service organizations.
                    (B) Three members shall be representatives of 
                military associations with retired enlisted members.
                    (C) One member shall be a representative of a 
                retired officers association.
                    (D) Three members shall be health care 
                professionals.
            (2) The Secretary of Defense shall appoint one member from 
        among officers or employees of the Department of Defense.
            (3) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall appoint one 
        member from among officers or employees of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs.
            (4) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
        appoint one member from among officers or employees of the 
        Department of Health and Human Services.
Not more than six members appointed under this subsection may be of the 
same political party.
    (b) Deadline for Appointment.--Members of the Task Force shall be 
appointed by not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
    (c) Terms of Appointment.--The term of any appointment under 
subsection (a) shall be for the life of the Task Force.
    (d) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring 
before the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor 
was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A 
vacancy in the Task Force shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made.
    (e) Waiver of Limitation on Executive Schedule Positions.--
Appointments may be made under this section without regard to section 
5311(b) of title 5, United States Code.
    (f) Continuation of Membership.--If a member was appointed to the 
Task Force as a Member of Congress and the member ceases to be a Member 
of Congress, or was appointed to the Task Force while the member was 
not an officer or employee of any government and later becomes an 
officer or employee of a government, that member may continue as a 
member.
    (g) Compensation.--Members of the Task Force shall receive no 
additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on 
the Task Force.
    (h) Expenses.--Each member of the Task Force shall receive travel 
expenses and per diem in lieu of subsistence in accordance with 
sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (i) Quorum.--Seven members of the Task Force shall constitute a 
quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (j) Chairperson.--As the first order of business at the first 
meeting of the Task Force, the members of the Task Force shall elect a 
chairperson from among the members.
    (k) Meetings.--The Task Force shall meet at the call of the 
Chairperson or a majority of its members.

SEC. 5. STAFF OF TASK FORCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

    (a) Director.--The Chairperson shall appoint a Director of the Task 
Force, without regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, United States 
Code. The Director shall be paid at the minimum annual rate of basic 
pay payable for GS-15 of the General Schedule.
    (b) Staff.--With the approval of the Chairperson of the Task Force, 
the Director may appoint and fix the pay of not more than eight 
additional personnel.
    (c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The staff of the 
Task Force 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 that title relating to 
classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that an 
individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the minimum 
annual rate of basic pay payable for GS-13 of the General Schedule.
    (d) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Chairperson, 
the head of any department or agency of the United States may detail, 
on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or 
agency to the Task Force to assist it in carrying out its duties under 
this Act.

SEC. 6. POWERS OF TASK FORCE.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Task Force 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 Task Force considers 
appropriate.
    (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the Task 
Force may, if authorized by the Task Force, take any action which the 
Task Force is authorized to take by this section.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Task Force 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 
Chairperson of the Task Force, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the Task Force.
    (d) Mails.--The Task Force may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.
    (e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the Task 
Force, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the Task 
Force, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services 
necessary for the Task Force to carry out its responsibilities under 
this Act.
    (f) Contract Authority.--The Task Force may contract with and 
compensate government and private agencies or persons for supplies or 
services, without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 
U.S.C. 5).

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

    The Task Force shall terminate 90 days after submitting the report 
under section 3(b).
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