National Commission on the Prevention of Radicalization

(a)

Establishment

There is established in the legislative branch the National Commission on Radicalization and Terrorism (in this title referred to as the Commission. (b)

Purposes

The purposes of the Commission are the following: (1)Examine and report upon the facts and causes relating to radicalization in the United States, including United States connections to non-United States persons and networks, radicalization in prison, individual or lone wolf radicalization, radicalization in connection with gang activity, radicalization and the use of the internet and other facets of the phenomenon of radicalization that the Commission considers important. (2)Build upon and bring together the work of other entities and avoid unnecessary duplication, by reviewing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of— (A)the ongoing work of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terror, the Homeland Security Policy Institute at the George Washington University, and other academic work, as appropriate; (B)Federal, State, local or tribal studies on, reviews of, and experiences with radicalization; and (C)foreign governments and overseas experiences. (3)Report to the President and the Congress on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for immediate and long-term countermeasures to radicalization in the United States and measures that can be taken to prevent radicalization from developing and spreading within the United States. (c)

Composition of Commission

(1)

Members

The Commission shall be composed of 20 members, of whom— (A)4 members shall be appointed by the President, one of whom shall be designated by the President to serve as chairman of the Commission; (B)1 member shall be appointed by the Senate majority leader; (C)1 member shall be appointed by the Senate minority leader; (D)1 member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (E)1 member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (F)1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee of the House of Representatives; (G)1 member shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Homeland Security Committee of the House of Representatives; (H)1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; (I)1 member shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; (J)1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives; (K)1 member shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives; (L)1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee of the Senate; (M)1 member shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee of the Senate; (N)1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; (O)1 member shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; (P)1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate; and (Q)1 member shall be appointed by the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate. (2)

Qualifications

It is the sense of Congress that individuals appointed to the Commission should be prominent United States citizens, with national recognition and significant depth of experience in such professions as law enforcement, the armed services, sociology, psychology, technology and social networking, law, public administration, intelligence, corrections, and foreign affairs. (3)

Deadline for appointment

All members of the Commission shall be appointed on or before 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d)

Meetings

(1)

Initial meeting

The Commission shall meet and begin the operations of the Commission as soon as practicable. (2)

Subsequent meetings

After its initial meeting, the Commission shall meet upon the call of the Chairman or a majority of its members. (3)

Quorum

Eleven members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum. (e)

Vacancies

Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, and shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made. (f)

Powers of Commission

(1)

In general

(A)

Hearings and evidence

The Commission or, on the authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out this section hold hearings and sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, and administer such oaths as may be authorized by the Commission. (B)

Contracting

The Commission may, to such extent and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into contracts to enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this section. (2)

Information from federal agencies

(A)

In general

The Commission may secure directly from any executive department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent establishment, or instrumentality of the Government, information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics for the purposes of this section. The head of each department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the extent authorized by law, furnish such information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Commission, upon request made by the chairman, the chairman of any subcommittee created by a majority of the Commission, or any member designated by a majority of the Commission. (B)

Receipt, handling, storage, and dissemination

Information shall only be received, handled, stored, and disseminated by members of the Commission and its staff consistent with all applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive orders. (g)

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 may provide to the Commission such services, funds, facilities, staff, and support services as they may determine advisable and as may be authorized by law. (h)

Gifts

The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. (i)

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. (j)

Nonapplicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act

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

Public meetings

(1)

In general

The Commission shall hold public hearings and meetings to the extent appropriate. (2)

Protection of information

Any public hearings of the Commission shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the protection of information provided to or developed for or by the Commission as required by any applicable statute, regulation, or Executive order. (l)

Staff of Commission

(1)

Appointment and compensation

The chairman of the Commission, in consultation with the vice chairman and in accordance with rules agreed upon by the Commission, may appoint and fix the compensation of a staff director and such other personnel as may be necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its functions, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and 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. (2)

Personnel as federal employees

(A)

In general

The executive director and any employees of the Commission shall be employees under section 2105 of title 5, United States Code, for purposes of chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, and 90 of that title. (B)

Members of commission

Subparagraph (A) shall not be construed to apply to members of the Commission. (3)

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. (4)

Consultant services

The Commission may 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. (5)

Emphasis on security clearances

Emphasis shall be made to hire employees and retain contractors and detailees with active security clearances. (m)

Compensation and Travel Expenses

(1)

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. (2)

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. (n)

Security Clearances for Commission Members and Staff

The appropriate Federal agencies or departments shall cooperate with the Commission in expeditiously providing to the Commission members and staff appropriate security clearances to the extent possible pursuant to existing procedures and requirements, except that no person shall be provided with access to classified information under this section without the appropriate security clearances. (o)

Reports of Commission

(1)

Interim reports

The Commission may submit to the President and Congress interim reports containing such findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective measures as have been agreed to by a majority of Commission members. (2)

Final report

Not later than 24 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the President and Congress a final report containing such findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective measures as have been agreed to by a majority of Commission members. (3)

Public availability

The Commission shall release public versions of the reports required under this subsection. (p)

Termination

The Commission, and all the authorities under this section, shall terminate 60 days after the date on which the final report is submitted under subsection (o)(2). (q)

Funding

(1)

In general

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Commission $9,000,000 for the activities of the Commission under this section. (2)

Duration of availability

Amounts made available to the Commission under paragraph (1) shall remain available until the earlier of the expenditure of the amounts or the termination of the Commission. (r)

Radicalization Defined

In this section the term radicalization means the process of adopting an extremist belief system, including the willingness to use, support, or facilitate violence, as a method to effect societal change.