[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3578 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3578

   To establish a commission to assess the nuclear activities of the 
                       Islamic Republic of Iran.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 25 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

  Mr. Ensign introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a commission to assess the nuclear activities of the 
                       Islamic Republic of Iran.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION TO ASSESS THE NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES 
              OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a commission to be 
known as the ``Commission To Assess the Nuclear Activities of the 
Islamic Republic of Iran'' (in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').
    (b) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 12 members 
appointed as follows:
            (1) 3 members shall be appointed by the majority leader of 
        the Senate.
            (2) 3 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (3) 3 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
        the Senate.
            (4) 3 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
        the House of Representatives.
    (c) Qualifications.--Members of the Commission shall be appointed 
from among private United States citizens with knowledge and expertise 
in the political and military aspects of nuclear proliferation and the 
military and civilian nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of 
Iran.
    (d) Chairmen.--The Committee shall have two co-chairmen, of whom--
            (1) one shall be designated from among the members of the 
        Commission by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
        after consultation with the majority leader of the Senate; and
            (2) one shall be designated from among the members of the 
        Commission by the minority leader of the House of 
        Representatives, after consultation with the minority leader of 
        the Senate.
    (e) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--Members shall be appointed 
for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall be 
filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
    (f) Security Clearances.--All members of the Commission shall hold 
appropriate security clearances.
    (g) Initial Organization Requirements.--
            (1) Deadline for initial appointments.--All appointments to 
        the Commission shall be made not later than 45 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) First meeting.--The Commission shall convene its first 
        meeting not later than 30 days after the date as of which all 
        members of the Commission have been appointed, but not earlier 
        than February 1, 2008.

SEC. 2. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall assess the following:
            (1) The status of the military nuclear activities and 
        civilian nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
            (2) The relationship between the military nuclear 
        activities and civilian nuclear activities of the Islamic 
        Republic of Iran.
            (3) The intentions behind the military nuclear activities 
        and civilian nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of 
        Iran.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    Not later than six months after its first meeting, the Commission 
shall submit to Congress a report on its findings and conclusions as a 
result of the assessment under section 2.

SEC. 4. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings.--The Commission or, at its direction, any panel or 
member of the Commission, may, for the purpose of carrying out the 
provisions of this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 
take testimony, receive evidence, and administer oaths to the extent 
that the Commission or any panel or member considers advisable.
    (b) Support of Other Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may secure directly from 
        the Department of Defense, the Office of the Director of 
        National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, and any 
        other department or agency of the United States Government 
        information that the Commission considers necessary to enable 
        the Commission to carry out its duties under this Act.
            (2) Cooperation of government officials.--The Commission 
        should receive the full and timely cooperation of the Secretary 
        of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, and other 
        appropriate officials of the United States Government who 
        should, in providing such cooperation, provide the Commission 
        with analyses, briefings, and other information necessary for 
        the fulfillment of the duties of the Commission.

SEC. 5. COMMISSION PROCEDURES.

    (a) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
chairman of the Commission.
    (b) Quorum.--
            (1) In general.--Five members of the Commission shall 
        constitute a quorum other than for the purpose of holding 
        hearings.
            (2) Action by resolution of majority.--The Commission shall 
        act by resolution agreed to by a majority of the members of the 
        Commission.
    (c) Commission.--The Commission may establish panels composed of 
less than full membership of the Commission for the purpose of carrying 
out the duties of the Commission under this Act. The actions of any 
such panel shall be subject to the review and control of the 
Commission. Any findings and determinations made by such a panel shall 
not be considered the findings and determinations of the Commission 
unless approved by the Commission.
    (d) Authority of Individuals To Act for Commission.--Any member or 
agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any 
action which the Commission is authorized to take under this Act.

SEC. 6. PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Pay of Members.--Members of the Commission shall serve without 
pay by reason of their work on the Commission.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--The 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.
    (c) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The co-chairmen of the Commission may, 
        without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
        Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 
        jointly appoint a staff director and such additional personnel 
        as may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform its 
        duties under this Act. The appointment of a staff director 
        shall be subject to the approval of the Commission.
            (2) Compensation.--The co-chairmen of the Commission may 
        jointly fix the pay of the staff director and other personnel 
        of the Commission without regard to the provisions of chapter 
        51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
        Code, relating to classification of positions and General 
        Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay fixed under 
        this paragraph for the staff director may not exceed the rate 
        payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 
        5316 of such title and the rate of pay for other personnel may 
        not exceed the maximum rate payable for grade GS-15 of the 
        General Schedule.
    (d) Detail of Government Employees.--Upon the joint request of the 
co-chairmen of the Commission, the head of any department or agency of 
the United States Government may detail, on a nonreimbursable basis, 
any personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to assist 
it in carrying out its duties.
    (e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The co-
chairmen of the Commission may jointly procure temporary and 
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
Code, at rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent 
of the annual rate of basic pay payable for level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of such title.

SEC. 7. MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Postal and Printing Services.--The Commission may use the 
United States mails and obtain printing and binding services in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States Government.
    (b) Miscellaneous Administrative and Support Services.--The 
Director of Central Intelligence shall furnish the Commission, on a 
reimbursable basis, any administrative and support services requested 
by the Commission.

SEC. 8. FUNDING.

    (a) In General.--Funds for activities of the Commission under this 
Act shall be provided from amounts available for the Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence for fiscal year 2008.
    (b) Disbursement.--Upon receipt of a joint written certification 
from the co-chairmen of the Commission specifying the funds required 
for the activities of the Commission, the Director of National 
Intelligence shall promptly disburse to the Commission, from amounts 
referred to in subsection (a), the funds required by the Commission as 
stated in such certification.

SEC. 9. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall terminate 60 days after the date of the 
submittal of its report under section 3.
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