[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1887 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1887
To establish a Presidential Commission on Women, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 2, 2009
Ms. Speier (for herself, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Clarke, Mrs. Dahlkemper, Ms.
DeGette, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Shea-Porter, Ms. Tsongas, Ms. Edwards
of Maryland, Mrs. Halvorson, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Kilroy, Ms. Lee of
California, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mrs. Lowey, Ms. Markey of
Colorado, Ms. Waters, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Ms.
Richardson, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Ms. Wasserman Schultz,
Ms. Schwartz, Ms. Titus, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Woolsey, and Ms. Eshoo)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Presidential Commission on Women, and for other
purposes.
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 ``Presidential Commission on Women Act
of 2009''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the ``Presidential
Commission on Women'' (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
``Commission'').
SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND POLICY.
Congress makes the following findings and statement of policy:
(1) It is the role of Government to examine the
circumstances that contribute to discrimination, inequality,
and economic hardship faced by women throughout the country.
(2) It is the role of Government to establish initiatives
and programs that promote equality for women, and protect
against discrimination of women, in all areas of public and
private life.
(3) Women in our country continue to face inequalities and
discrimination in many areas of public and private life,
including but not limited to these examples:
(A) The United States ranks 71st in the world in
the number of women in elected office. In 2009, women
make up 17 percent of Congress and 24 percent of State
legislative office-holders. Women of color make up 4
percent of Congress and 2 percent of State legislative
office-holders.
(B) Women earn 77 cents on the dollar compared to
men. African-American women earn 69 cents on the dollar
compared to men. Latinas earn 59 cents compared to men.
(C) Of workers earning minimum wage, 68 percent are
women. Of workers earning less than the minimum wage,
69 percent are women. Nineteen percent of women, as
compared to 10 percent of men, have annual family
incomes of less than $19,000. Of Fortune 500 CEOs, 2
percent are women.
(D) With only 76 percent of women in the labor
force, the United States ranks sixth from the bottom
among industrialized nations. Among college-educated
women, the United States ranks last among
industrialized nations.
(E) While 57 percent of men are employed full-time,
only 38 percent of women are employed full-time. Eight
out of ten single-parent families are headed by women;
28 percent of people living in female-headed households
are living below the poverty line.
(F) There is a continuing decline in mothers'
employment largely due to a lack of support for working
parents, such as sufficient paid time off, subsidized
child care, or flexible working arrangements. There is
also discrimination in the labor market specifically
against mothers as well as weakness on the demand side
of the labor market in areas that have traditionally
employed large numbers of women.
(G) One in every four women will experience
domestic violence in her lifetime. Eighty-five percent
of domestic violence victims are women. The cost of
intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each
year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and
mental health services.
(H) Eighteen percent of women in the United States
do not have health insurance; 36 percent of American
Indian/Native Alaskan women are uninsured; 38 percent
of Hispanic women do not have health insurance.
(I) Women of color are disproportionately affected
by the inequalities women face.
(J) Gender bias and discrimination remain pervasive
in almost all aspects of our culture, including but not
limited to the media, family life, the workplace,
sports, education, health care, the military,
entertainment, and financial matters.
SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) Review Required.--The Commission shall hold meetings and
hearings to--
(1) review the status of women nationwide, and the progress
made since the establishment of the President's Commission on
the Status of Women in 1961;
(2) review the role of the Federal Government in aid to,
and the promotion of women; and
(3) review data collection procedures with regard to women
Federal initiatives and procurement, with a view toward
recommending improvements.
(b) Conference.--The Commission shall, in coordination with the
White House Council on Women and Girls, hold a conference (hereinafter
in this Act referred to as the Conference) to assist in the review
required by subsection (a).
(c) Recommendations Required.--Based on the review required by
subsection (a), the Commission shall make recommendations to the
President and Congress and conduct oversight of implementation.
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 members
appointed as follows:
(1) Four members appointed by the President.
(2) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and two members appointed by the minority
leader.
(3) Three members appointed by the majority leader of the
Senate and two members appointed by the minority leader.
(4) The director of the White House Council on Women and
Girls, who shall serve ex officio.
(b) Qualifications.--Appointments under subsection paragraphs (1)
through (3) of subsection (a) shall be made from individuals who are
specially qualified to serve on the Commission by virtue of their
education, training, or experience, and who are not officers or
employees of the Government or Members of Congress.
(c) Requirement for Appointment of Young Women.--Of the individuals
appointed by President under paragraph (1), the Speaker of the House of
Representatives under paragraph (2), and the majority leader of the
Senate under paragraph (3) of subsection (a), at least one member
appointed under each paragraph shall be a young woman between the ages
of 18-24.
(d) Geographical Balance.--In making the appointments under
subsection (a), the appointing authorities should give consideration to
achieving a geographical balance.
(e) Term.--Members shall be appointed for 5 years of the
Commission, except that, if any member of the Commission becomes an
officer or employee of the Federal Government or a Member of Congress,
such individual may continue as a member of the Commission for not
longer than the 30-day period beginning on the date such individual
becomes such an officer or employee or Member of Congress.
(f) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the
manner in which the original appointment was made.
(g) Pay.--Members of the Commission shall serve without pay, except
members of the Commission shall be entitled to reimbursement for
travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred by them in
carrying out the functions of the Commission, in the same manner as
persons employed intermittently in the Federal Government are allowed
expenses under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
(h) Quorum.--Eight members of the Commission shall constitute a
quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
(i) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The Chairperson and Vice
Chairperson of the Commission shall be designated by the President. The
term of office of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be 5 years
of the Commission.
(j) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet not less than 4 times nor
more than 6 times each year. Meetings shall be at the call of a
majority of its members.
SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) Director and Staff.--(1) The Commission shall have a Director
who shall be appointed by the Commission. The Commission, with the
recommendation of the Director, may appoint and fix the pay of 4
additional personnel.
(2) The Director and staff of the Commission may be appointed
without regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, United States Code, and
without regard to the provisions of such title 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 such title
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that
no individual so appointed may receive pay in excess of the annual rate
of basic pay payable for GS-18 of the General Schedule.
(b) Services.--The Commission may procure temporary and
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5 of the Unites
States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily
equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable for GS-18 of
the General Schedule.
(c) Details.--Upon request of the Commission, the head of any
department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the
personnel of such agency to the Commission to assist the Commission in
carrying out its duties under this Act.
SEC. 7. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) In General.--The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying
out this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places,
take such testimony, and receive such evidence, as the Commission
considers appropriate.
(b) Delegation.--Any member or agent of the Commission may, if so
authorized by the Commission, take any action which the Commission is
authorized to take by this section.
(c) Access to Information.--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 Chairperson of the
Commission, the head of such department or agency shall furnish such
information to the Commission.
(d) Use of 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.
(e) Administrative Support.--The Administrator of General Services
shall provide to the Commission on a reimbursable basis such
administrative support services as the Commission may request.
SEC. 8. CONFERENCE AND CONFERENCE DELEGATES.
The Commission in coordination with the White House Council on
Women and Girls shall convene a conference of delegates invited by the
Commission, who shall be fairly balanced and diverse in terms of
geography and ethnicity without regard to political affiliation or past
partisan activity, who shall include--
(1) the directors of commissions for women of the States
and local levels of government;
(2) elected officials of State and local governments;
(3) advocates for women at colleges and universities; and
(4) representatives of nonprofit organizations and
community-based organizations.
SEC. 9. CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Administration.--In conducting and planning the Conference, the
Commission and the White House Council on Women and Girls shall--
(1) request the cooperation and assistance of the heads of
such other Federal entities as may be appropriate, including
the detailing of personnel;
(2) prepare and make available appropriate background
materials for the use of delegates to the Conference;
(3) employ such personnel, in addition to those appointed
under section 6 and without regard to provisions of title 5,
United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive
service, and without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of
chapter 53 of such title, relating to classification and
General Schedule pay rates;
(4) ensure that the proposed agenda for the Conference is--
(A) published in the Federal Register not less than
180 days before the Conference is convened; and
(B) made available for public comment for a period
of not less than 60 days;
(5) ensure that the final agenda for the Conference,
prepared after the Commission and the White House Council on
Women and Girls takes into consideration comments received
under paragraph (4), is published in the Federal Register, and
transmitted to the chief executive officers of the States, not
later than 30 days after the close of the public comment period
required by that paragraph;
(6) ensure that the personnel employed are fairly balanced
in terms of their points of view with respect to women and are
appointed without regard to political affiliation or past
partisan activity;
(7) the recommendations of the Conference are not
inappropriately influenced by any public official or special
interest, but instead are the result of the independent and
collective judgment of the delegates of the Conference; and
(8) ensure that before the Conference is convened--
(A) current and adequate statistical data
(including decennial census data) and other information
on the well-being of Women in the United States; and
(B) such information as may be necessary to
evaluate Federal programs and policies relating to
Women; which the Commission may obtain by making grants
to or entering into agreements with, public agencies or
nonprofit organizations, are readily available in
advance of the Conference to the delegates.
SEC. 10. REPORTS.
The Commission shall transmit to the President and to Congress a
first report no later than 2 years after the date of the Commission's
first meeting. That report shall include a statement of the
Commission's objectives and goals for the remainder of the Commission's
work. Thereafter the Commission shall report annually. Each of those
annual reports shall contain a statement of any findings and
conclusions of the Commission, together with its recommendations for
such legislation and administrative actions as it considers
appropriate.
SEC. 11. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``State'' means any of the several States,
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands.
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated
$2,000,000.00 to carry out this Act in each of fiscal years 2011
through 2015.
(b) Limitation on Appropriations.--Authority provided in this Act
to make expenditures or to enter into contracts under which the United
States is obligated to make outlays shall be effective only to the
extent that amounts are provided, and only to the extent of the amounts
provided, in advance in appropriations Acts.
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