[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3699 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3699

To establish the America Forward Commission to create a strategy to re-
               open the economy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2020

 Mr. Schatz (for himself, Ms. Harris, Mr. Booker, Mr. Bennet, and Mr. 
    Murphy) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the America Forward Commission to create a strategy to re-
               open the economy, 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 ``America Forward Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the coronavirus disease 2019 (referred to in this Act 
        as ``COVID-19'') pandemic is a public health and economic 
        crisis;
            (2) most of the Nation and the economy are currently shut 
        down to mitigate and prevent the spread of COVID-19;
            (3) the response to the pandemic and steps to reopen the 
        United States should be based on public health and other expert 
        guidelines;
            (4) to restore the full functioning of the Nation, an 
        official advisory body to the Federal Government to provide 
        external, expert guidance and real-time recommendations is 
        necessary; and
            (5) such recommendations should be available to the public.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to establish an America Forward 
Commission to create a strategy to re-open the economy in light of the 
coronavirus disease pandemic.

SEC. 4. AMERICA FORWARD COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established an independent commission 
to be known as the America Forward Commission (referred to in this Act 
as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Selection.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States is authorized to enter into a contract with the National 
        Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to appoint the 
        members of the Commission, in accordance with the requirements 
        of this subsection.
            (2) Number of members.--The Commission shall consist of not 
        less than 10 nor more than 15 members.
            (3) Qualifications.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission shall include--
                            (i) not less than 1 expert in each of the 
                        fields of economics, transportation, medicine, 
                        and national security; and
                            (ii) not less than 1 officer (which may 
                        include an elected official) or employee of a 
                        State or local government.
                    (B) No federal employees.--No employee of the 
                Federal Government may serve on the Commission.
            (4) Appointment.--The appointments of the members of the 
        Commission shall be made not later than 7 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act.
            (5) Period of appointment.--A member of the Commission 
        shall be appointed for the life of the Commission.
            (6) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--The Commission shall 
        select a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among the 
        members of the Commission.
            (7) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission--
                    (A) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; 
                and
                    (B) shall be filled in the same manner, and subject 
                to all requirements, as described in this section.
    (c) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 14 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall hold the first 
        meeting of the Commission.
            (2) Frequency.--The Commission shall meet at the call of 
        the Chairperson.

SEC. 5. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall--
            (1) examine the tools and techniques necessary to ensure 
        that Federal, State, and local governments can diagnose, 
        isolate, and mitigate the public health and economic impacts of 
        the coronavirus, including seasonal reoccurrence;
            (2) evaluate information-sharing policies and practices for 
        essential information between Federal, State, and local 
        stakeholders;
            (3) develop recommendations for necessary medical supplies, 
        personal protective equipment, and other materials;
            (4) evaluate proposals to strengthen the resilience of 
        economic sectors and protect workers of the United States who 
        are most vulnerable to disruption from viral pandemics;
            (5) advise on best practices for strengthening 
        international trade, business, and tourism in a manner that 
        reduces the risk of foreign traveler-related transmission of 
        viral disease; and
            (6) perform other advisory and research activities as 
        determined necessary by the Commission.
    (b) Findings and Recommendations.--On a rolling basis as the 
Commission completes its findings or recommendations regarding any 
paragraph of subsection (a), the Commission shall--
            (1) submit such findings or recommendations to the White 
        House Coronavirus Task Force and Congress; and
            (2) make such findings or recommendations available to the 
        public.
    (c) Response by White House.--Not later than 7 days after receiving 
any findings or recommendations by the Commission under subsection (b), 
the White House Coronavirus Task Force shall--
            (1) respond, in writing, to the Commission's 
        recommendations or findings; and
            (2) make the Task Force's response publicly available 
        through the internet website of the White House.
    (d) Transference of Duties.--If, before the termination of the 
Commission, the White House Coronavirus Task Force ceases to be in 
existence--
            (1) any submissions to the Task Force required under 
        subsection (b)(1) shall be made to the President; and
            (2) the President shall carry out the actions required 
        under subsection (c).

SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Information From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may secure directly from a 
        Federal department or agency such information as the Commission 
        considers necessary to carry out this Act.
            (2) Furnishing information.--On request of the Chairperson 
        of the Commission, the head of the department or agency shall 
        furnish the information to the Commission.
    (b) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States 
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
    (c) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or 
donations of services or property.

SEC. 7. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation and Travel Expenses.--A member of the Commission 
shall not be compensated, but 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.
    (b) Administrative and Operational Support.--The Comptroller 
General of the United States is authorized to enter into a contract 
with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to 
provide administrative and operational support, including assistance in 
procuring meeting space, for the Commission.
    (c) Staff.--The Commission may, without regard to the civil service 
laws (including regulations), appoint such personnel as may be 
necessary to enable the Commission to perform its duties. The annual 
rate of basic pay for an individual appointed under this subsection 
shall be comparable to the annual rate of basic pay for an employee who 
occupies a position within the General Schedule under subchapter III of 
chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, and has a similar level of 
experience as that individual.
    (d) Detail of Government Employees.--A Federal Government employee 
may, upon the request of the Commission, be detailed to the Commission 
without reimbursement in order to provide technical and operational 
support, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil 
service status or privilege.
    (e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 
for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of that title.
    (f) Conflicts of Interest.--Notwithstanding section 8(a), the 
Chairperson shall ensure that the interests and affiliations of members 
of the Commission conform with the conflict of interest statutes, 
regulations issued by the Director of Office of Government Ethics 
including any supplemental agency requirements, and other Federal 
ethics rules that apply to members of advisory committees.

SEC. 8. GENERAL RULES; TERMINATION.

    (a) Inapplicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to the Commission or the 
activities of the Commission.
    (b) Termination of Commission.--The Commission shall terminate not 
later than 1 year after the expiration of the public health emergency 
declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Service under section 319 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, 
with respect to COVID-19.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
sums as may be necessary.
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