[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 960 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 960

    To establish a commission to develop proposals regarding voting 
   representation for citizens of the United States who reside in a 
   territory, commonwealth, or Federal District of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 28, 2019

  Mr. Merkley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish a commission to develop proposals regarding voting 
   representation for citizens of the United States who reside in a 
   territory, commonwealth, or Federal District of the United States.

    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 ``We the People Commission on Full 
Representation Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF COVERED JURISDICTION.

    In this Act, the term ``covered jurisdiction'' means--
            (1) Puerto Rico;
            (2) the District of Columbia;
            (3) Guam;
            (4) the United States Virgin Islands;
            (5) American Samoa; and
            (6) the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the ``We the People Commission on Full Representation'' (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 10 
        members, appointed as follows:
                    (A) Two members appointed by the President.
                    (B) Two members appointed by the majority leader of 
                the Senate.
                    (C) Two members appointed by the minority leader of 
                the Senate.
                    (D) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the 
                House of Representatives.
                    (E) Two members appointed by the minority leader of 
                the House of Representatives.
            (2) Qualifications.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission shall include not 
                less than 1 member who represents each covered 
                jurisdiction.
                    (B) Representation.--To represent a covered 
                jurisdiction for purposes of subparagraph (A), an 
                individual shall--
                            (i) be a native of the jurisdiction;
                            (ii) be an elected representative of the 
                        jurisdiction;
                            (iii) have lived in the jurisdiction for a 
                        period of not less than 10 years; or
                            (iv) have expertise, such as academic 
                        expertise, on the jurisdiction.
            (3) Appointment deadline.--Members of the Commission shall 
        be appointed not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
        of this Act.
    (c) Period of Appointment.--Members of the Commission shall be 
appointed for the life of the Commission.
    (d) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (e) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--The Commission shall hold its first 
        meeting not later than 30 days after a majority of members are 
        appointed to the Commission.
            (2) Meeting.--The Commission shall regularly meet at the 
        call of the Chair. Such meetings may be carried out through the 
        use of telephonic or other appropriate telecommunication 
        technology if the Commission determines that such technology 
        will allow the members to communicate simultaneously.
    (f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
    (g) Chair.--The President shall designate a member of the 
Commission to be the Chair of the Commission.

SEC. 4. DUTIES.

    (a) Development of Proposals.--The Commission--
            (1) shall develop a proposal for each covered jurisdiction 
        regarding voting representation for citizens of the United 
        States who reside in that jurisdiction;
            (2) in a proposal for a covered jurisdiction under 
        paragraph (1), may recommend--
                    (A) any type of representation, including statehood 
                or voting representation only in the House of 
                Representatives; or
                    (B) no representation; and
            (3) in determining under paragraph (1) whether and, if so, 
        how a covered jurisdiction should be represented, shall 
        consider--
                    (A) whether the jurisdiction has held a referendum 
                on achieving voting representation in the United 
                States; and
                    (B) the size of the jurisdiction.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on 
Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives, and the Committee 
on Rules of the House of Representatives a report that contains the 
proposals developed under subsection (a).

SEC. 5. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act 
at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive evidence as 
the Commission considers advisable to carry out the responsibilities of 
the Commission.
    (b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure 
directly from any department or agency of the Federal Government such 
information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out the 
duties of the Commission.
    (c) Information From Nongovernmental Organizations.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out its duties, the Commission 
        may seek guidance through consultation with foundations, 
        veteran service organizations, nonprofit groups, faith-based 
        organizations, private and public institutions of higher 
        education, and other organizations as the Commission determines 
        appropriate.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Commission should consult with nongovernmental 
        organizations as authorized under paragraph (2).
    (d) 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.
    (e) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or 
donations of services or property.

SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members; Travel Expenses.--Each member shall 
serve without pay but shall receive travel expenses to perform the 
duties of the Commission, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
rates authorized under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 
States Code.
    (b) Staff.--The Chair, in accordance with rules agreed upon by the 
Commission, may appoint and fix the compensation of a staff director 
and any other personnel that may be necessary to enable the Commission 
to carry out the functions of the Commission--
            (1) without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
        States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service; 
        and
            (2) without regard to the provision of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, 
        relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, 
        except that no rate of pay fixed under this paragraph may 
        exceed the equivalent of that payable for a position at level 
        IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of that title.
    (c) Detail of Government Employees.--Any Federal Government 
employee may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and 
that detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service 
status or privilege.
    (d) Personnel as Federal Employees.--
            (1) In general.--The executive director and any personnel 
        of the Commission shall be considered employees under section 
        2105 of title 5, United States Code, for purpose of chapters 
        63, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, and 90 of that title.
            (2) Members of the commission.--Paragraph (1) shall not be 
        construed to apply to members of the Commission.
    (e) Commission Records.--The Commission shall keep an accurate and 
complete record of the actions and meetings of the Commission. The 
record shall be made available for public inspection and the 
Comptroller General of the United States may audit and examine the 
record.
    (f) 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 the duties of the Commission under 
this Act.
    (g) Expert and Consultant Service.--The Commission may procure the 
services of experts and consultants in accordance with section 3109 of 
title 5, United States Code, at rates not to exceed the daily rate paid 
to a person occupying a position at level IV of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.
    (h) Physical Facilities and Equipment.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act. The administrative support services may include human 
resource management, budget, leasing accounting, and payroll services.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the 
Commission submits the report under section 4.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to the Commission to carry out this Act.
    (b) Availability.--Any sums appropriated under the authorization 
contained in this section shall remain available, without fiscal year 
limitation, until expended.
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