[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS COLLECTION EXTENSION 
                              ACT OF 1994

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 4569) to extend and make 
amendments to the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records 
Collection Act of 1992.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Senate amendments:
       Page 2, strike out lines 1 to 3 and insert:
       (1) by striking ``2 years after the date of enactment of 
     this Act'' and inserting ``September 30, 1996''; and
       (2) by striking ``2-year''.
       Page 2, line 6, strike out ``Section 8(j)(1)'' and insert: 
     ``Section (7)(j)(1).''
       Page 3, lines 7 and 8 strike out ``offered the position'' 
     and insert: ``employed conditionally in accordance with 
     subsection (b)3)(B).''
       Page 4, after line 8, insert:
       (d) Conditional Employment of Staff.--Section 8(b)(3)(B) of 
     the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records 
     Collection Act of 1992 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note) is amended to 
     read as follows:
       ``(B)(i) The Review Board may offer conditional employment 
     to a candidate for a staff position pending the completion of 
     security clearance background investigations. During the 
     pendency of such investigations, the Review Board shall 
     ensure that any such employee does not have access to, or 
     responsibility involving, classified or otherwise restricted 
     assassination record materials.
       ``(ii) If a person hired on a conditional basis under 
     clause (i) is denied or otherwise does not qualify for all 
     security clearances necessary to carry out the 
     responsibilities of the position for which conditional 
     employment has been offered, the Review Board shall 
     immediately terminate the person's employment.''.
       (e) Compensation of Staff.--Section 8(c) of the President 
     John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 
     (21 U.S.C. 2107 note) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(c) Compensation.--Subject to such rules as may be 
     adopted by the Review Board, the chairperson, 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 that title relating to classification and General Schedule 
     pay rates, may--
       ``(1) appoint an Executive Director, who shall be paid at a 
     rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay for level V of the 
     Executive Schedule; and
       ``(2) appoint and fix compensation of such other personnel 
     as may be necessary to carry out this Act.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan [Mr. Conyers] is recognized for 20 minutes, and the gentleman 
from California [Mr. McCandless], is recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Conyers].


                             general leave

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 
4569.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. CONYERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, on July 29, the House passed H.R. 4569, as 
amended by the Committee on Government Operations, to make mostly 
technical changes to the original Assassination Record Act passed 
during the 102d Congress. The act would simply extend the duration of 
the Board established by the original act for an additional year due to 
the delay in appointing Board members. It would also allow the Board to 
more easily hire staff, and to use the Federal Supply Service and the 
U.S. mail as do other Federal agencies.
  The Senate further amended H.R. 4569 to clarify the dates of the 
extension and the other provisions. The changes are purely technical in 
nature, and I urge my colleagues to once again pass the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCANDLESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand with the chairman of the Government Operations 
Committee in support of H.R. 4569 and call for its immediate enactment. 
This noncontroversial bill will amend the President John F. Kennedy 
Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 by extending its life for 
1 additional year and makes several administrative changes to make it 
easier for the Review Board to hire staff and function more 
efficiently.
  The House passed this bill last July under a unanimous voice vote. 
The Senate made some minor, almost administrative, changes which have 
little impact on the original House-passed bill. I am asking my 
colleagues to lend their support to this bill again today.
  Specifically, the JFK Records Extension Act: extends the life of the 
Review Board by an additional year while authorizing no additional 
appropriations; authorizes the Review Board to use General Services 
Administration resources to purchase goods and services; authorizes the 
Review Board to use the U.S. Postal Service as though they are any 
other Government agency; allows the Review Board to offer a job to 
potential staff before they obtain proper security clearances; allows 
current Government employees to be hired by the Review Board, but only 
if they perform administrative functions; and allows the Review Board 
to avoid Office of Personnel Management regulations.
  These changes are required because the Review Board was late in 
getting organized due to the changes of administration in 1993. The 
amendments would allow the Board to continue its work for an additional 
year while spending no additional moneys.
  This legislation was drafted with full cooperation between the 
minority and majority of the Government Operations Committee and is 
supported unanimously by the committee Republicans.
  Mr. McCANDLESS. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Conyers] that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill, H.R. 4569.
  The question was taken and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) 
the rules were suspended and the Senate amendments were concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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