[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3281-S3282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMISSION ON THE SOCIAL STATUS OF BLACK MEN AND BOYS ACT

  Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further 
consideration of S. 2163 and the Senate proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2163) to establish the Commission on the Social 
     Status of Black Men and Boys, to study and make 
     recommendations to address social problems affecting Black 
     men and boys, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged and the Senate 
proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Lankford 
amendment at the desk be agreed to and the bill, as amended, be 
considered read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1809) was agreed to as follows

 (Purpose: To require an equal number of Republicans and Democrats to 
  serve on the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys)

       At the end of section 2, add the following:
       (c) Membership by Political Party.--If after the Commission 
     is appointed there is a partisan imbalance of Commission 
     members, the congressional leaders of the political party 
     with fewer members on the Commission shall jointly name 
     additional members to create partisan parity on the 
     Commission.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Mr. HAWLEY. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question 
is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (S. 2163), as amended, was passed, as follows

                                S. 2163

       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 ``Commission on the Social 
     Status of Black Men and Boys Act''.

     SEC. 2. COMMISSION ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.

       (a) Establishment.--The Commission on the Social Status of 
     Black Men and Boys (hereinafter in this Act referred to as 
     ``the Commission'') is established within the United States 
     Commission on Civil Rights Office of the Staff Director.
       (b) Membership.--The Commission shall consist of 19 members 
     appointed as follows:
       (1) The Senate majority leader shall appoint one member who 
     is not employed by the Federal Government and is an expert on 
     issues affecting Black men and boys in America.
       (2) The Senate minority leader shall appoint one member who 
     is not employed by the Federal Government and is an expert on 
     issues affecting Black men and boys in America.
       (3) The House of Representatives majority leader shall 
     appoint one member who is not employed by the Federal 
     Government and is an expert on issues affecting Black men and 
     boys in America.
       (4) The House of Representatives minority leader shall 
     appoint one member who is not employed by the Federal 
     Government and is an expert on issues affecting Black men and 
     boys in America.
       (5) The Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus shall be a 
     member of the Commission, as well as 5 additional Members of 
     the Congressional Black Caucus who shall be individuals that 
     either sit on the following committees of relevant 
     jurisdiction or are experts on issues affecting Black men and 
     boys in the United States, including--
       (A) education;
       (B) justice and Civil Rights;
       (C) healthcare;
       (D) labor and employment; and
       (E) housing.
       (6) The Staff Director of the United States Commission on 
     Civil Rights shall appoint one member from within the staff 
     of the United States Commission on Civil Rights who is an 
     expert in issues relating to Black men and boys.
       (7) The Chair of the United States Equal Employment 
     Opportunity Commission shall appoint one member from within 
     the staff of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity 
     Commission who is an expert in equal employment issues 
     impacting Black men.
       (8) The Secretary of Education shall appoint one member 
     from within the Department of Education who is an expert in 
     urban education.
       (9) The Attorney General shall appoint one member from 
     within the Department of Justice who is an expert in racial 
     disparities within the criminal justice system.
       (10) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
     appoint one member from within the Department of Health and 
     Human Services who is an expert in health issues facing Black 
     men.
       (11) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall 
     appoint one member from within the Department of Housing and 
     Urban Development who is an expert in housing and development 
     in urban communities.
       (12) The Secretary of Labor shall appoint one member from 
     within the Department of Labor who is an expert in labor 
     issues impacting Black men.
       (13) The President of the United States shall appoint 2 
     members who are not employed by the Federal Government and 
     are experts on issues affecting Black men and boys in 
     America.
       (c) Membership by Political Party.--If after the Commission 
     is appointed there is a partisan imbalance of Commission 
     members, the congressional leaders of the political party 
     with fewer members on the Commission shall jointly name 
     additional members to create partisan parity on the 
     Commission.

     SEC. 3. OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO APPOINTMENT; REMOVAL.

       (a) Timing of Initial Appointments.--Each initial 
     appointment to the Commission shall be made no later than 90 
     days after the Commission is established. If any appointing 
     authorities fail to appoint a member to the Commission, their 
     appointment shall be

[[Page S3282]]

     made by the Staff Director of the Commission on Civil Rights.
       (b) Terms.--Except as otherwise provided in this section, 
     the term of a member of the Commission shall be 4 years. For 
     the purpose of providing staggered terms, the first term of 
     those members initially appointed under paragraphs (1) 
     through (5) of section 2 shall be appointed to 2-year terms 
     with all other terms lasting 4 years. Members are eligible 
     for consecutive reappointment.
       (c) Removal.--A member of the Commission may be removed 
     from the Commission at any time by the appointing authority 
     should the member fail to meet Commission responsibilities. 
     Once the seat becomes vacant, the appointing authority is 
     responsible for filling the vacancy in the Commission before 
     the next meeting.
       (d) Vacancies.--The appointing authority of a member of the 
     Commission shall either reappoint that member at the end of 
     that member's term or appoint another person meeting the 
     qualifications for that appointment. In the event of a 
     vacancy arising during a term, the appointing authority 
     shall, before the next meeting of the Commission, appoint a 
     replacement to finish that term.

     SEC. 4. LEADERSHIP ELECTION.

       At the first meeting of the Commission each year, the 
     members shall elect a Chair and a Secretary. A vacancy in the 
     Chair or Secretary shall be filled by vote of the remaining 
     members. The Chair and Secretary are eligible for consecutive 
     reappointment.

     SEC. 5. COMMISSION DUTIES AND POWERS.

       (a) Study.--
       (1) In general.--The Commission shall conduct a systematic 
     study of the conditions affecting Black men and boys, 
     including homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, 
     poverty, violence, fatherhood, mentorship, drug abuse, death 
     rates, disparate income and wealth levels, school performance 
     in all grade levels including postsecondary education and 
     college, and health issues.
       (2) Trends.--The Commission shall document trends regarding 
     the topics described in paragraph (1) and report on the 
     community impacts of relevant government programs within the 
     scope of such topics.
       (b) Proposal of Measures.--The Commission shall propose 
     measures to alleviate and remedy the underlying causes of the 
     conditions described in subsection (a), which may include 
     recommendations of changes to the law, recommendations for 
     how to implement related policies, and recommendations for 
     how to create, develop, or improve upon government programs.
       (c) Suggestions and Comments.--The Commission shall accept 
     suggestions or comments pertinent to the applicable issues 
     from members of Congress, governmental agencies, public and 
     private organizations, and private citizens.
       (d) Staff and Administrative Support.--The Office of the 
     Staff Director of the United States Commission on Civil 
     Rights shall provide staff and administrative support to the 
     Commission. All entities of the United States Government 
     shall provide information that is otherwise a public record 
     at the request of the Commission.

     SEC. 6. COMMISSION MEETING REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) First Meeting.--The first meeting of the Commission 
     shall take place no later than 30 days after the initial 
     members are all appointed. Meetings shall be focused on 
     significant issues impacting Black men and boys, for the 
     purpose of initiating research ideas and delegating research 
     tasks to Commission members to initiate the first annual 
     report described in section 7.
       (b) Quarterly Meetings.--The Commission shall meet 
     quarterly. In addition to all quarterly meetings, the 
     Commission shall meet at other times at the call of the Chair 
     or as determined by a majority of Commission members.
       (c) Quorum; Rule for Voting on Final Actions.--A majority 
     of the members of the Commission constitute a quorum, and an 
     affirmative vote of a majority of the members present is 
     required for final action.
       (d) Expectations for Attendance by Members.--Members are 
     expected to attend all Commission meetings. In the case of an 
     absence, members are expected to report to the Chair prior to 
     the meeting and allowance may be made for an absent member to 
     participate remotely. Members will still be responsible for 
     fulfilling prior commitments, regardless of attendance 
     status. If a member is absent twice in a given year, he or 
     she will be reviewed by the Chair and appointing authority 
     and further action will be considered, including removal and 
     replacement on the Commission.
       (e) Minutes.--Minutes shall be taken at each meeting by the 
     Secretary, or in that individual's absence, the Chair shall 
     select another Commission member to take minutes during that 
     absence. The Commission shall make its minutes publicly 
     available and accessible not later than one week after each 
     meeting.

     SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT GUIDELINES.

       The Commission shall make an annual report, beginning the 
     year of the first Commission meeting. The report shall 
     address the current conditions affecting Black men and boys 
     and make recommendations to address these issues. The report 
     shall be submitted to the President, the Congress, members of 
     the President's Cabinet, and the chairs of the appropriate 
     committees of jurisdiction. The Commission shall make the 
     report publicly available online on a centralized Federal 
     website.

     SEC. 8. COMMISSION COMPENSATION.

       Members of the Commission shall serve on the Commission 
     without compensation.

  Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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