[House Report 104-135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



104th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                    104-135
_______________________________________________________________________


 
          MEMBERSHIP OF U.S. COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

                                _______


  June 8, 1995.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


 Mr. Hyde, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 962]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
    The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 962) to amend the Immigration Act of 1990 relating 
to the membership of the United States Commission on 
Immigration Reform, having considered the same, report 
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill 
do pass.
                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     1
Background for Legislation.......................................     2
Hearings.........................................................     3
Committee Consideration..........................................     3
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     3
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight Findings............     3
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................     4
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................     4
Congressional Budget Office Estimate.............................     4
Inflationary Impact Statement....................................     4
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     5
                          Purpose and Summary

    The purpose of the bill is to add to the Commission on 
Immigration Reform two former United States Congressmen with 
expertise on immigration policy, Hamilton Fish, Jr., and Romano 
Mazzoli. The Commission was established in the Immigration Act 
of 1990 to review and evaluate the impact of that Act. The 
bipartisan Commission currently consists of nine Members, eight 
appointed by Congress and the Chair appointed by the President.
                     Background for the Legislation

    Section 141 of the Immigration Act of 1990 established the 
Commission on Immigration Reform. The nine-member Commission is 
charged with reviewing and evaluating the impact of the 
Immigration Act of 1990 and transmitting two reports to 
Congress. The first report, to have been issued not later than 
September 30, 1994, described the progress made by the 
Commission in evaluating the Immigration Act of 1990. The 
second report, to be made not later than September 30, 1997, is 
to set forth the Commission's findings and recommendations, 
including such recommendations for additional changes that 
should be made with respect to legal immigration into the 
United States.
    Section 141 specifically charge the Commission to consider 
the following:
          (A) The requirements of citizens of the United States 
        and of aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
        to be joined in the United States by immediate family 
        members and the impact which the establishment of a 
        national level of immigration has upon the availability 
        and priority of family preference visas.
          (B) The impact of immigration and the implementation 
        of the employment-based and diversity programs on labor 
        needs, employment, and other economic and domestic 
        conditions in the United States.
          (C) The social, demographic, and natural resources 
        impact of immigration.
          (D) The impact of immigration on the foreign policy 
        and national security interests of the United States.
          (E) The impact of per country immigration levels on 
        family-sponsored immigration.
          (F) The impact of the numerical limitation on the 
        adjustment of status of aliens granted asylum.
          (G) The impact of the numerical limitations on the 
        admission of nonimmigrants under section 214(g) of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act.
    Section 141(c)(1) (A) through (G) of the Immigration Act of 
1990.
    Additionally, Section 141(b)(2) requires that the 
Commission analyze the information in Section 131 of the 
Immigration Act of 1990 (Section 203(c) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act) establishing an immigration program intended 
to allow aliens from countries whose nationals are not heavily 
represented in the immigration flow, also called ``diversity'' 
immigration. The analysis should determine the characteristics 
of individuals admitted pursuant to the program, and how such 
characteristics compare to the characteristics of family-
sponsored immigrants and employment-based immigrants. The 
Commission shall then include in its report an assessment of 
the effect of the diversity program on the diversity, 
educational, and skill level of aliens admitted.
    The first report, essentially a progress report on the 
Commission's mandate, was released in September of 1994. That 
report made recommendations to Congress on U.S. border 
management, worksite enforcement of the prohibition on 
employment of aliens unauthorized to work, the eligibility of 
aliens for public benefits and its fiscal impact, the detention 
and removal of criminal aliens, immigration emergencies, and 
the curtailment of illegal immigration at the source.
    The Commission has not yet reported on its primary 
responsibilities, those of the assessment of the Immigration 
Act of 1990.
    H.R. 962 designates Hamilton Fish, Jr., former Member of 
Congress and Ranking Minority Member of the Judiciary Committee 
of the House of Representatives as new Member of the 
Commission. Rep. Fish was first elected to Congress in 1968 and 
served until his retirement in 1994. He joined the Committee on 
the Judiciary in 1969 and was the Ranking Republican from 1983 
until 1994. He also served on the Subcommittee on Immigration 
and Refugee Affairs of the Committee on the Judiciary from the 
93d through the 101st Congresses, and served as the Ranking 
Member of the Subcommittee from the 93d through the 97th 
Congresses. His expertise in immigration dates back to the 
1950's, when he was a foreign service officer stationed in 
Dublin, Ireland.
    H.R. 962 also designates Romano Mazzoli, former Member of 
Congress and Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Law, 
Immigration and Refugees of the Committee on the Judiciary of 
the House of Representatives. Rep. Mazzoli was first elected to 
Congress in 1970 and served until 1994. He joined the Committee 
on the Judiciary in 1975 and served on the Subcommittee on 
Immigration and Refugee Affairs for 14 years, 12 years of which 
he served as Chairman.
                                Hearings

    No hearings were held by the Subcommittee on Immigration 
and Claims on this bill.

                        Committee Consideration

    On March 16, 1995, the Subcommittee on Immigration and 
Claims met in open session and ordered reported without 
amendment the bill H.R. 962, by voice vote, a quorum being 
present. On March 22, 1995, the Committee met in open session 
and ordered reported without amendment the bill H.R. 962, by 
voice vote, a quorum being present.

                      Committee Oversight Findings

    In compliance with clause 2(l)(3)(A) of rule XI of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee reports 
that the findings and recommendations of the Committee, based 
on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the 
descriptive portions of this report.

         Committee on Government Reform and Oversight Findings

    No findings or recommendations of the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight were received as referred to in 
clause 2(l)(3)(D) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives.

                        Committee Cost Estimate

    In compliance with clause 7(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the Committee believes that the 
bill will have no budget effect for fiscal year 1995 or 1996.

               New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures

    Clause 2(l)(3)(B) of House Rule XI is inapplicable because 
this legislation does not provide new budgetary authority or 
increased tax expenditures.
                  Congressional Budget Office Estimate

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, March 27, 1995.
Hon. Henry J. Hyde,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed H.R. 962, a bill to amend the Immigration Act of 1990 
relating to the membership of the United States Commission on 
Immigration Reform. H.R. 962 was ordered reported by the House 
Committee on the Judiciary on March 22, 1995. CBO estimates 
that enacting this legislation would result in additional costs 
to the federal government of about $60,000 annually, assuming 
appropriations of the necessary amounts, and no costs to state 
and local governments. Because enactment of H.R. 962 would not 
affect direct spending or receipts, pay-as-you-go procedures 
would not apply to the bill.
    H.R. 962 would increase the size of the Commission on 
Immigration Reform from nine to eleven members by adding former 
Congressmen Romano Mazzoli and Hamilton Fish. Commission 
members not employed by the federal government are paid at the 
daily rate equivalent to grade GS-18 of the General Schedule 
(about $450 per day), plus travel expenses, which average 
roughly $15,000 per year for commission members. Since 
commission members work about 25 to 30 days each year at 
locations across the United States, we estimate that the 
additional costs resulting from enactment of H.R. 962 would be 
about $60,000 annually, assuming appropriation of the necessary 
amounts.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark 
Grabowicz.
            Sincerely,
                                             James L. Blum,
                                   (For June E. O'Neill, Director).

                     Inflationary Impact Statement

    Pursuant to clause 2(l)(4) of rule XI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee estimates that H.R. 962 
will have no significant inflationary impact on prices and 
costs in the national economy.
         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    In compliance with clause 3 of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

                SECTION 141 OF THE IMMIGRATION ACT 1990

          * * * * * * *

SEC. 141. COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION REFORM.

    (a) Establishment and Composition of Commission.--(1) 
Effective October 1, 1991, there is established a Commission on 
Immigration Reform (in this section referred to as the 
``Commission'') which shall be composed of [9 members to be 
appointed] 11 members as follows:
          (A) * * *
          * * * * * * *
          (F) Hamilton Fish, former Member of Congress and 
        Ranking Minority Member of the Judiciary Committee on 
        the House of Representatives and Romano Mazzoli, former 
        Member of Congress and Chairman of the Subcommittee on 
        International Law, Immigration, and Refugees of the 
        Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives.
          * * * * * * *