A bill to establish a commission to strengthen confidence in Congress.

Summary: Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress Act of 2006 - Establishes a Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress to evaluate and report to Congress on congressional ethics requirements, and recommend improvements to ethical safeguards.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Commission to Strengthen Confidence 
in Congress Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is established in the legislative branch a commission to be 
known as the ``Commission to Strengthen Confidence in Congress'' (in 
this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of the Commission are to--
            (1) evaluate and report the effectiveness of current 
        congressional ethics requirements, if penalties are enforced 
        and sufficient, and make recommendations for new penalties;
            (2) weigh the need for improved ethical conduct with the 
        need for lawmakers to have access to expertise on public policy 
        issues;
            (3) determine and report minimum standards relating to 
        official travel for Members of Congress and staff;
            (4) evaluate the range of gifts given to Members of 
        Congress and staff, determine and report the effects on public 
        policy, and make recommendations for limits on gifts;
            (5) evaluate and report the effectiveness and transparency 
        of congressional disclosure laws and recommendations for 
        improvements;
            (6) assess and report the effectiveness of the ban on 
        Member of Congress and staff from lobbying their former office 
        for 1 year and make recommendations for altering the time 
        frame;
            (7) make recommendations to improve the process whereby 
        Members of Congress can earmark priorities in appropriations 
        Acts, while still preserving congressional power of the purse;
            (8) evaluate the use of public and privately funded travel 
        by Members of Congress and staff, violations of Congressional 
        rules governing travel, and make recommendations on limiting 
        travel; and
            (9) investigate and report to Congress on its findings, 
        conclusions, and recommendations for reform.

SEC. 4. COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Members.--The Commission shall be composed of 10 members, of 
whom--
            (1) the chair and vice chair shall be selected by agreement 
        of the majority leader and minority leader of the House of 
        Representatives and the majority leader and minority leader of 
        the Senate;
            (2) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
        the Senate leadership of the Republican Party, 1 of which is a 
        former member of the Senate;
            (3) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
        the Senate leadership of the Democratic Party, 1 of which is a 
        former member of the Senate;
            (4) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
        the leadership of the House of Representatives of the 
        Republican Party, 1 of which is a former member of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (5) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
        the leadership of the House of Representatives of the 
        Democratic Party, 1 of which is a former member of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (b) Qualifications; Initial Meeting.--
            (1) Political party affiliation.--Five members of the 
        Commission shall be Democrats and 5 Republicans.
            (2) Nongovernmental appointees.--An individual appointed to 
        the Commission may not be an officer or employee of the Federal 
        Government or any State or local government.
            (3) Other qualifications.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        individuals appointed to the Commission should be prominent 
        United States citizens, with national recognition and 
        significant depth of experience in professions such as 
        governmental service, government consulting, government 
        contracting, the law, higher education, historian, business, 
        public relations, and fundraising.
            (4) Deadline for appointment.--All members of the 
        Commission shall be appointed on a date 3 months after the date 
        of enactment of this Act.
            (5) Initial meeting.--The Commission shall meet and begin 
        the operations of the Commission as soon as practicable.
    (c) Quorum; Vacancies.--After its initial meeting, the Commission 
shall meet upon the call of the chairman or a majority of its members. 
Six members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum. Any vacancy in 
the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the 
same manner in which the original appointment was made.

SEC. 5. FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION.

    The functions of the Commission are to submit to Congress a report 
required by this Act containing such findings, conclusions, and 
recommendations as the Commission shall determine, including proposing 
organization, coordination, planning, management arrangements, 
procedures, rules and regulations--
            (1) related to section 3; or
            (2) related to any other areas the commission unanimously 
        votes to be relevant to its mandate to recommend reforms to 
        strengthen ethical safeguards in Congress.

SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings and Evidence.--The Commission or, on the authority of 
the Commission, any subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the 
purpose of carrying out this Act--
            (1) hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and 
        places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, administer 
        such oaths; and
            (2) subject to subsection (b), require, by subpoena or 
        otherwise, the attendance and testimony of such witnesses and 
        the production of such books, records, correspondence, 
        memoranda, papers, and documents, as the Commission or such 
        designated subcommittee or designated member may determine 
        advisable.
    (b) Subpoenas.--
            (1) In general.--A subpoena may be issued under this 
        subsection only--
                    (A) by the agreement of the chair and the vice 
                chair; or
                    (B) by the affirmative vote of 6 members of the 
                Commission.
            (2) Signature.--Subject to paragraph (1), subpoenas issued 
        under this subsection may be issued under the signature of the 
        chairman or any member designated by a majority of the 
        Commission, and may be served by any person designated by the 
        chairman or by a member designated by a majority of the 
        Commission.
    (c) Obtaining Information.--Upon request of the Commission, the 
head of any agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government shall 
furnish information deemed necessary by the panel to enable it to carry 
out its duties.

SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Compensation.--Except as provided in subsection (b), members of 
the Commission shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits 
by reason of their service on the Commission.
    (b) Travel Expenses and Per Diem.--Each member of the Commission 
shall receive travel expenses and per diem in lieu of subsistence in 
accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (c) Staff and Support Services.--
            (1) Staff director.--
                    (A) Appointment.--The Chair (or Co-Chairs) in 
                accordance with the rules agreed upon by the Commission 
                shall appoint a staff director for the Commission.
                    (B) Compensation.--The staff director shall be paid 
                at a rate not to exceed the rate established for level 
                V of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 
                5, United States Code.
            (2) Staff.--The Chair (or Co-Chairs) in accordance with the 
        rules agreed upon by the Commission shall appoint such 
        additional personnel as the Commission determines to be 
        necessary.
            (3) Applicability of civil service laws.--The staff 
        director and other members of the staff of the Commission shall 
        be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, 
        United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
        service, and shall be paid without regard to the provisions of 
        chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title 
        relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.
            (4) Experts and consultants.--With the approval of the 
        Commission, the staff director may procure temporary and 
        intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
        States Code.
    (d) Physical Facilities.--The Architect of the Capitol, in 
consultation with the appropriate entities in the legislative branch, 
shall locate and provide suitable office space for the operation of the 
Commission on a nonreimbursable basis. The facilities shall serve as 
the headquarters of the Commission and shall include all necessary 
equipment and incidentals required for the proper functioning of the 
Commission.
    (e) Administrative Support Services and Other Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Upon the request of the Commission, the 
        Architect of the Capitol and the Administrator of General 
        Services shall provide to the Commission on a nonreimbursable 
        basis such administrative support services as the Commission 
        may request.
            (2) Additional support.--In addition to the assistance set 
        forth in paragraph (1), departments and agencies of the United 
        States may provide the Commission such services, funds, 
        facilities, staff, and other support services as the Commission 
        may deem advisable and as may be authorized by law.
    (f) Use of Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as Federal agencies 
and shall, for purposes of the frank, be considered a commission of 
Congress as described in section 3215 of title 39, United States Code.
    (g) Printing.--For purposes of costs relating to printing and 
binding, including the cost of personnel detailed from the Government 
Printing Office, the Commission shall be deemed to be a committee of 
the Congress.

SEC. 8. SECURITY CLEARANCES FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS AND STAFF.

    The appropriate Federal agencies or departments shall cooperate 
with the Commission in expeditiously providing to the Commission 
members and staff appropriate security clearances to the extent 
possible pursuant to existing procedures and requirements, except that 
no person shall be provided with access to classified information under 
this Act without the appropriate security clearances.

SEC. 9. COMMISSION REPORTS; TERMINATION.

    (a) Annual Reports.--The Commission shall submit--
            (1) an initial report to Congress not later than July 1, 
        2006; and
            (2) annual reports to Congress after the report required by 
        paragraph (1);
containing such findings, conclusions, and recommendations for 
corrective measures as have been agreed to by a majority of Commission 
members.
    (b) Administrative Activities.--During the 60-day period beginning 
on the date of submission of each annual report and the final report 
under this section, the Commission shall--
            (1) be available to provide testimony to committees of 
        Congress concerning such reports; and
            (2) take action to appropriately disseminate such reports.
    (c) Termination of Commission.--
            (1) Final report.--At such time as a majority of the 
        members of the Commission determines that the reasons for the 
        establishment of the Commission no longer exist, the Commission 
        shall submit to Congress a final report containing information 
        described in subsection (a).
            (2) Termination.--The Commission, and all the authorities 
        of this Act, shall terminate 60 days after the date on which 
        the final report is submitted under paragraph (1), and the 
        Commission may use such 60-day period for the purpose of 
        concluding its activities.

SEC. 10. FUNDING.

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