A bill to establish a Commission on the conflict between Russia and Georgia, and for other purposes.

Summary: Establishes the Commission on the Conflict between Russia and Georgia, which shall: (1) examine the causes of the conflict between Russia and Georgia that began in August 2008; and (2) make U.S. policy recommendations with respect to Russia, Georgia, and other countries in the region.

Terminates the Commission 60 days after submission of a final report required under this Act.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``__________ Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION ON THE CONFLICT BETWEEN RUSSIA AND 
              GEORGIA.

    There is established the Commission on the Conflict between Russia 
and Georgia (in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. PURPOSES OF COMMISSION.

    The purposes of the Commission are to--
            (1) to examine the causes of the conflict between Russia 
        and Georgia that began on August 7, 2008; and
            (2) make recommendations with respect to the policies of 
        the United States toward Russia, Georgia, and other countries 
        in the region.

SEC. 4. COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Members.--The Commission shall be composed of 9 members, of 
whom--
            (1) 1 member shall be appointed by the majority leader of 
        the Senate, with the concurrence of the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives, who shall serve as chair of the Commission;
            (2) 2 members shall be appointed by the majority leader of 
        the Senate;
            (3) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
        the Senate;
            (4) 2 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives; and
            (5) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of 
        the House of Representatives.
    (b) Qualifications.--It is the sense of Congress that individuals 
appointed to the Commission should be prominent United States citizens, 
with significant depth of experience in the field of foreign relations 
and with expertise regarding relations between Russia and Georgia.
    (c) Deadline for Appointment.--All members of the Commission shall 
be appointed within 90 days of the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Initial Meeting.--The Commission shall meet and begin the 
operations of the Commission as soon as practicable after the 90-day 
period described in subsection (c). After its initial meeting, the 
Commission shall meet upon the call of the chair or a majority of its 
members.
    (e) Quorum; Vacancies.--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. RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall--
            (1) examine and determine the timeline of events since 1991 
        that led to the conflict between Russia and Georgia that began 
        on August 7, 2008;
            (2) examine the policies of the Government of Russia with 
        respect to Georgia;
            (3) examine the policies of the Government of Georgia with 
        respect to the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia;
            (4) evaluate the role of the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization and the April 2008 Bucharest Summit in the 
        development of the conflict between Russia and Georgia;
            (5) examine and evaluate the policies of the United States 
        with respect to Russia and Georgia in the context of the 
        conflict, including--
                    (A) any communications by officials of the United 
                States to the Government of Russia; and
                    (B) any communications by officials of the United 
                States to the Government of Georgia;
            (6) review the role of peacekeepers from Russia in South 
        Ossetia and the relationship between Georgia and the 
        peacekeepers;
            (7) review and evaluate the training and preparedness of 
        the militaries of Russia and Georgia, including--
                    (A) any focus in the training of the military of 
                Russia with respect to Georgia; and
                    (B) any focus in the training of the military of 
                Georgia with respect to Russia;
            (8) review and evaluate allegations of genocide and ethnic 
        cleansing during the conflict; and
            (9) make recommendations with respect to the policies of 
        the United States with respect to Russia, Georgia, and other 
        countries in the region in the context of the conflict between 
        Russia and Georgia.

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, hold such hearings and sit and act at 
such times and places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, and 
administer such oaths as the Commission, subcommittee, or member, as 
the case may be, may determine advisable.
    (b) Contracting.--The Commission may, to such extent and in such 
amounts as are provided in appropriations Acts, enter into contracts to 
enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this Act.
    (c) Staff of Commission.--
            (1) Appointment and compensation.--The chairman of the 
        Commission, in accordance with rules agreed upon by the 
        Commission, may appoint and fix the compensation of a staff 
        director and such other personnel as may be necessary to enable 
        the Commission to carry out its functions, without regard to--
                    (A) the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
                governing appointments in the competitive service; or
                    (B) the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
                of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification 
                and General Schedule pay rates, except that no rate of 
                pay fixed under this subsection may exceed the rate of 
                pay for a position at level V of the Executive Schedule 
                under section 5316 of such title.
            (2) Personnel as federal employees.--
                    (A) In general.--The executive director and any 
                employees of the Commission shall be employees under 
                section 2105 of title 5, United States Code, for 
                purposes of chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, and 90 
                of such title.
                    (B) Members of commission.--Subparagraph (A) shall 
                not be construed to apply to members of the Commission.
            (3) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be 
        detailed to the Commission without reimbursement from the 
        Commission, and such detailee shall retain the rights, status, 
        and privileges of the detailee's regular employment without 
        interruption.
            (4) Consultant services.--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 of pay for a position at level IV of the Executive 
        Schedule under section 5315 of such title.
            (5) Emphasis on security clearances.--Emphasis shall be 
        made to hire employees and retain contractors and detailees 
        with active security clearances.
    (d) Information From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission is authorized to secure 
        directly from any executive department, bureau, agency, board, 
        commission, office, independent establishment, or 
        instrumentality of the Government, information, suggestions, 
        estimates, and statistics to carry out the purposes of this 
        Act. Each department, bureau, agency, board, commission, 
        office, independent establishment, or instrumentality shall, to 
        the extent authorized by law, furnish such information, 
        suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the 
        Commission, upon request made by the chairman, the chairman of 
        any subcommittee created by a majority of the Commission, or 
        any member designated by a majority of the Commission.
            (2) Receipt, handling, storage, and dissemination.--
        Information shall be received, handled, stored, and 
        disseminated only by members of the Commission and its staff 
        consistent with all applicable laws, regulations, and executive 
        orders.
    (e) Assistance From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) General services administration.--The Administrator of 
        General Services shall provide to the Commission on a 
        reimbursable basis administrative support and other services 
        for the performance of the Commission's functions.
            (2) Other departments and agencies.--In addition to the 
        assistance prescribed in paragraph (1), departments and 
        agencies of the United States may provide to the Commission 
        such services, funds, facilities, staff, and other support 
        services as they may determine advisable and as may be 
        authorized by law.
    (f) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or 
donations of services or property.
    (g) 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.

SEC. 7. NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.

    The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply 
to the Commission.

SEC. 8. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND HEARINGS; AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS.

    (a) Public Meetings and Release of Public Versions of Reports.--The 
Commission shall--
            (1) hold public hearings and meetings to the extent 
        appropriate; and
            (2) release public versions of the report required under 
        section 9.
    (b) Public Hearings.--Any public hearings of the Commission shall 
be conducted in a manner consistent with the protection of information 
provided to or developed for or by the Commission as required by any 
applicable law, regulation, or executive order.

SEC. 9. REPORT.

    Not later than 180 days after the appointment of the Commission, 
the Commission shall submit to the President and Congress a final 
report containing such findings, conclusions, and recommendations as 
have been agreed to by a majority of Commission members.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission, and the provisions of this Act, 
shall terminate on the date that is 60 days after the date on which the 
final report is submitted under section 9.
    (b) Administrative Activities Before Termination.--The Commission 
may use the 60-day period referred to in subsection (a) for the purpose 
of concluding its activities, including providing testimony to 
committees of Congress concerning its report and disseminating the 
final report.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary for the purposes of the activities of the 
Commission under this Act.
    (b) Duration of Availability.--Amounts made available to the 
Commission under subsection (a) shall remain available until the 
termination of the Commission.