Bipartisan Commission on Campaign Practices Act of 1996

Summary: Bipartisan Commission on Campaign Practices Act of 1996 - Establishes the Bipartisan Commission on Campaign Practices.  Directs the Commission to study the laws relating to elections for Federal office and to report and recommend legislation to reform those laws. 
(Sec. 7) Requires the Commission to report on its activities to the Congress not later than 90 days after the selection of the Chair of the Commission.  Directs that if seven or more members concur on a recommendation, those members shall prepare and submit with the report legislation to implement the recommendation.  Provides for expedited congressional consideration of any legislation the substance of which implements a recommendation of the Commission.    (Sec. 8) Sets forth the primary objectives of the Commission. 
(Sec. 9) Terminates the Commission 60 days after the submission of its report. 
(Sec. 10) Authorizes to be appropriated to the Commission such sums as are necessary to carry out its duties.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bipartisan Commission on Campaign 
Practices Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) for Congress to address the existing problems in the 
        Federal election laws, Congress must act in a nonpartisan 
        manner and engage in a debate based on academic studies and 
        empirical findings instead of partisan rhetoric;
            (2) when addressing Federal election laws, Congress must be 
        cognizant of the freedoms of speech and association protected 
        under the Constitution; and
            (3) the current Federal election laws unduly favor 
        incumbent Members of Congress, and, in previous years, Congress 
        has not been able to eliminate this bias when addressing the 
        reform of the Federal election laws.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE OF COMMISSION.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``Bipartisan 
Commission on Campaign Practices'' (referred to in this Act as the 
``Commission''). The purposes of the Commission are to study the laws 
relating to elections for Federal office and to report and recommend 
legislation to reform those laws.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 12 members 
appointed within 15 days after the date of the enactment of this Act by 
the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from 
among individuals who are not incumbent Members of Congress and who are 
specially qualified to serve on the Commission by reason of education, 
training, or experience. In making appointments, the President shall 
consult--
            (1) the Speaker of the House of Representatives with 
        respect to the appointment of 3 members, one of whom is not 
        affiliated with either the Republican Party or the Democratic 
        Party;
            (2) the majority leader of the Senate with respect to the 
        appointment of 3 members, one of whom is not affiliated with 
        either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party;
            (3) the minority leader of the House of Representatives 
        with respect to the appointment of 2 members, one of whom is 
        not affiliated with either the Republican Party or the 
        Democratic Party; and
            (4) the minority leader of the Senate with respect to the 
        appointment of 2 members, one of whom is not affiliated with 
        either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party.
    (b) Chairman.--At the time of the appointment, the President shall 
designate one member of the Commission as Chairman of the Commission. 
The Chairman may not be affiliated with either the Republican Party or 
the Democratic Party.
    (c) Terms.--The members of the Commission shall serve for the life 
of the Commission.
    (d) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the 
manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (e) Political Affiliation.--Not more than 4 members of the 
Commission may be of the same political party.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Hearings.--The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out 
this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take 
testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers 
appropriate.
    (b) Quorum.--Seven members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings. A majority of the full 
Commission is required when approving all or a portion of the 
recommended legislation. Any member of the Commission may, if 
authorized by the Commission, take any action which the Commission is 
authorized to take under this section.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.

    (a) Pay and Travel Expenses of Members.--(1) Each member of the 
Commission, other than the Chairman, shall be paid at a rate equal to 
the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay payable for level 
IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which the 
member is engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the 
Commission. The Chairman shall be paid for each day referred to in the 
preceding sentence at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the 
annual rate of basic pay payable for level III of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, United States Code.
    (2) Members of the Commission shall receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 
5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (b) Staff Director.--The Commission shall, without regard to 
section 5311(b) of title 5, United States Code, appoint a staff 
director, who shall be paid at the rate of basic pay payable for level 
IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
States Code.
    (c) Staff of Commission; Services.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to such rules as may be adopted by 
        the Commission, the Chair, 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 classifications and General Schedule pay rates, may 
appoint such personnel as the chair considers necessary, except that an 
individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the maximum 
annual rate of basic pay payable for grade GS-15 of the General 
Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Temporary and intermittent services.--The Chair may 
        procure temporary and intermittent services to the same extent 
        as is authorized by section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
        Code.

SEC. 7. REPORT AND RECOMMENDED LEGISLATION.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the selection of the 
Chair of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to the Congress a 
report of the activities of the Commission.
    (b) Recommendations.--The report under subsection (a) shall include 
any recommendations for changes in the laws (including regulations) 
governing the conducting and financing of Federal campaigns, including 
any changes in the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives, 
to which 7 or more members of the Commission may agree.
    (c) Preparation of Legislation.--If 7 or more members concur on a 
recommendation submitted under subsection (b), those members shall 
prepare and submit with the report under subsection (a) legislation to 
implement the recommendation.
    (d) Expedited Congressional Consideration of Legislation.--
            (1) In general.--If any legislation is introduced the 
        substance of which implements a recommendation of the 
        Commission submitted under subsection (b), subject to paragraph 
        (2), the provisions of section 2908 (other than subsection (a)) 
        of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 shall 
        apply to the consideration of the legislation in the same 
        manner as such provisions apply to a joint resolution described 
        in section 2908(a) of such Act.
            (2) Special rules.--For purposes of applying paragraph (1) 
        with respect to such provisions, the following rules shall 
        apply:
                    (A) Any reference to the Committee on Armed 
                Services of the House of Representatives shall be 
                deemed a reference to the Committee on House Oversight 
                of the House of Representatives and any reference to 
                the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate shall be 
                deemed a reference to the Committee on Rules and 
                Administration of the Senate.
                    (B) Any reference to the date on which the 
                President transmits a report shall be deemed a 
                reference to the date on which the recommendation 
                involved is submitted under subsection (b).
                    (C) Notwithstanding subsection (d)(2) of section 
                2908 of such Act--
                            (i) it shall be in order to consider an 
                        amendment in the nature of a substitute to the 
                        legislation offered by the majority leader of 
                        the House of Representatives or the Senate (as 
                        the case may be);
                            (ii) it shall be in order to consider an 
                        amendment in the nature of a substitute to the 
                        legislation offered by the minority leader of 
                        the House of Representatives or the Senate (as 
                        the case may be);
                            (iii) a separate vote shall be taken in 
                        each House on adoption of each of the 
                        amendments offered and on the legislation as 
                        introduced; and
                            (iv) if more than one version of the 
                        legislation is adopted by a House pursuant to 
                        clause (iii), the version receiving the 
                        greatest number of votes in favor of adoption 
                        shall be deemed to be legislation passed by 
                        that House.

SEC. 8. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMISSION.

    In formulating its draft of legislation under section 7, the 
Commission shall consider the following to be its primary objectives:
            (1) Encouraging fair and open Federal elections that 
        provide voters with meaningful information about candidates and 
        issues.
            (2) Eliminating the disproportionate influence of special 
        interest financing of Federal elections.
            (3) Creating a system in which incumbent Members of 
        Congress do not possess an inherent advantage over challengers.

SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall cease to exist 60 days after the date of the 
submission of its report under section 7.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission such sums 
as are necessary to carry out its duties under this Act.