To establish a National Commission to study the Highway Trust Fund.

Summary: Highway Trust Fund Commission Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a National Commission on Future Revenue Sources to Support the Highway Trust Fund to investigate and recommend alternatives to replace the fuel tax as the principal revenue source to support the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) over at least the next 30 years. Directs the Commission to consider: (1) the ability to generate sufficient revenues to meet anticipated long term surface transportation financing needs; (2) the roles of the various levels of government and the private sector; (3) administrative costs; (4) potential taxpayer privacy concerns; (5) likely technological advances; (6) alternative transportation vehicles, including alternative-fueled vehicles; (7) the equity and economic efficiency of each option; (8) the flexibility of different options to allow various pricing alternatives to be implemented; and (9) potential compatibility issues with States' tax mechanisms.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Highway Trust Fund Commission Act of 
2003''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON FUTURE REVENUE SOURCES TO SUPPORT THE 
              HIGHWAY TRUST FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Transportation shall establish 
a National Commission on Future Revenue Sources to Support the Highway 
Trust Fund.
    (b) Function.--The Commission shall--
            (1) conduct a comprehensive investigation of alternatives 
        to replace the fuel tax as the principal revenue source to 
        support the Highway Trust Fund over at least the next 30 years;
            (2) consult with the Secretary of Transportation and the 
        Secretary of the Treasury to assure that their views concerning 
        essential attributes of Highway Trust Fund revenue alternatives 
        are understood;
            (3) consult with the American Association of State Highway 
        and Transportation Officials to assure that State 
        transportation agency views on alternative revenue sources to 
        support State transportation improvement programs are 
        appropriately considered and that any recommended Federal 
        financing strategy take into account State financial 
        requirements; and
            (4) make, based on the investigation, specific 
        recommendations regarding actions that need to be taken to 
        develop alternative revenue sources to support the Highway 
        Trust Fund and when those actions must be taken.
    (c) Specific Matters To Be Addressed.--The investigation under 
subsection (b) shall address specifically--
            (1) advantages and disadvantages of alternative revenue 
        sources to meet anticipated Federal surface transportation 
        financial requirements;
            (2) the time frame within which actions must be taken to 
        transition from the fuel tax to alternative revenue sources to 
        support the Highway Trust Fund;
            (3) recommendations concerning alternative revenue sources 
        to support long-term Federal surface transportation financing 
        requirements;
            (4) development of a broad transition strategy to move from 
        the current tax base to new funding mechanisms, including the 
        time frame for various aspects of the transition strategy;
            (5) recommendations for additional research that may be 
        needed to implement recommended alternatives; and
            (6) the extent to which revenues should reflect the 
        relative use of the highway system.
    (d) Factors To Consider and Evaluate.--The investigation under 
subsection (b) shall take into account findings, conclusions, and 
recommendations of recent studies by the Transportation Research Board 
on alternatives to the fuel tax to support highway program financing 
and relevant prior research completed by the Department of 
Transportation, the Department of Energy, and others. In developing 
recommendations under subsection (b), the Commission shall consider--
            (1) the ability to generate sufficient revenues to meet 
        anticipated long term surface transportation financing needs;
            (2) the roles of the various levels of government and the 
        private sector in meeting future surface transportation 
        financing needs;
            (3) administrative costs, including enforcement, to 
        implement each option;
            (4) potential taxpayer privacy concerns;
            (5) likely technological advances that could ease 
        implementation of each option;
            (6) alternative transportation vehicles, including various 
        alternative-fueled vehicles;
            (7) the equity and economic efficiency of each option;
            (8) the flexibility of different options to allow various 
        pricing alternatives to be implemented; and
            (9) potential compatibility issues with States' tax 
        mechanisms under each alternative.
    (e) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 9 
        members as follows:
                    (A) Three members appointed by the President.
                    (B) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the 
                House of Representatives.
                    (C) Three members appointed by the majority leader 
                of the Senate.
            (2) Qualifications.--Members appointed under paragraph (2) 
        shall have experience in public finance, surface transportation 
        program administration, managing organizations that use surface 
        transportation facilities, academic research into related 
        issues, or other activities that provide unique perspectives on 
        current and future requirements for revenue sources to support 
        the Highway Trust Fund.
            (3) Terms.--Members shall be appointed for the life of the 
        Commission.
            (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled 
        in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
            (5) Travel expenses.--Members shall serve without pay but 
        shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 
        5, United States Code.
            (6) Chairman.--The Chairman of the Commission shall be 
        elected by the members.
    (f) Staff.--The Commission may engage the services of an 
appropriate organization, agency, or firm to conduct the investigation 
under subsection (b). The Commission shall provide strategic guidance 
for the investigation. Upon request of the Commission, the Secretary 
may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that 
department to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties 
under this section. The staff of the Secretary shall cooperate with the 
Commission in the investigation, including providing nonconfidential 
data and information as necessary to conduct the investigation.
    (g) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Secretary shall provide to the Commission, on a 
reimbursable basis, the administrative support and services necessary 
for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under this 
section.
    (h) Report and Recommendations.--Not later than September 30, 2006, 
the Commission shall transmit to Congress a final report on the results 
of the investigation conducted under this section and specific 
recommendations to address the needs identified in the investigation.
    (i) Relationship to Other Laws.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act 
(5 U.S.C. App.) does not apply to the Commission.
    (j) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the 180th day 
following the date of transmittal of the report under subsection (h). 
By such 180th day, all records and papers of the Commission shall be 
delivered to the Administrator of the General Services for deposit in 
the National Archives.
    (k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
Account) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 to carry out this section.
    (l) Applicability of Title 23.--Funds made available to carry out 
this section shall be available for obligation in the same manner as if 
such funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States 
Code; except that the Federal share of the cost of the investigation 
and the Commission under this section shall be 100 percent, and such 
funds shall remain available until expended.