IV 

104TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 194

Establishing a commission to study compensation and other personnel policies 

and practices in the legislative branch. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 27, 1996

Mrs. MORELLA submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on House Oversight 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Establishing a commission to study compensation and other 

personnel policies and practices in the legislative branch.

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), 

3 SECTION 1. DECLARATION OF POLICY. 

4 The Congress is committed to the elimination of all 

5 forms of discrimination that adversely affect pay or work6 ing conditions of any employee because of the race, color, 

7 religion, sex, or national origin of the employee, and it is 

8 the policy of the Congress that persons employed in the 

9 legislative branch shall receive equal pay in cases in which 

10 the work performed is comparable, as measured by the 
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1 composite of skill, effort, responsibility, and working con2 ditions normally required in the performance of the job. 

3 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is established the Commis5 sion on Employment Discrimination in the Legislative 

6 Branch (hereinafter in this resolution referred to as the 

7 ‘‘Commission’’). 

8 (b) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.—The Commission 

9 shall consist of thirteen members to be appointed for the 

10 life of the Commission as follows: 

11 (1) Four shall be Members of the House of 

12 Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 

13 House of Representatives, two upon recommendation 

14 of the majority leader and two upon recommendation 

15 of the minority leader. 

16 (2) Four shall be Senators, appointed by the 

17 President pro tempore, two upon recommendation of 

18 the majority leader and two upon recommendation of 

19 the minority leader. 

20 (3) Two shall be other than Members of Con21 gress, appointed by the Speaker of the House of 

22 Representatives and shall, to the extent practicable, 

23 be persons with expertise in job evaluation. One such 

24 member shall be appointed upon recommendation of 
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1 the majority leader and one upon recommendation of 

2 the minority leader. 

3 (4) Two shall be other than Members of Con4 gress, appointed by the President pro tempore of the 

5 Senate and shall, to the extent practicable, be per6 sons with expertise in job evaluation. One such 

7 member shall be appointed upon recommendation of 

8 the majority leader and one shall be appointed upon 

9 recommendation of the minority leader. 

10 (5) One shall be appointed by the Speaker of 

11 the House of Representatives and the President pro 

12 tempore of the Senate, acting jointly, upon rec13 ommendation of the members appointed under para14 graphs (1) through (4). 

15 (c) PREREQUISITES RELATING TO CERTAIN AP16 POINTMENTS.—(1) Of the members of the Commission ap17 pointed under subsection (b)(3)—

18 (A) one shall be a member of one of the two 

19 largest labor unions at the Library of Congress; and 

20 (B) one shall be a manager at the Library of 

21 Congress. 

22 (2) Of the members of the Commission appointed 

23 under subsection (b)(4)—

24 (A) one shall be a member of one of the two 

25 largest labor unions at the Library of Congress; and 
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1 (B) one shall be a manager at the Library of 

2 Congress. 

3 (3) The member appointed under paragraph (1)(A) 

4 shall not be from the same labor union as the member 

5 appointed under paragraph (2)(A). 

6 (d) REMOVAL.—The person making an appointment 

7 may remove a member of the Commission for neglect of 

8 duty or malfeasance in office. 

9 (e) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall 

10 be filled in the manner in which the original appointment 

11 is made. 

12 (f) CHAIRMAN; VICE CHAIRMAN.—The Commission 

13 shall elect a chairman and a vice chairman from among 

14 its members. The chairman and vice chairman shall not 

15 be of the same political party. 

16 (g) QUORUM.—Seven members of the Commission 

17 shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, 

18 but the Commission may establish a lesser number for 

19 holding hearings, taking testimony, and receiving evi20 dence. 

21 (h) COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS.—Members 

22 shall be appointed and the Commission shall commence 

23 operation not later than four weeks after the date on 

24 which this resolution is agreed to.
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1 SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall—

3 (1) employ a nongovernmental consultant with 

4 expertise in job evaluation to study and compare the 

5 compensation paid within and between job classifica6 tions in the Library of Congress and to analyze per7 sonnel policies and practices in the Library of Con8 gress;

9 (2) evaluate the compensation system and per10 sonnel policies and practices in the Library of Con11 gress for compliance with title VII of the Civil 

12 Rights Act of 1964 and make specific recommenda13 tions (other than any recommendation that, if imple14 mented, would result in a reduction in the rate of 

15 pay payable for any position) to the Congress for 

16 such action as may be necessary to achieve that 

17 compliance; 

18 (3) develop a comprehensive plan for applica19 tion of the principles of title VII of the Civil Rights 

20 Act of 1964 throughout the legislative branch; and 

21 (4) make specific recommendations (other than 

22 any recommendation that, if implemented, would re23 sult in a reduction in the rate of pay payable for any 

24 position) to the Congress for improvement of per25 sonnel policies and practices in the legislative branch 
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1 that may be necessary to carry out the policy de2 clared in section 1. 

3 (b) SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT RELATING TO THE

4 CONSULTANT.—In carrying out the requirements of para5 graph (1) of subsection (a), the consultant employed under 

6 such paragraph shall use standard objective job-evaluation 

7 techniques to determine whether the compensation system 

8 at the Library of Congress is in compliance with the policy 

9 objectives in section 1. 

10 SEC. 4. STAFF OF COMMISSION. 

11 (a) STAFF DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall have 

12 a staff director who shall be appointed by the chairman 

13 and who shall be paid at a rate not to exceed the maximum 

14 rate of basic pay payable under the General Schedule (as 

15 determined under section 5376 of title 5, United States 

16 Code). 

17 (b) ADDITIONAL STAFF.—With the approval of the 

18 Commission, the chairman may appoint, terminate, and 

19 fix the pay of additional staff. Any person so appointed 

20 may be paid at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate 

21 of basic pay payable for grade GS–15 of the General 

22 Schedule, under section 5332 of title 5, United States 

23 Code. 
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1 SEC. 5. COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS. 

2 (a) PROHIBITION OF COMPENSATION OF CERTAIN

3 MEMBERS.—A member of the Commission who is a Mem4 ber of Congress or a full-time officer or employee of the 

5 United States shall receive no additional pay by reason 

6 of service on the Commission. 

7 (b) COMPENSATION OF OTHER MEMBERS.—Any 

8 other member of the Commission shall be paid at a rate 

9 equal to the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate 

10 of basic pay payable under the General Schedule (as deter11 mined under section 5376 of title 5, United States Code) 

12 for each day, including travel time, such member is en13 gaged in the performance of duties of the Commission. 

14 SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 

15 The Commission may hold hearings, take testimony, 

16 receive evidence, administer oaths or affirmations to wit17 nesses appearing before it, and authorize any member or 

18 agent of the Commission to exercise such powers. 

19 SEC. 7. REPORTS AND TERMINATION OF COMMISSION. 

20 The Commission may submit interim reports to the 

21 Congress and shall submit a final report to the Congress 

22 not later than 18 months after the date on which this reso23 lution is agreed to. The Commission shall cease to exist 

24 thirty days after submitting the final report. 
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1 SEC. 8. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS. 

2 (a) FUNDING.—There shall be paid from the applica3 ble accounts of the House of Representatives and from 

4 the contingent fund of the Senate such sums as may be 

5 necessary to carry out this resolution. One-half of the total 

6 of such sums shall be paid from each such source. Pay7 ment shall be upon vouchers submitted by the chairman 

8 of the Commission and approved by the Committee on 

9 House Oversight of the House of Representatives or the 

10 Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, as 

11 appropriate. 

12 (b) STATUS OF MEMBERS AND STAFF.—Members of 

13 the Commission (other than Members of Congress) and 

14 the staff of the Commission shall be treated as detailed 

15 employees, or as temporary or intermittent employees of 

16 the House or of the Senate, as appropriate. 

17 (c) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Over18 sight of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

19 on Rules and Administration of the Senate, acting jointly, 

20 shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to 

21 carry out this resolution. Employment of experts and con22 sultants, travel, procurement of support services, proce23 dures for securing information, and other administrative 

24 matters with respect to the Commission shall be in accord25 ance with such regulations.

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