I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5420

To establish a National Commission to Eliminate Waste in Government.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 6, 2000

Mr. ROYCE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Government Reform

A BILL

To establish a National Commission to Eliminate Waste in

Government.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Commission

5 to Eliminate Waste in Government Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

7 There is established a commission known as the Na8 tional Commission to Eliminate Waste in Government (in

9 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).
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1 SEC. 3. DUTIES.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—It shall be the duty of the

3 Commission—

4 (1) to conduct a private sector survey on man5 agement and cost control in the Federal Govern6 ment;

7 (2) to conduct in-depth reviews of the oper8 ations of the executive agencies;

9 (3) to review existing Government Accounting

10 Office, Congressional Budget Office, and Inspector

11 General reports and other existing governmental and

12 nongovernmental recommendations for reducing

13 waste, including recommendations from the Presi14 dent’s Private Sector Survey on Cost Control, and,

15 based on this review, to periodically submit reports

16 to the President and Congress including a list of

17 such recommendations that the Commission deter18 mines are most significant, the estimated savings of

19 the recommendations, and determinations of whether

20 the recommendations can be implemented by Execu21 tive order or require legislative action; and

22 (4) to submit to the President and the Congress

23 recommendations for improving the budget process

24 and management and for reducing waste and costs

25 in the Federal Government.
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1 (b) PARTICULAR AREAS TO BE EXAMINED.—In ful2 filling the duties described in subsection (a), the Commis3 sion shall identify and address—

4 (1) opportunities for increased efficiency and

5 reduced costs in the Federal Government that can

6 be realized by Executive action or legislation;

7 (2) areas in the Federal Government where

8 managerial accountability can be enhanced and ad9 ministrative control can be improved;

10 (3) specific Federal programs that have accom11 plished their objectives and ought to be terminated;

12 (4) specific Federal program services that could

13 be provided at a lower cost by the private sector;

14 (5) specific reforms of the budget process that

15 would yield savings, increase accountability and effi16 ciency, and enhance public confidence in the budget

17 process; and

18 (6) specific areas in the Federal Government

19 where further study can be justified by potential sav20 ings.

21 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

22 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission

23 shall be composed of 12 members who are not officers or

24 employees of any government and who are especially quali25 fied to serve on the Commission by virtue of their edu-
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1 cation, training, or experience. Not more than 6 members

2 of the Commission shall be of the same political party.

3 The members shall be appointed as follows:

4 (1) Four individuals appointed by the Presi5 dent, not more than two of whom shall be from the

6 same political party.

7 (2) Three individuals appointed by the Speaker

8 of the House of Representatives, not more than two

9 of whom shall be from the same political party.

10 (3) One individual appointed by the minority

11 leader of the House of Representatives.

12 (4) Three individuals appointed by the majority

13 leader of the Senate, not more than two of whom

14 shall be from the same political party.

15 (5) One individual appointed by the minority

16 leader of the Senate.

17 (b) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If an indi18 vidual is appointed to the Commission, and later becomes

19 an officer or employee of a government, such individual

20 may continue as a member of the Commission for not

21 longer than the 30-day period beginning on the date such

22 individual becomes such an officer or employee.

23 (c) APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.—Appointments

24 shall be made within 30 days of the date of the enactment

25 of this Act.
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1 (d) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed for the

2 life of the Commission.

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

4 be filled within 30 days in the manner in which the origi5 nal appointment was made.

6 (f) COMPENSATION; RATES OF PAY.—Members of

7 the Commission shall serve without pay.

8 (g) QUORUM.—Five members of the Commission

9 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold

10 hearings.

11 (h) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Com12 mission shall be elected by the members from among the

13 members.

14 (i) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at least

15 once each month at the call of the Chairperson of the

16 Commission.

17 SEC. 5. STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

18 (a) DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall have a Direc19 tor appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission and

20 paid a rate determined by the Commission.

21 (b) STAFF.—With the approval of the Commission,

22 the Director of the Commission may appoint personnel as

23 the Director considers appropriate.
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1 SEC. 6. POWERS.

2 (a) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commission

3 may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hear4 ings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and

5 receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate.

6 (b) DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY.—Any Member or

7 agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the Com8 mission, take any action which the Commission is author9 ized to take by this section.

10 (c) INFORMATION.—The Commission may secure di11 rectly from any Federal agency information necessary to

12 enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the Chair13 person of the Commission, the head of the Federal agency

14 shall furnish the information to the Commission.

15 (d) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Commission may

16 contract with and compensate government and private

17 agencies or persons for supplies or services without regard

18 to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5).

19 SEC. 7. REPORTS.

20 (a) PERIODIC REPORTS.—Pursuant to section

21 3(a)(3) the Commission shall issue periodic reports to the

22 President and the Congress.

23 (b) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than the expiration

24 of the 24-month period beginning on the date of enact25 ment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the

26 President and the Congress a final report setting forth
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1 the findings and conclusions of the Commission and spe2 cific recommendations for legislative and administrative

3 actions that the Commission determines to be appropriate.

4 SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

5 The Commission shall terminate not later than the

6 expiration of the 30-day period beginning on the date on

7 which the Commission submits its final report under sec8 tion 7(b).

9 SEC. 9 FUNDING AND SUPPORT.

10 The Commission is to be funded, staffed and

11 equipped, by the private sector without cost to the Federal

12 Government. To accomplish this objective, it is expected

13 that the Secretary of Commerce will engage in a joint

14 project with a nonprofit organization pursuant to the first

15 section of Public Law 91–412 (15 U.S.C. 1525) for the

16 purpose of providing support for the Commission.

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