I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2078 

To establish a commission to study employment and economic insecurity 

in the United States workforce. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 23, 2009 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To establish a commission to study employment and 

economic insecurity in the United States workforce. 

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 on Employment and Economic Security Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Americans’ commitment to economic par9 ticipation has been a defining feature of the cultural 

10 fabric of the United States, helping individuals feel 


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1 positive about themselves, develop independence, and 

2 maintain hope for the future. 

3 (2) As Americans lose their jobs and their in4 comes shrink, too often, they also face the loss of 

5 their family’s health insurance and, subsequent to 

6 the loss of income, even their housing. 

7 (3) Since the recession began in December 

8 2007, more than 5.1 million jobs have been lost. Ac9 cording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by March 

10 2009, the unemployment rate had climbed to 8.5 

11 percent. The scope of the economic downturn is so 

12 large that its impact is felt almost everywhere along 

13 the economic spectrum. 

14 (4) Over the past 12 months, the number of 

15 unemployed persons has grown by about 5.3 million, 

16 and the unemployment rate has risen by 3.4 per17 centage points, according to the Bureau of Labor 

18 Statistics. 

19 (5) The number of long-term unemployed (i.e., 

20 those jobless for 27 weeks or more) rose to 3.2 mil21 lion over the month of March 2009 and has in22 creased by about 1.9 million since the start of the 

23 recession in December 2007. 

24 (6) Eighty percent of Americans say the econ25 omy is a significant cause of stress, an increase from 


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1 66 percent since April 2008, according to a Sep2 tember 2008 survey by the American Psychology As3 sociation. 

4 (7) Calls to the national suicide prevention life5 line increased more than 20 percent from January 

6 2008 to January 2009. 

7 (8) One-third of people going through fore8 closure are clinically depressed. 

9 (9) The loss of a job and the subsequent loss 

10 of income, insurance, and other benefits from that 

11 job have been proven to be substantial triggers for 

12 depression, anxiety, and stress. 

13 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 

14 There is established a commission to be known as the 

15 ‘‘National Commission on Employment and Economic Se16 curity’’. 

17 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 

18 The Commission shall— 

19 (1) examine the issues of economic and psycho20 logical insecurity of members of the United States 

21 workforce caused by employment displacement; 

22 (2) gather data on the relationship between (A) 

23 psychological stress caused by employment insecurity 

24 and economic insecurity, (B) the increase in clinical 

25 depression and anxiety in the United States, and (C) 


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1 increased violence by employees and former employ2 ees in the workplace and in their private lives; 

3 (3) examine the economic and psychological ef4 fects of the decreasing number of well-paid jobs on 

5 members of the United States workforce and their 

6 families; 

7 (4) analyze whether measures may be taken to 

8 reduce said economic and psychological effects; and 

9 (5) recommend potential solutions, including 

10 recommendations for legislative and administrative 

11 action, to alleviate the problems of economic and 

12 psychological insecurity of members of the United 

13 States workforce. 

14 SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION. 

15 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 

16 shall be composed of 15 members, with expertise in re17 search methods or statistics, who shall be appointed as 

18 follows: 

19 (1) 7 individuals appointed by the President, of 

20 which— 

21 (A) 2 members shall be individuals who 

22 represent labor organizations as defined by sec23 tion 2(5) of the National Labor Relations Act 

24 (29 U.S.C. 152(5)); 


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1 (B) 2 members shall be individuals who 

2 represent business interests; and 

3 (C) 2 members shall be individuals who 

4 represent mental health interests. 

5 (2) 2 individuals appointed by the Speaker of 

6 the House of Representatives. 

7 (3) 2 individuals appointed by the minority 

8 leader of the House of Representatives. 

9 (4) 2 individuals appointed by the majority 

10 leader of the Senate. 

11 (5) 2 individuals appointed by the minority 

12 leader of the Senate. 

13 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Members shall be experts in 

15 the fields of labor, employment, the economy, and 

16 psychology. 

17 (2) POLITICAL AFFILIATION.—Political affili18 ation shall not be a factor in the appointment of 

19 members. 

20 (c) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—Each member 

21 shall be appointed to the Commission not later than 90 

22 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

23 (d) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed for the 

24 life of the Commission. 


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

2 be filled in the manner in which the original appointment 

3 was made. 

4 (f) BASIC PAY.—Members shall serve without pay. 

5 (g) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member shall receive 

6 travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 

7 in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, 

8 United States Code. 

9 (h) QUORUM.—8 members of the Commission shall 

10 constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hear11 ings. 

12 (i) CHAIRPERSON.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the 

14 Commission shall be elected by the members not 

15 later than 30 days after the date on which all of the 

16 original members of the Commission have been ap17 pointed. 

18 (2) PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT.—If the 

19 members of the Commission are unable to elect the 

20 Chairperson in accordance with paragraph (1), the 

21 President shall appoint a member of the Commission 

22 to be the Chairperson. 

23 (j) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the 

24 call of the Chairperson. 


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1 SEC. 6. STAFF OF COMMISSION. 

2 (a) STAFF.—The Chairperson may appoint and fix 

3 the pay of the personnel of the Commission as the Chair4 person considers appropriate. 

5 (b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

6 LAWS.—The staff of the Commission shall be appointed 

7 subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 

8 governing appointments in the competitive service, and 

9 shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 

10 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating 

11 to classification and General Schedule pay rates. 

12 (c) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request 

13 of the Chairperson, the head of any Federal department 

14 or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the 

15 personnel of that department or agency to the Commission 

16 to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act. 

17 SEC. 7. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 

18 (a) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commission 

19 may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hear20 ings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and 

21 receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. 

22 The Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to 

23 witnesses appearing before it. 

24 (b) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any mem25 ber or agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the 


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1 Commission, take any action which the Commission is au2 thorized to take by this section. 

3 (c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission 

4 may secure directly from any Federal department or agen5 cy information necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. 

6 Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the 

7 head of that department or agency shall provide that in8 formation to the Commission. 

9 (d) MAIL.—The Commission may use the United 

10 States mail in the same manner and under the same con11 ditions as other Federal departments and agencies. 

12 (e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 

13 the request of the Commission, the Administrator of Gen14 eral Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reim15 bursable basis, the administrative support services nec16 essary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 

17 under this Act. 

18 (f) IMMUNITY.—The Commission is an agency of the 

19 United States for purpose of part V of title 18, United 

20 States Code (relating to immunity of witnesses). 

21 (g) SUBPOENA POWER.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may issue 

23 a subpoena to require the attendance and testimony 

24 of witnesses and the production of evidence relating 


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1 to any matter described in paragraphs (1) through 

2 (3) of section 4. 

3 (2) FAILURE TO OBEY AN ORDER OR SUB4 POENA.—If a person refuses to obey a subpoena 

5 issued under paragraph (1), the Commission may 

6 apply to a United States district court for an order 

7 requiring that person to appear before the Commis8 sion to give testimony, produce evidence, or both, re9 lating to the matter under investigation. The appli10 cation may be made within the judicial district 

11 where the hearing is conducted or where that person 

12 is found, resides, or transacts business. Any failure 

13 to obey the order of the court may be punished by 

14 the court as civil contempt. 

15 (3) SERVICE OF SUBPOENAS.—The subpoenas 

16 of the Commission shall be served in the manner 

17 provided for subpoenas issued by a United States 

18 district court under the Federal Rules of Civil Pro19 cedure for the United States district courts. 

20 (h) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Commission may 

21 contract with and compensate government and private 

22 agencies or persons for supplies or services, without regard 

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


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1 SEC. 8. REPORT OF COMMISSION. 

2 Not later than 1 year after the date on which all 

3 original members have been appointed to the Commission, 

4 the Commission shall transmit to the President and Con5 gress a report that contains a detailed statement of the 

6 findings and recommendations of the Commission made 

7 pursuant to section 4. 

8 SEC. 9. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION. 

9 (a) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

10 60 days after the date of submission of the report pursu11 ant to section 8. 

12 (b) ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES BEFORE TERMI13 NATION.—The Commission may use the 60-day period re14 ferred to in paragraph (a) for the purpose of concluding 

15 its activities, including providing testimony to committees 

16 of Congress concerning its reports and disseminating the 

17 second report. 

18 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro20 priated to carry out this Act $2,000,000 for fiscal year 

21 2010 for use in the development and implementation of 

22 plans under this Act. 

23 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts authorized to be appro24 priated by subsection (a) are authorized to remain avail25 able until expended. 

Æ 


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