I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1739

To establish the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare to make

findings and issue recommendations on the future of the medicare program.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 25, 1995

Mr. STEARNS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means,

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned

A BILL

To establish the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of

Medicare to make findings and issue recommendations

on the future of the medicare program.

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

3 SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF BIPARTISAN COMMISSION

4 ON THE FUTURE OF MEDICARE.

5 There is established a commission to be known as the

6 Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare (in this

7 Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).
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1 SEC. 2. DUTIES.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—The Commission shall make specific

3 findings regarding each of the following:

4 (1) Patterns of spending under the medicare

5 program under title XVIII of the Social Security

6 Act.

7 (2) The long-term solvency of the Federal Hos8 pital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of

9 the Social Security Act and the Federal Supple10 mentary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under sec11 tion 1841 of such Act.

12 (3) The feasibility and desirability of expanding

13 the choices available to medicare beneficiaries in the

14 methods through which medicare benefits are pro15 vided, including providing benefits through managed

16 care arrangements and through coordination with

17 employer-sponsored or other private health benefit

18 plans.

19 (4) The need to eliminate waste, fraud, and

20 abuse under the medicare program.

21 (5) The quality of services provided under the

22 medicare program.

23 (6) The effectiveness of the existing structure

24 and administration of the medicare program.
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1 (b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Commission shall

2 make specific recommendations to the Congress regarding

3 its findings under subsection (a).

4 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

5 (a) APPOINTMENT.—

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be

7 composed of 15 members appointed as follows:

8 (A) The President shall appoint 5 mem9 bers.

10 (B) The majority leader of the Senate shall

11 appoint, after consultation with the minority

12 leader of the Senate, 5 members of the Senate,

13 of whom not more than 3 may be of the same

14 political party.

15 (C) The Speaker of the House of Rep16 resentatives shall appoint, after consultation

17 with the minority leader of the House of Rep18 resentatives, 5 members of the House, of whom

19 not more than 3 may be of the same political

20 party.

21 (2) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—The mem22 bers of the Commission shall be appointed not later

23 than 6 months after the date of the enactment of

24 this Act.
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1 (b) CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMEN.—The Commis2 sion shall elect a chairman and 4 vice chairmen from

3 among its members.

4 (c) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the membership of

5 the Commission shall be filled in the manner in which the

6 original appointment was made and shall not affect the

7 power of the remaining members to execute the duties of

8 the Commission.

9 (d) QUORUM.—A quorum shall consist of 8 members

10 of the Commission, except that 4 members may conduct

11 a hearing under section 5(a).

12 (e) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the

13 call of its chairman or a majority of its members.

14 (f) COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT OF EX15 PENSES.—Members of the Commission are not entitled to

16 receive compensation for service on the Commission. Mem17 bers may be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other

18 necessary expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of

19 the Commission.

20 SEC. 4. STAFF AND CONSULTANTS.

21 (a) STAFF.—The Commission may appoint and de22 termine the compensation of such staff as may be nec23 essary to carry out the duties of the Commission. Such

24 appointments and compensation may be made without re25 gard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, that
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1 govern appointments in the competitive services, and the

2 provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53

3 of such title that relate to classifications and the General

4 Schedule pay rates.

5 (b) CONSULTANTS.—The Commission may procure

6 such temporary and intermittent services of consultants

7 under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, as

8 the Commission determines to be necessary to carry out

9 the duties of the Commission.

10 SEC. 5. POWERS.

11 (a) HEARINGS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.—For the

12 purpose of carrying out its duties, the Commission may

13 hold such hearings and undertake such other activities as

14 the Commission determines to be necessary to carry out

15 its duties.

16 (b) STUDIES BY GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE.—

17 Upon the request of the Commission, the Comptroller

18 General shall conduct such studies or investigations as the

19 Commission determines to be necessary to carry out its

20 duties.

21 (c) COST ESTIMATES BY CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET

22 OFFICE.—

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—Upon the request of the

24 Commission, the Director of the Congressional

25 Budget Office shall provide to the Commission such
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1 cost estimates as the Commission determines to be

2 necessary to carry out its duties.

3 (2) REIMBURSEMENT.—The Commission shall

4 reimburse the Director of the Congressional Budget

5 Office for expenses relating to the employment in

6 the office of the Director of such additional staff as

7 may be necessary for the Director to comply with re8 quests by the Commission under paragraph (1).

9 (d) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Upon the

10 request of the Commission, the head of any Federal agen11 cy is authorized to detail, without reimbursement, any of

12 the personnel of such agency to the Commission to assist

13 the Commission in carrying out its duties. Any such detail

14 shall not interrupt or otherwise affect the civil service sta15 tus or privileges of the Federal employee.

16 (e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Upon the request of

17 the Commission, the head of a Federal agency shall pro18 vide such technical assistance to the Commission as the

19 Commission determines to be necessary to carry out its

20 duties.

21 (f) USE OF MAILS.—The Commission may use the

22 United States mails in the same manner and under the

23 same conditions as Federal agencies, and shall, for pur24 poses of the frank, be considered a commission of Con-
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1 gress as described in section 3215 of title 39, United

2 States Code.

3 (g) OBTAINING INFORMATION.—The Commission

4 may secure directly from any Federal agency information

5 necessary to enable it to carry out its duties, if the infor6 mation may be disclosed under section 552 of title 5,

7 United States Code. Upon request of the Chairman of the

8 Commission, the head of such agency shall furnish such

9 information to the Commission.

10 (h) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon

11 the request of the Commission, the Administrator of Gen12 eral Services shall provide to the Commission on a reim13 bursable basis such administrative support services as the

14 Commission may request.

15 (i) ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS.—The Commission

16 may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of serv17 ices or property.

18 (j) PRINTING.—For purposes of costs relating to

19 printing and binding, including the costs of personnel de20 tailed from the Government Printing Office, the Commis21 sion shall be deemed to be a committee of the Congress.

22 SEC. 6. REPORT.

23 Not later than 1 year after the date of the appoint24 ment of its members, the Commission shall submit to Con25 gress a report containing its findings and recommenda-
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1 tions under section 2, and shall include in the report rec2 ommendations for appropriate legislative initiatives to

3 carry out its recommendations.

4 SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

5 The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the

6 date of submission of the report required in section 6.

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