III

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 208

To establish a special committee of the Senate to address the year 2000

technology problem.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 2, 1998

Mr. LOTT (for himself and Mr. DASCHLE) submitted the following resolution;

which was considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

To establish a special committee of the Senate to address

the year 2000 technology problem.

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a special

4 committee of the Senate to be known as the Special Com5 mittee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem (hereafter

6 in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘special committee’’).

7 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the special committee

8 is—

9 (1) to study the impact of the year 2000 tech10 nology problem on the Executive and Judicial
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1 Branches of the Federal Government, State govern2 ments, and private sector operations in the United

3 States and abroad;

4 (2) to make such findings of fact as are war5 ranted and appropriate; and

6 (3) to make such recommendations, including

7 recommendations for new legislation and amend8 ments to existing laws and any administrative or

9 other actions, as the special committee may deter10 mine to be necessary or desirable.

11 No proposed legislation shall be referred to the special

12 committee, and the committee shall not have power to re13 port by bill, or otherwise have legislative jurisdiction.

14 (c) TREATMENT AS STANDING COMMITTEE.—For

15 purposes of paragraphs 1, 2, 7(a)(1)–(2), and 10(a) of

16 rule XXVI and rule XXVII of the Standing Rules of the

17 Senate, and section 202 (i) and (j) of the Legislative Reor18 ganization Act of 1946, the special committee shall be

19 treated as a standing committee of the Senate.

20 SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION OF THE SPECIAL

21 COMMITTEE.

22 (a) MEMBERSHIP.—

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The special committee shall

24 consist of 7 members of the Senate—
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1 (A) 4 of whom shall be appointed by the

2 President pro tempore of the Senate from the

3 majority party of the Senate upon the rec4 ommendation of the Majority Leader of the

5 Senate; and

6 (B) 3 of whom shall be appointed by the

7 President pro tempore of the Senate from the

8 minority party of the Senate upon the rec9 ommendation of the Minority Leader of the

10 Senate.

11 The chairman and ranking minority member of the

12 Appropriations Committee shall be appointed ex-offi13 cio members.

14 (2) VACANCIES.—Vacancies in the membership

15 of the special committee shall not affect the author16 ity of the remaining members to execute the func17 tions of the special committee and shall be filled in

18 the same manner as original appointments to it are

19 made.

20 (3) SERVICE.—For the purpose of paragraph 4

21 of rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate,

22 service of a Senator as a member, chairman, or vice

23 chairman of the special committee shall not be taken

24 into account.
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1 (b) CHAIRMAN.—The chairman of the special com2 mittee shall be selected by the Majority Leader of the Sen3 ate and the vice chairman of the special committee shall

4 be selected by the Minority Leader of the Senate. The vice

5 chairman shall discharge such responsibilities as the spe6 cial committee or the chairman may assign.

7 SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of this resolu9 tion, the special committee is authorized, in its discre10 tion—

11 (1) to make expenditures from the contingent

12 fund of the Senate;

13 (2) to employ personnel;

14 (3) to hold hearings;

15 (4) to sit and act at any time or place during

16 the sessions, recesses, and adjourned periods of the

17 Senate;

18 (5) to require, by subpoena or otherwise, the at19 tendance of witnesses and the production of cor20 respondence, books, papers, and documents;

21 (6) to take depositions and other testimony;

22 (7) to procure the services of individual con23 sultations or organizations thereof, in accordance

24 with the provisions of section 202(i) of the Legisla25 tive Reorganization Act of 1946; and
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1 (8) with the prior consent of the Government

2 department or agency concerned and the Committee

3 on Rules and Administration, to use on a non4 reimbursable basis the services of personnel of any

5 such department or agency.

6 (b) OATHS FOR WITNESSES.—The chairman of the

7 special committee or any member thereof may administer

8 oaths to witnesses.

9 (c) SUBPOENAS.—Subpoenas authorized by the spe10 cial committee may be issued over the signature of the

11 chairman after consultation with the vice chairman, or any

12 member of the special committee designated by the chair13 man after consultation with the vice chairman, and may

14 be served by any person designated by the chairman or

15 the member signing the subpoena.

16 (d) OTHER COMMITTEE STAFF.—The special com17 mittee may use, with the prior consent of the chairman

18 of any other Senate committee or the chairman of any

19 subcommittee of any committee of the Senate and on a

20 nonreimbuseable basis, the facilities or services of any

21 members of the staff of such other Senate committee

22 whenever the special committee or its chairman, following

23 consultation with the vice chairman, considers that such

24 action is necessary or appropriate to enable the special
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1 committee to make the investigation and study provided

2 for in this resolution.

3 (e) USE OF OFFICE SPACE.—The staff of the special

4 committee may be located in the personal office of a Mem5 ber of the special committee.

6 SEC. 4. REPORT AND TERMINATION.

7 The special committee shall report its findings, to8 gether with such recommendations as it deems advisable,

9 to the Senate at the earliest practicable date.

10 SEC. 5. FUNDING.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—From the date this resolution is

12 agreed to through February 29, 2000, the expenses of the

13 special committee incurred under this resolution shall not

14 exceed $575,000 for the period beginning on the date of

15 adoption of this resolution through February 28, 1999,

16 and $575,000 for the period of March 1, 1999 through

17 February 29, 2000, of which amount not to exceed

18 $200,000 shall be available for each period for the pro19 curement of the services of individual consultants, or orga20 nizations thereof, as authorized by section 202(i) of the

21 Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.

22 (b) PAYMENT OF BENEFITS.—The retirement and

23 health benefits of employees of the special committee shall

24 be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate.

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