II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1560 

To establish a Congressional Commission on Expanding Social Service 

Delivery Options. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2005 

Mr. SANTORUM introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish a Congressional Commission on Expanding 

Social Service Delivery Options. 

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 ‘‘Congressional Commis5 sion on Expanding Social Service Delivery Options Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Con8 gressional Commission on Expanding Social Service Deliv9 ery Options (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

10 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
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1 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be 

2 composed of 10 members, of whom— 

3 (A) 3 shall be appointed by the Speaker of 

4 the House of Representatives; 

5 (B) 3 shall be appointed by the majority 

6 leader of the Senate; 

7 (C) 2 shall be appointed by the minority 

8 leader of the House of Representatives; and 

9 (D) 2 shall be appointed by the minority 

10 leader of the Senate. 

11 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the Com12 mission shall be appointed from among individuals 

13 with demonstrated expertise and experience in social 

14 service delivery, including, to the extent practicable, 

15 in the area of reform of such delivery. 

16 (3) DATE.—The appointments of the members 

17 of the Commission shall be made not later than 30 

18 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 

19 (c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem20 bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any 

21 vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but 

22 shall be filled in the same manner as the original appoint23 ment. 

24 (d) CO-CHAIRPERSONS.—The Speaker of the House 

25 of Representatives shall designate 1 of the members ap-
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1 pointed under subsection (b)(1)(A) as a co-Chairperson of 

2 the Commission. The majority leader of the Senate shall 

3 designate 1 of the members appointed under subsection 

4 (b)(1)(B) as a co-Chairperson of the Commission. 

5 (e) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 60 days after 

6 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 

7 hold its first meeting. 

8 (f) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the 

9 call of either co-Chairperson. 

10 (g) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the 

11 Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser num12 ber of members may hold hearings. 

13 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 

14 (a) STUDY.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall con16 duct a thorough and thoughtful study of all matters 

17 relating to increasing beneficiary-selected or bene18 ficiary-directed options for social service delivery in 

19 Federal social service programs, including certifi20 cate, scholarship, voucher, or other forms of indirect 

21 delivery. The Commission shall review all relevant 

22 Federal social service programs in existence on the 

23 date of the beginning of the study, including the ini24 tiatives of the Corporation for National and Commu25 nity Service. The Commission shall determine pro-
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1 gram areas, among the Federal programs, for which 

2 it is appropriate and feasible to implement full or 

3 partial beneficiary-selected or beneficiary-directed 

4 options for the delivery of the social services. 

5 (2) GOALS.—In making determinations under 

6 paragraph (1), the Commission shall seek to pro7 mote goals of— 

8 (A) expanding consumer and beneficiary 

9 choice in Federal social service programs; 

10 (B) maximizing the use of governmental 

11 resources in the Federal programs; and 

12 (C) minimizing concerns relating to any 

13 precedent under the Constitution regarding the 

14 participation of faith-based providers in the 

15 Federal programs. 

16 (b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Commission shall de17 velop recommendations on program areas, among the Fed18 eral social service programs, for which it is appropriate 

19 and feasible to implement full or partial beneficiary-se20 lected or beneficiary-directed options for the delivery of 

21 the social services. 

22 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 11 months after the 

23 date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall sub24 mit a report to the Speaker and minority leader of the 

25 House of Representatives and the majority leader and mi-
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1 nority leader of the Senate, which shall contain a detailed 

2 statement of the findings and conclusions of the Commis3 sion, together with its recommendations for such legisla4 tion and administrative actions as it considers appro5 priate. 

6 SEC. 4. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

7 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may hold such 

8 hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such 

9 testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission 

10 considers necessary to carry out this Act. 

11 (b) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The 

12 Commission may secure directly from any Federal depart13 ment or agency such information as the Commission con14 siders necessary to carry out this Act. Upon request of 

15 either co-Chairperson of the Commission, the head of such 

16 department or agency shall furnish such information to 

17 the Commission. 

18 (c) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 

19 the United States mails in the same manner and under 

20 the same conditions as other departments and agencies of 

21 the Federal Government. 

22 SEC. 5. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

23 (a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each member of 

24 the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the 

25 Federal Government shall be compensated at a rate equal 
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1 to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay pre2 scribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under sec3 tion 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (in4 cluding travel time) during which such member is engaged 

5 in the performance of the duties of the Commission. All 

6 members of the Commission who are officers or employees 

7 of the United States shall serve without compensation in 

8 addition to that received for their services as officers or 

9 employees of the United States. 

10 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com11 mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 

12 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ13 ees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 

14 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or 

15 regular places of business in the performance of services 

16 for the Commission. 

17 (c) STAFF.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The co-Chairpersons of the 

19 Commission, acting jointly, may, without regard to 

20 the civil service laws and regulations, appoint and 

21 terminate an executive director and such other addi22 tional personnel as may be necessary to enable the 

23 Commission to perform its duties. The employment 

24 of an executive director shall be subject to confirma25 tion by the Commission. 
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1 (2) COMPENSATION.—The co-Chairpersons of 

2 the Commission, acting jointly, may fix the com3 pensation of the executive director and other per4 sonnel without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter 

5 III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, re6 lating to classification of positions and General 

7 Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for 

8 the executive director and other personnel may not 

9 exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive 

10 Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 

11 (d) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any 

12 Federal Government employee may be detailed to the 

13 Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall 

14 be without interruption or loss of civil service status or 

15 privilege. 

16 (e) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT17 TENT SERVICES.—The co-Chairpersons of the Commis18 sion, acting jointly, may procure temporary and intermit19 tent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 

20 States Code, at rates for individuals which do not exceed 

21 the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay pre22 scribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 

23 5316 of such title. 
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1 SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION. 

2 The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the 

3 date on which the Commission submits its report under 

4 section 3. 

5 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro7 priated to the Commission for fiscal year 2006 such sums 

8 as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 

9 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Any sums appropriated under 

10 the authorization contained in this section shall remain 

11 available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended. 

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