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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 163

To establish a special committee of the Senate to study the causes of firearms

violence in America.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 26, 1999

Mrs. BOXER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Rules and Administration

RESOLUTION

To establish a special committee of the Senate to study

the causes of firearms violence in America.

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

3 Congress finds that—

4 (1) In the past eleven years, nearly 400,000

5 Americans have died from gunshots, and about

6 35,000 Americans will die in 1999 because of gun

7 violence;

8 (2) Death by gunshots is the second leading

9 cause of accidental death in the United States and
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1 is expected to become the number one cause within

2 the next four years;

3 (3) Treating gunshot injuries costs the Amer4 ican health care system approximately $4.5 billion

5 annually, with 80 percent of the costs paid for by

6 the public in tax dollars or cost-shifting.

7 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

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

9 committee of the Senate to be known as the Special Com10 mittee on Firearms Violence (hereafter in this resolution

11 referred to as the ‘‘special committee’’).

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

13 is—

14 (1) to study the causes of firearms violence in

15 America;

16 (2) to make such findings of fact as are war17 ranted and appropriate, including the impact of fire18 arms violence on the well-being of American chil19 dren; and

20 (3) to explore ways to reduce firearms violence

21 in America, including increasing controls on the sale

22 and distribution of firearms, and to make rec23 ommendations for such legislation and administra24 tive actions as the special committee determines to

25 be necessary and appropriate.
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1 No proposed legislation shall be referred to the special

2 committee, nor shall the special committee have power to

3 report by bill or otherwise have legislative jurisdiction.

4 (c) TREATMENT AS STANDING COMMITTEE.—For

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

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

7 the Senate, and section 202 (i) and (j) of the Legislative

8 Reorganization Act of 1946, the special committee shall

9 be treated as a standing committee of the Senate.

10 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION.

11 (a) MEMBERSHIP.—

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—the special committee shall

13 consist of 7 members of the Senate—

14 (A) 4 of whom shall be appointed by the

15 President pro tempore of the Senate from the

16 majority party of the Senate upon the rec17 ommendation of the Majority Leader of the

18 Senate; and

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

20 President pro tempore of the Senate from the

21 minority party of the Senate upon the rec22 ommendation of the Minority Leader of the

23 Senate.

24 (2) VACANCIES.—Vacancies in the membership

25 of the special committee shall not affect the author-
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1 ity of the remaining members to execute the func2 tions of the special committee and shall be filled in

3 the same manner as original appointments are

4 made.

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

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

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

8 chairman of the special committee shall not be taken

9 into account.

10 (b) CHAIRMAN.—The chairman of the special com11 mittee shall be selected by the Majority Leader of the Sen12 ate and the vice chairman of the special committee shall

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

14 chairman shall discharge such responsibilities as the spe15 cial committee or the chairman may assign.

16 SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of this resolu18 tion, the special committee is authorized, in its

19 discretion—

20 (1) to make expenditures from the contingent

21 fund of the Senate;

22 (2) to employ personnel;

23 (3) to hold hearings;
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1 (4) to sit and act at any time or place during

2 the sessions, recesses, and adjourned periods of the

3 Senate;

4 (5) to require, by subpoena or otherwise, the at5 tendance of witnesses and the production of cor6 respondence, books, papers, and documents;

7 (6) to take depositions and other testimony;

8 (7) to procure the services of individual con9 sultations or organizations thereof, in accordance

10 with the provisions of section 202(i) of the Legisla11 tive Reorganization Act of 1946; and

12 (8) with the prior consent of the Government

13 department or agency concerned and the Committee

14 on Rules and Administration, to use on a non15 reimbursable basis the services of personnel of any

16 such department or agency.

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

18 special committee or any member thereof may administer

19 oaths to witnesses.

20 (c) SUBPOENAS.—Subpoenas authorized by the spe21 cial committee may be—

22 (1) issued over the signature of the chairman

23 after consultation with the vice chairman, or any

24 member of the special committee designated by the
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1 chairman after consultation with the vice chairman;

2 and

3 (2) served by any person designated by the

4 chairman or the member signing the subpoena.

5 (d) OTHER COMMITTEE STAFF.—The special com6 mittee may use, with the prior consent of the chairman

7 of any other Senate committee or the chairman of any

8 subcommittee of any committee of the Senate and on a

9 nonreimbursable basis, the facilities or services of any

10 members of the staff of such other Senate committee

11 whenever the special committee or its chairman, following

12 consultation with the vice chairman, considers that such

13 action is necessary or appropriate to enable the special

14 committee to make the investigation and study provided

15 for in this resolution.

16 SEC. 4. REPORT AND TERMINATION.

17 The special committee shall report its findings, to18 gether with such recommendations as it deems appro19 priate, to the Senate prior to December 31, 2000.

20 SEC. 5. FUNDING.

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

22 agreed to through December 31, 2000, the expenses of

23 the special committee incurred under this resolution shall

24 be paid out of the miscellaneous items account of the con25 tingent fund of the Senate and shall not exceed $250,000
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1 for the period beginning on the date of adoption of this

2 resolution through March 1, 2000, and $250,000 for the

3 period of March 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000, of

4 which amount not to exceed $75,000 shall be available for

5 each period for the procurement of the services of indi6 vidual consultants, or organization thereof, as authorized

7 by section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of

8 1946 (2 U.S.C. 72a(i)).

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

10 health benefits of employees of the special committee shall

11 be paid out of the miscellaneous items account of the con12 tingent fund of the Senate.

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