II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 47

To establish a commission to study the impact on voter turnout of making

the deadline for filing federal income tax returns conform to the date

of federal elections.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 19, 1999

Mr. KYL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to

the Committee on Rules and Administration

A BILL

To establish a commission to study the impact on voter

turnout of making the deadline for filing federal income

tax returns conform to the date of federal elections.

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 ‘‘Voter Turnout En5 hancement Study Commission Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that:

8 (1) The right of citizens of the United States

9 to vote is a fundamental right.
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1 (2) It is the duty of federal, state, and local

2 governments to promote the exercise of that right to

3 vote to the greatest extent possible.

4 (3) The power to tax is a power that citizens

5 of the United States only guardedly vest in their

6 elected representatives to the federal, state, and local

7 governments.

8 (4) The only regular contacts most Americans

9 have with their government are the filing of their

10 personal income tax returns and their participation

11 in federal, state, and local elections.

12 (5) About 115 million individual income tax re13 turns were filed in 1998, but only about 70 million

14 Americans cast votes in that year’s congressional

15 elections.

16 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

17 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com18 mission to be known as the Voter Turnout Enhancement

19 Study Commission (hereafter in this Act referred to as

20 the ‘‘Commission’’).

21 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—

22 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be

23 composed of nine members of whom—

24 (A) 3 shall be appointed by the President;
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1 (B) 3 shall be appointed by the Majority Lead2 er of the Senate; and

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

4 House of Representatives.

5 (c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem6 bers shall be appointed no later than 30 days after the

7 date of the enactment of this Act, and serve for the life

8 of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall

9 not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same man10 ner as the original appointment.

11 (d) COMPENSATION.—

12 (1) RATES OF PAY.—Except as provided in

13 paragraph (2), members of the Commission shall

14 serve without pay.

15 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the

16 Commission shall receive travel expenses, include per

17 diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sec18 tions 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

19 (e) INITIAL MEETING.—No later than 30 days after

20 the date on which all members of the Commission have

21 been appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meet22 ing.

23 (f) MEETINGS.—After the initial meeting, the Com24 mission shall meet at the call of the Chairman.
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1 (g) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the

2 Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser num3 ber of members may hold hearings.

4 (h) CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN.—The Commis5 sion shall select a Chairman and Vice Chairman from

6 among its members.

7 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

8 (a) STUDY.—

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall con10 duct a thorough study of all matters relating to the

11 propriety of conforming the annual filing date for

12 federal income tax returns with the date for holding

13 biennial federal elections.

14 (2) MATTERS STUDIED.—The matters studied

15 by the Commission shall include—

16 (A) whether establishment of a single date

17 on which individuals can fulfill their obligations

18 of citizenship as both electors and taxpayers

19 would increase participation in federal, state,

20 and local elections; and

21 (B) a cost-benefit analysis of any change

22 in tax filing deadlines.

23 (b) REPORT.—No later than 12 months after the

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

25 submit a report to the President and the Congress which
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1 shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and con2 clusions of the Commission, together with its rec3 ommendations for such legislation and administrative ac4 tions as it considers appropriate.

5 SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

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

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

8 testimony, and receive such information as the Commis9 sion considers advisable to carry out the purposes of this

10 Act.

11 (b) INFORMATION TO BE GATHERED.—The Commis12 sion shall obtain information from sources as it deems ap13 propriate, including, but not limited to, taxpayers and

14 their representatives, Governors, state and federal election

15 officials, and the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue

16 Service.

17 SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.

18 The Commission shall terminate upon the submission

19 of the report under section 4.

20 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

21 There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as

22 may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.

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