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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5993 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5993

To prohibit the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses 
    of Members of Congress and other officers and employees of the 
legislative branch for airline accommodations which are not coach-class 
  accommodations, to prohibit the use of official funds for long-term 
  vehicle leases for Members of Congress, to prohibit the use of the 
 Members' Representational Allowance for expenses of official mail of 
   any material other than a document transmitted under the official 
       letterhead of the Member involved, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 12, 2016

 Mr. Ashford introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Oversight and Government Reform, 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 prohibit the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses 
    of Members of Congress and other officers and employees of the 
legislative branch for airline accommodations which are not coach-class 
  accommodations, to prohibit the use of official funds for long-term 
  vehicle leases for Members of Congress, to prohibit the use of the 
 Members' Representational Allowance for expenses of official mail of 
   any material other than a document transmitted under the official 
       letterhead of the Member involved, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Congressional Accountability Now 
Act'' or the ``CAN Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR OFFICIAL TRAVEL EXPENSES OF 
              MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES FOR 
              AIRLINE ACCOMMODATIONS OTHER THAN COACH-CLASS.

    (a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no funds 
appropriated or otherwise made available for the official travel 
expenses of a Member of Congress or other officer or employee of any 
office in the legislative branch may be used for airline accommodations 
which are not coach-class accommodations.
    (b) Exceptions.--Funds described in subsection (a) may be used for 
airline accommodations which are not coach-class accommodations for an 
individual described in subsection (a) if the use of the funds for such 
accommodations would be permitted under sections 301-10.121 through 
301-10.125 of title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations if the 
individual were an employee of an agency which is subject to chapter 
301 of such title.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to affect any officer or employee of an office of the legislative 
branch which, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, is subject 
to chapter 301 of title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
    (d) Definitions.--
            (1) Coach-class accommodations.--In this section, the term 
        ``coach-class accommodations'' means the basic class of 
        accommodation by airlines that is normally the lowest fare 
        offered regardless of airline terminology used, and (as 
        referred to by airlines) may include tourist class or economy 
        class, as well as single class when the airline offers only one 
        class of accommodations to all travelers.
            (2) Member of congress.--In this section, the term ``Member 
        of Congress'' means a Senator or a Representative in, or 
        Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITING USE OF FUNDS FOR LONG-TERM VEHICLE LEASES BY 
              MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Prohibition.--No funds appropriated or otherwise made available 
during a fiscal year for the operations of a House of Congress, 
including the official and representational expenses of a Member of 
Congress or the expenses of a committee or leadership office of a House 
of Congress, may be used for the long-term leasing of a vehicle.
    (b) Member of Congress Defined.--In this section, the term ``Member 
of Congress'' means a Senator or a Representative in, or Delegate or 
Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.

SEC. 4. RESTRICTING USE OF FRANK BY MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF 
              REPRESENTATIVES.

    Section 311(e) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 
(2 U.S.C. 503(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
    ``(3) Funds of the House of Representatives may not be used for 
official mail of a Member of the House of Representatives for any 
material other than a document transmitted under the official 
letterhead used for the Member's stationery.''.

SEC. 5. REDUCTION IN PAY AND ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC PAY INCREASES FOR 
              MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization 
Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) is amended to read as follows:
    ``Sec. 601. (a) Effective as of the beginning of the first 
applicable pay period commencing after the date of the first regularly 
scheduled general election for Federal office which is held after the 
date of the enactment of the Congressional Accountability Now Act, the 
annual rate of pay for--
            ``(1) each Senator, Member of the House of Representatives, 
        and Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident 
        Commissioner from Puerto Rico,
            ``(2) the President pro tempore of the Senate, the majority 
        leader and the minority leader of the Senate, and the majority 
        leader and the minority leader of the House of Representatives, 
        and
            ``(3) the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
shall be equal to the annual rate of pay for that position as of the 
date on which such general election is held, reduced by 10 percent.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall take effect on the date 
of the first regularly scheduled general election for Federal office 
which is held after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF CERTAIN RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS OF 
              CONGRESS.

    (a) Amendments Relating to the Civil Service Retirement System.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, 
        United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 8335 
        the following:
``Sec. 8335a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of 
              Congress
    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
subchapter and subject to subsection (f), effective as of the date of 
enactment of this section--
            ``(1) a Member shall not be subject to this subchapter for 
        any further period of time; and
            ``(2) no further Government contributions or deductions 
        from basic pay may be made with respect to such Member for 
        deposit in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of 
        the Fund.
    ``(b) Prior Rights Not Affected.--Nothing in subsection (a) shall 
be considered to nullify, modify, or otherwise affect any right, 
entitlement, or benefit under this subchapter with respect to any 
Member covering any period prior to the date of enactment of this 
section.
    ``(c) Right To Participate in Thrift Savings Plan Not Affected.--
Nothing in subsection (a) shall affect the eligibility of a Member to 
participate in the Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with otherwise 
applicable provisions of law.
    ``(d) Regulations.--Any regulations necessary to carry out this 
section may--
            ``(1) except with respect to matters under paragraph (2), 
        be prescribed by the Director of the Office of Personnel 
        Management; and
            ``(2) with respect to matters relating to the Thrift 
        Savings Plan, be prescribed by the Executive Director (as 
        defined by section 8401(13)).
    ``(e) Exclusion.--For purposes of this section, the term `Member' 
does not include the Vice President.
    ``(f) Opt-In.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this section, a Member covered by this subchapter as of such date of 
enactment may elect, by giving notice in writing to the official by 
whom such Member is paid, to remain subject to this subchapter.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, is 
        amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8335 
        the following:

``8335a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of 
                            Congress.''.
    (b) Amendments Relating to the Federal Employees' Retirement 
System.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter II of chapter 84 of title 5, 
        United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 8425 
        the following:
``Sec. 8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of 
              Congress
    ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
chapter, effective as of the date of enactment of this section--
            ``(1) subject to subsection (f), in the case of an 
        individual who first becomes a Member before such date of 
        enactment--
                    ``(A) such Member shall not be subject to this 
                chapter for any further period of time after such date 
                of enactment; and
                    ``(B) no further Government contributions or 
                deductions from basic pay may be made with respect to 
                such Member for deposit in the Treasury of the United 
                States to the credit of the Fund; and
            ``(2) in the case of an individual who first becomes a 
        Member on or after such date of enactment--
                    ``(A) such Member shall not be subject to this 
                chapter; and
                    ``(B) no Government contributions or deductions 
                from basic pay may be made with respect to such Member 
                for deposit in the Treasury of the United States to the 
                credit of the Fund.
    ``(b) Prior Rights Not Affected.--Nothing in subsection (a) shall 
be considered to nullify, modify, or otherwise affect any right, 
entitlement, or benefit under this chapter with respect to any Member 
covering any period prior to the date of enactment of this section.
    ``(c) Right To Participate in Thrift Savings Plan Not Affected.--
Nothing in subsection (a) or (b) shall affect the eligibility of a 
Member to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with 
otherwise applicable provisions of law.
    ``(d) Regulations.--
            ``(1) In general.--Any regulations necessary to carry out 
        this section may--
                    ``(A) except with respect to matters under 
                subparagraph (B), be prescribed by the Director of the 
                Office of Personnel Management; and
                    ``(B) with respect to matters relating to the 
                Thrift Savings Plan, be prescribed by the Executive 
                Director (as defined by section 8401(13)).
            ``(2) Refunds.--Notwithstanding subsection (b), the 
        regulations under paragraph (1)(A) shall, in the case of a 
        Member who has not completed at least 5 years of civilian 
        service as of the date of enactment of this section, provide 
        that the lump-sum credit shall be payable to such Member to the 
        same extent and in the same manner as if such Member satisfied 
        paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 8424(a) as of such date 
        of enactment.
    ``(e) Exclusions.--For purposes of this section, the term `Member' 
does not include the Vice President.
    ``(f) Opt-In for Members.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this section, a Member covered by this chapter as of such 
date may elect, by giving notice in writing to the official by whom 
such Member is paid, to remain subject to this chapter.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code, is 
        amended by inserting after the item relating to section 8425 
        the following:

``8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of 
                            Congress.''.

SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act, other than sections 5 
and 6, shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2017 and each succeeding 
fiscal year.
                                 <all>
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