I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 522 

To establish a commission to conduct a comprehensive review over 6 years 

of Federal agencies and programs and to recommend the elimination 

or realignment of duplicative, wasteful, or outdated functions, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 26, 2015 

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia (for himself and Mr. CHABOT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 establish a commission to conduct a comprehensive review 

over 6 years of Federal agencies and programs and to 

recommend the elimination or realignment of duplicative, 

wasteful, or outdated functions, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Commission on the 

5 Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Com3 mission on the Accountability and Review of Federal 

4 Agencies (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Com5 mission’’). 

6 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

7 (1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

9 be composed of 7 members appointed by the 

10 President as follows: 

11 (i) One in consultation with the 

12 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

13 (ii) One in consultation with the mi14 nority leader of the House of Representa15 tives. 

16 (iii) One in consultation with the ma17 jority leader of the Senate. 

18 (iv) One in consultation with the mi19 nority leader of the Senate. 

20 (v) Three other members. 

21 (B) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The Presi22 dent may appoint up to 4 Members of Congress 

23 (up to 2 from each House) as nonvoting ex offi24 cio members of the Commission. 


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1 (2) CHAIRPERSON.—The Commission shall se2 lect a member from among its members to serve as 

3 chairperson of the Commission. 

4 (c) TERMS; VACANCIES.— 

5 (1) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed 

6 for a term of 2 years, except as provided in para7 graph (2). 

8 (2) VACANCIES.—Any member appointed to fill 

9 a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the 

10 term for which the member’s predecessor was ap11 pointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of 

12 that term. A member may serve after the expiration 

13 of that member’s term until a successor has taken 

14 office. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not af15 fect its powers, but shall be filled in the same man16 ner as the original appointment. 

17 (d) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after 

18 the date on which all members of the Commission have 

19 been appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meet20 ing. 

21 (e) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the 

22 call of the chairperson. 

23 (f) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the 

24 Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser num25 ber of members may hold hearings. 


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1 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 

2 (a) DEFINITION.—The term ‘‘agency’’, as used in 

3 this section, has the meaning given the term ‘‘executive 

4 agency’’ under section 105 of title 5, United States Code. 

5 (b) EVALUATIONS AND PLAN.—Each year during the 

6 life of the Commission, the Commission shall— 

7 (1) evaluate agencies, and programs within 

8 those agencies, using the criteria under subsection 

9 (c) and pursuant to the schedule under subsection 

10 (d); and 

11 (2) develop— 

12 (A) a plan with recommendations on the 

13 agencies and programs evaluated under para14 graph (1) that year that should be realigned or 

15 eliminated; and 

16 (B) proposed legislation to implement the 

17 plan under subparagraph (A). 

18 (c) CRITERIA.— 

19 (1) DUPLICATIVE.—If 2 or more agencies or 

20 programs are performing the same essential function 

21 and the function can be consolidated or streamlined 

22 into a single agency or program, the Commission 

23 shall recommend that the agency or program be re24 aligned. 

25 (2) WASTEFUL OR INEFFICIENT.—The Com26 mission shall recommend the realignment or elimiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Jan 30, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H522.IH H522

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1 nation of any agency or program that has wasted 

2 Federal funds by— 

3 (A) egregious spending; 

4 (B) mismanagement of resources and per5 sonnel; or 

6 (C) use of such funds for personal benefit 

7 or the benefit of a special interest group. 

8 (3) OUTDATED, IRRELEVANT, OR FAILED.—The 

9 Commission shall recommend the elimination of any 

10 agency or program that— 

11 (A) has completed its intended purpose; 

12 (B) has become irrelevant; or 

13 (C) has failed to meet its objectives. 

14 (d) SCHEDULE.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.— 

16 (A) YEARS COVERED.—The Commission 

17 shall carry out the evaluations required under 

18 subsection (b) each year for 6 years, beginning 

19 with the first calendar year beginning after the 

20 first meeting of the Commission. 

21 (B) AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS COV22 ERED.— 

23 (i) During each year the Commission 

24 carries out evaluations, the Commission 

25 shall evaluate— 


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1 (I) the agencies and programs 

2 covered by two annual appropriations 

3 Acts; and 

4 (II) such additional agencies and 

5 programs not funded by annual ap6 propriations Acts as the Commission 

7 considers appropriate. 

8 (ii) If an agency or program is funded 

9 in more than one annual appropriations 

10 Act, the agency or program shall be evalu11 ated under the appropriation Act through 

12 which it is primarily funded. 

13 (2) PUBLICATION OF SCHEDULE.—Before be14 ginning the first evaluations under subsection (b), 

15 the Commission shall publish in the Federal Register 

16 a schedule for the evaluations. The schedule shall 

17 specify, by year, the annual appropriations Acts and 

18 the additional agencies and programs not funded by 

19 annual appropriations Acts that will be evaluated 

20 during that year. 

21 (e) REPORTS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

23 the end of a year in which evaluations are carried 

24 out under the schedule under subsection (d), the 


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1 Commission shall submit to the President and Con2 gress a report that includes— 

3 (A) the plan developed under subsection 

4 (b)(1) for that year, with supporting docu5 mentation for all recommendations; and 

6 (B) the proposed legislation developed 

7 under subsection (b)(2) for that year. 

8 (2) USE OF SAVINGS.—The proposed legislation 

9 under paragraph (1)(B) shall provide that all funds 

10 saved by the implementation of the plan under para11 graph (1)(A) shall be used to cover the costs of the 

12 Commission and for deficit reduction. 

13 (3) RELOCATION OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 

14 The proposed legislation under paragraph (1)(B) 

15 shall provide that if the position of an employee of 

16 an agency is eliminated as a result of the implemen17 tation of the plan under paragraph (1)(A), the af18 fected agency shall make reasonable efforts to relo19 cate such employee to another position within the 

20 agency or within another Federal agency. 

21 SEC. 4. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

22 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission or, at its direction, 

23 any subcommittee or member of the Commission, may, for 

24 the purpose of carrying out this Act— 


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1 (1) hold such hearings, sit and act at such 

2 times and places, take such testimony, receive such 

3 evidence, and administer such oaths as any member 

4 of the Commission considers advisable; 

5 (2) require, by subpoena or otherwise, the at6 tendance and testimony of such witnesses as any 

7 member of the Commission considers advisable; and 

8 (3) require, by subpoena or otherwise, the pro9 duction of such books, records, correspondence, 

10 memoranda, papers, documents, tapes, and other 

11 evidentiary materials relating to any matter under 

12 investigation by the Commission. 

13 (b) ISSUANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF SUB14 POENAS.— 

15 (1) ISSUANCE.—Subpoenas issued under sub16 section (a) shall bear the signature of the chair17 person of the Commission and shall be served by any 

18 person or class of persons designated by the chair19 person for that purpose. 

20 (2) ENFORCEMENT.—In the case of contumacy 

21 or failure to obey a subpoena issued under sub22 section (a), the United States district court for the 

23 judicial district in which the subpoenaed person re24 sides, is served, or may be found, may issue an order 

25 requiring such person to appear at any designated 


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1 place to testify or to produce documentary or other 

2 evidence. Any failure to obey the order of the court 

3 may be punished by the court as a contempt of that 

4 court. 

5 (c) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The 

6 Commission may secure directly from any Federal depart7 ment or agency such information as the Commission con8 siders necessary to carry out this Act. Upon request of 

9 the chairperson of the Commission, the head of such de10 partment or agency shall furnish such information to the 

11 Commission. 

12 (d) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 

13 the United States mails in the same manner and under 

14 the same conditions as other departments and agencies of 

15 the Federal Government. 

16 SEC. 5. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

17 (a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.— 

18 (1) NON-FEDERAL MEMBERS.—Except as pro19 vided under subsection (b), each member of the 

20 Commission who is not an officer or employee of the 

21 Federal Government shall not be compensated. 

22 (2) FEDERAL OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES.—All 

23 members of the Commission who are officers or em24 ployees of the United States shall serve without comVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Jan 30, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H522.IH H522

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1 pensation in addition to that received for their serv2 ices as officers or employees of the United States. 

3 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com4 mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 

5 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ6 ees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 

7 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or 

8 regular places of business in the performance of services 

9 for the Commission. 

10 (c) STAFF.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The chairperson of the Com12 mission may, without regard to the civil service laws 

13 and regulations, appoint and terminate an executive 

14 director and such other additional personnel as may 

15 be necessary to enable the Commission to perform 

16 its duties. The employment of an executive director 

17 shall be subject to confirmation by the Commission. 

18 (2) COMPENSATION.—Upon the approval of the 

19 chairperson, the executive director may fix the com20 pensation of the executive director and other per21 sonnel without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter 

22 III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, re23 lating to classification of positions and General 

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

25 the executive director and other personnel may not 


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1 exceed the maximum rate payable for a position at 

2 GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 

3 of such title. 

4 (3) PERSONNEL AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The executive director 

6 and any personnel of the Commission who are 

7 employees shall be employees under section 

8 2105 of title 5, United States Code, for pur9 poses of chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, 

10 and 90 of that title. 

11 (B) MEMBERS OF COMMISSION.—Subpara12 graph (A) shall not be construed to apply to 

13 members of the Commission. 

14 (d) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any 

15 Federal Government employee may be detailed to the 

16 Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall 

17 be without interruption or loss of civil service status or 

18 privilege. 

19 (e) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT20 TENT SERVICES.—The chairperson of the Commission 

21 may procure temporary and intermittent services under 

22 section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 

23 for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent 

24 of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of 

25 the Executive Schedule under section 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 the sixth report 

4 under section 3(e). 

5 SEC. 7. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT. 

6 Not later than 180 days after the termination of the 

7 Commission, the Comptroller General of the United States 

8 shall prepare and submit to Congress and the President 

9 a report on the effectiveness of the Commission. 

10 SEC. 8. CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF REFORM 

11 PROPOSALS. 

12 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

13 (1) the term ‘‘implementation bill’’ means only 

14 a bill which is introduced as provided under sub15 section (b), and contains the proposed legislation in16 cluded in a report submitted to Congress under sec17 tion 3, without modification; and 

18 (2) the term ‘‘calendar day’’ means a calendar 

19 day other than one on which either House is not in 

20 session because of an adjournment of more than 3 

21 days to a date certain. 

22 (b) INTRODUCTION; REFERRAL; AND REPORT OR

23 DISCHARGE.— 

24 (1) INTRODUCTION.—On the first calendar day 

25 on which both Houses are in session, on or imme26 diately following the date on which the report is subVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 Jan 30, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H522.IH H522

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1 mitted to Congress under section 3, a single imple2 mentation bill shall be introduced (by request)— 

3 (A) in the Senate by the majority leader of 

4 the Senate, for himself and the minority leader 

5 of the Senate, or by Members of the Senate 

6 designated by the majority leader and minority 

7 leader of the Senate; and 

8 (B) in the House of Representatives by the 

9 Speaker of the House of Representatives, for 

10 himself and the minority leader of the House of 

11 Representatives, or by Members of the House of 

12 Representatives designated by the Speaker and 

13 minority leader of the House of Representa14 tives. 

15 (2) REFERRAL.—The implementation bills in16 troduced under paragraph (1) shall be referred to 

17 any appropriate committee of jurisdiction in the 

18 Senate and any appropriate committee of jurisdic19 tion in the House of Representatives. A committee 

20 to which an implementation bill is referred under 

21 this paragraph may report such bill to the respective 

22 House without amendment. 

23 (3) REPORT OR DISCHARGE.—If a committee to 

24 which an implementation bill is referred has not re25 ported such bill by the end of the 15th calendar day 


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1 after the date of the introduction of such bill, such 

2 committee shall be immediately discharged from fur3 ther consideration of such bill, and upon being re4 ported or discharged from the committee, such bill 

5 shall be placed on the appropriate calendar. 

6 (c) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—When the committee to 

8 which an implementation bill is referred has re9 ported, or has been discharged under subsection 

10 (b)(3), it is at any time thereafter in order (even 

11 though a previous motion to the same effect has 

12 been disagreed to) for any Member of the respective 

13 House to move to proceed to the consideration of the 

14 implementation bill, and all points of order against 

15 the implementation bill (and against consideration of 

16 the implementation bill) are waived. The motion is 

17 highly privileged in the House of Representatives 

18 and is privileged in the Senate and is not debatable. 

19 The motion is not subject to amendment, or to a 

20 motion to postpone, or to a motion to proceed to the 

21 consideration of other business. A motion to recon22 sider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or 

23 disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to 

24 proceed to the consideration of the implementation 

25 bill is agreed to, the implementation bill shall remain 


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1 the unfinished business of the respective House until 

2 disposed of. 

3 (2) AMENDMENTS.—An implementation bill 

4 may not be amended in the Senate or the House of 

5 Representatives. 

6 (3) DEBATE.—Debate on the implementation 

7 bill, and on all debatable motions and appeals in 

8 connection therewith, shall be limited to not more 

9 than 10 hours, which shall be divided equally be10 tween those favoring and those opposing the resolu11 tion. A motion further to limit debate is in order and 

12 not debatable. An amendment to, or a motion to 

13 postpone, or a motion to proceed to the consider14 ation of other business, or a motion to recommit the 

15 implementation bill is not in order. A motion to re16 consider the vote by which the implementation bill is 

17 agreed to or disagreed to is not in order. 

18 (4) VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE.—Immediately 

19 following the conclusion of the debate on an imple20 mentation bill, and a single quorum call at the con21 clusion of the debate if requested in accordance with 

22 the rules of the appropriate House, the vote on final 

23 passage of the implementation bill shall occur. 

24 (5) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCEDURE.— 

25 Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to 


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1 the application of the rules of the Senate or the 

2 House of Representatives, as the case may be, to the 

3 procedure relating to an implementation bill shall be 

4 decided without debate. 

5 (d) COORDINATION WITH ACTION BY OTHER

6 HOUSE.—If, before the passage by one House of an imple7 mentation bill of that House, that House receives from 

8 the other House an implementation bill, then the following 

9 procedures shall apply: 

10 (1) NONREFERRAL.—The implementation bill 

11 of the other House shall not be referred to a com12 mittee. 

13 (2) VOTE ON BILL OF OTHER HOUSE.—With 

14 respect to an implementation bill of the House re15 ceiving the implementation bill— 

16 (A) the procedure in that House shall be 

17 the same as if no implementation bill had been 

18 received from the other House; but 

19 (B) the vote on final passage shall be on 

20 the implementation bill of the other House. 

21 (e) RULES OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF

22 REPRESENTATIVES.—This section is enacted by Con23 gress— 

24 (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

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1 spectively, and as such it is deemed a part of the 

2 rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only 

3 with respect to the procedure to be followed in that 

4 House in the case of an implementation bill de5 scribed in subsection (a), and it supersedes other 

6 rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with 

7 such rules; and 

8 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

9 right of either House to change the rules (so far as 

10 relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, 

11 in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 

12 the case of any other rule of that House. 

13 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

15 as may be necessary for carrying out this Act. 

Æ 


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