I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 597 

To establish a commission to study how Federal laws and policies affect 

United States citizens living in foreign countries. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2013 

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York (for herself and Mr. HONDA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, 

Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, 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 study how Federal laws and 

policies affect United States citizens living in foreign 

countries. 

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 Ameri5 cans Living Abroad Act’’. 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 597 IH

1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

2 There is established a commission to be known as the 

3 ‘‘Commission on Americans Living Abroad’’ (in this Act 

4 referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

5 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP. 

6 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 

7 shall be composed of 15 members appointed by the Presi8 dent, of whom— 

9 (1) two members shall be appointed from 

10 among individuals recommended by the Speaker of 

11 the House of Representatives; 

12 (2) two members shall be appointed from 

13 among individuals recommended by the majority 

14 leader of the House of Representatives; 

15 (3) two members shall be appointed from 

16 among individuals recommended by the minority 

17 leader of the House of Representatives; 

18 (4) two members shall be appointed from 

19 among individuals recommended by the majority 

20 leader of the Senate; 

21 (5) two members shall be appointed from 

22 among individuals recommended by the minority 

23 leader of the Senate; and 

24 (6) two members shall be appointed from 

25 among individuals recommended by the President 

26 pro tempore of the Senate. 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 597 IH

1 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.— 

2 (1) LIMIT ON OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES OF

3 THE UNITED STATES.—Not more than 10 members 

4 shall be officers or employees of the United States. 

5 (2) POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION.—Not more 

6 than 8 members of the Commission may be of the 

7 same political party. 

8 (3) EXPERTISE.— 

9 (A) OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES OF THE

10 UNITED STATES.—Members of the Commission 

11 who are officers or employees of the United 

12 States shall be appointed from among individ13 uals whose employment is directly related to the 

14 matters to be studied by the Commission under 

15 section 4(a)(2). 

16 (B) OTHER MEMBERS.—Members of the 

17 Commission who are not officers or employees 

18 of the United States shall be appointed from 

19 among individuals who— 

20 (i) have lived in a foreign country for 

21 not less than one year; 

22 (ii) are members of organizations that 

23 represent United States citizens living in 

24 foreign countries; or 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 597 IH

1 (iii) have other experience that is rel2 evant to the matters to be studied by the 

3 Commission under section 4(a)(2). 

4 (c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem5 bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any 

6 vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the same man7 ner in which the original appointment was made. Any va8 cancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers. 

9 (d) FIRST MEETING.—Not later than 60 days after 

10 the date on which all members of the Commission have 

11 been appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meet12 ing. 

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

14 call of the Chairperson. 

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

16 Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser num17 ber of members may hold hearings. 

18 (g) CHAIRPERSON.—The President shall select a 

19 Chairperson for the Commission from among its members. 

20 SEC. 4. DUTIES. 

21 (a) STUDY.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall con23 duct a study on how Federal laws and policies affect 

24 United States citizens living in foreign countries, in25 cluding civilians and members of the Armed Forces. 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 597 IH

1 (2) MATTERS STUDIES.—The matters studied 

2 shall include the following: 

3 (A) Federal financial reporting require4 ments for a United States citizen living in a 

5 foreign country, including the requirements 

6 under section 5314 of title 31, United States 

7 Code. 

8 (B) Federal policies and requirements that 

9 affect the ability of a United States citizen liv10 ing in a foreign country to access foreign and 

11 domestic financial institutions, including re12 quirements under chapter 4 of the Internal 

13 Revenue Code of 1986 (commonly known as the 

14 ‘‘Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act’’) and 

15 requirements affecting financial institutions im16 posed by the Uniting and Strengthening Amer17 ica by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to 

18 Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 

19 (USA Patriot Act) (Public Law 107–56). 

20 (C) Federal requirements for a spouse, 

21 child, or another family member of a United 

22 States citizen living in a foreign country who is 

23 not a United States citizen to become a United 

24 States citizen. 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 597 IH

1 (D) The ability of a United States citizen 

2 living in a foreign country to vote in Federal, 

3 State, and local elections in the United States, 

4 and the process for such a citizen to vote in 

5 such elections. 

6 (E) The processes by which a United 

7 States citizen living in a foreign country inter8 acts with Federal programs such as Social Se9 curity and Medicare. 

10 (F) The process for a United States citizen 

11 living in a foreign country to get a Federal edu12 cation loan for such citizen or for such citizen’s 

13 child who is a United States citizen. 

14 (G) Which Federal agencies have jurisdic15 tion over each Federal program that serves 

16 United States citizens who live in foreign coun17 tries and possible methods to improve the col18 laboration of and coordination between such 

19 Federal agencies. 

20 (b) CONSULTATION WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZA21 TIONS.—In conducting the study under subsection (a), the 

22 Commission shall consult organizations that represent 

23 United States citizens living in foreign countries. 

24 (c) REPORTS.— 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 597 IH

1 (1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commis3 sion shall submit a report to the President, Con4 gress, and the head of any Federal agency identified 

5 in subsection (a)(2)(G), which shall contain a de6 tailed statement of the findings and conclusions of 

7 the Commission, together with its recommendations 

8 for such legislative and administrative actions as it 

9 considers appropriate. 

10 (2) UPDATE.—Not later than one year after the 

11 date on which the Commission submits the report 

12 under paragraph (1), the Commission shall submit 

13 an update to the President, Congress, and the head 

14 of any Federal agency identified in subsection 

15 (a)(2)(G), which shall describe any administrative 

16 actions taken by the head of any Federal agency 

17 pursuant to the recommendations in such report. 

18 SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

19 (a) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commission 

20 may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hear21 ings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and 

22 receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. 

23 (b) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any mem24 ber or agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 597 IH

1 Commission, take any action which the Commission is au2 thorized to take by this section. 

3 (c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—Subject to section 

4 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Commis5 sion may secure directly from any Federal department or 

6 agency such information as the Commission considers nec7 essary to carry out this Act. Upon request of the Chair8 person of the Commission, the head of such department 

9 or agency shall furnish such information to the Commis10 sion. 

11 (d) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United 

12 States mails in the same manner and under the same con13 ditions as other departments and agencies of the United 

14 States. 

15 SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

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

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

18 United States shall be compensated at a rate equal to the 

19 daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed 

20 for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 

21 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including 

22 travel time) during which such member is engaged in the 

23 performance of the duties of the Commission. All members 

24 of the Commission who are officers or employees of the 

25 United States shall serve without compensation in addiVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:20 Feb 16, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H597.IH H597

jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 597 IH

1 tion to that received for their services as officers or em2 ployees 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 

12 Commission may, without regard to the civil service 

13 laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an exec14 utive director and such other additional personnel as 

15 may be necessary to enable the Commission to per16 form its duties. The employment of an executive di17 rector shall be subject to confirmation by the Com18 mission. 

19 (2) COMPENSATION.—The Chairperson of the 

20 Commission may fix the compensation of the execu21 tive director and other personnel without regard to 

22 chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 

23 5, United States Code, relating to classification of 

24 positions and General Schedule pay rates, except 

25 that the rate of pay for the executive director and 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 597 IH

1 other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for 

2 level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 

3 of such title. 

4 (d) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any 

5 United States employee may be detailed to the Commis6 sion without reimbursement, and such detail shall be with7 out interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. 

8 (e) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT9 TENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission 

10 may procure temporary and intermittent services under 

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

12 for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of 

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

14 Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 

15 SEC. 7. FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSE. 

16 Not later than 180 days after the date on which the 

17 Commission submits the report under section 4(c)(1), the 

18 head of any Federal agency that is affected by a rec19 ommendation in such report shall submit to the President, 

20 Congress, and the Commission a response to such rec21 ommendation, including any plans to take administrative 

22 action pursuant to such recommendation. 

23 SEC. 8. TERMINATION. 

24 The Commission shall terminate on the date on which 

25 it submits its update under section 4(c)(2). 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
11 

•HR 597 IH

1 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 

3 for each of fiscal years 2014 and 2015 to the Commission 

4 to carry out this Act to remain available until the termi5 nation of the Commission. 

Æ 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS