II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1831 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 28, 2015 

Received 

AN ACT 

To establish the Commission on Evidence-Based 

Policymaking, 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, 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

HR 1831 RDS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Evidence-Based Policy3 making Commission Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

5 There is established in the executive branch a com6 mission to be known as the ‘‘Commission on Evidence7 Based Policymaking’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Com8 mission’’). 

9 SEC. 3. MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

10 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 

11 shall be comprised of 15 members as follows: 

12 (1) Three shall be appointed by the President, 

13 of whom— 

14 (A) one shall be an academic researcher, 

15 data expert, or have experience in administering 

16 programs; 

17 (B) one shall have expertise in database 

18 management, confidentiality, and privacy mat19 ters; and 

20 (C) one shall be the Director of the Office 

21 of Management and Budget (or the Director’s 

22 designee). 

23 (2) Three shall be appointed by the Speaker of 

24 the House of Representatives, of whom— 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

HR 1831 RDS

1 (A) two shall be academic researchers, 

2 data experts, or have experience in admin3 istering programs; and 

4 (B) one shall have expertise in database 

5 management, confidentiality, and privacy mat6 ters. 

7 (3) Three shall be appointed by the Minority 

8 Leader of the House of Representatives, of whom— 

9 (A) two shall be academic researchers, 

10 data experts, or have experience in admin11 istering programs; and 

12 (B) one shall have expertise in database 

13 management, confidentiality, and privacy mat14 ters. 

15 (4) Three shall be appointed by the Majority 

16 Leader of the Senate, of whom— 

17 (A) two shall be academic researchers, 

18 data experts, or have experience in admin19 istering programs; and 

20 (B) one shall have expertise in database 

21 management, confidentiality, and privacy mat22 ters. 

23 (5) Three shall be appointed by the Minority 

24 Leader of the Senate, of whom— 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

HR 1831 RDS

1 (A) two shall be academic researchers, 

2 data experts, or have experience in admin3 istering programs; and 

4 (B) one shall have expertise in database 

5 management, confidentiality, and privacy mat6 ters. 

7 (b) EXPERTISE.—In making appointments under this 

8 section, consideration should be given to individuals with 

9 expertise in economics, statistics, program evaluation, 

10 data security, confidentiality, or database management. 

11 (c) CHAIRPERSON AND CO-CHAIRPERSON.—The 

12 President shall select the chairperson of the Commission 

13 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall se14 lect the co-chairperson. 

15 (d) TIMING OF APPOINTMENTS.—Appointments to 

16 the Commission shall be made not later than 45 days after 

17 the date of enactment of this Act. 

18 (e) TERMS; VACANCIES.—Each member shall be ap19 pointed for the duration of the Commission. Any vacancy 

20 in the Commission shall not affect its powers, and shall 

21 be filled in the manner in which the original appointment 

22 was made. 

23 (f) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission 

24 shall serve without pay. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

HR 1831 RDS

1 (g) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the Com2 mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 

3 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ4 ees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 

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

6 regular places of business in the performance of services 

7 for the Commission. 

8 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 

9 (a) STUDY OF DATA.—The Commission shall conduct 

10 a comprehensive study of the data inventory, data infra11 structure, and statistical protocols related to Federal pol12 icymaking and the agencies responsible for maintaining 

13 that data to— 

14 (1) determine the optimal arrangement for 

15 which administrative data on Federal programs and 

16 tax expenditures, survey data, and related statistical 

17 data series may be integrated and made available to 

18 facilitate program evaluation, continuous improve19 ment, policy-relevant research, and cost-benefit anal20 yses by qualified researchers and institutions; 

21 (2) make recommendations on how data infra22 structure and statistical protocols should be modified 

23 to best fulfill the objectives identified in paragraph 

24 (1); and 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

HR 1831 RDS

1 (3) make recommendations on how best to in2 corporate outcomes measurement, institutionalize 

3 randomized controlled trials, and rigorous impact 

4 analysis into program design. 

5 (b) CLEARINGHOUSE.—In undertaking the study re6 quired by subsection (a), the Commission shall consider 

7 whether a clearinghouse for program and survey data 

8 should be established and how to create such a clearing9 house. The Commission shall evaluate— 

10 (1) what administrative data and survey data 

11 are relevant for program evaluation and Federal pol12 icy-making and should be included in a potential 

13 clearinghouse; 

14 (2) which survey data the administrative data 

15 identified in paragraph (1) may be linked to, in ad16 dition to linkages across administrative data series; 

17 (3) what are the legal and administrative bar18 riers to including or linking these data series; 

19 (4) what data-sharing infrastructure should be 

20 used to facilitate data merging and access for re21 search purposes; 

22 (5) how a clearinghouse could be self-funded; 

23 (6) which types of researchers, officials, and in24 stitutions should have access to data and what their 

25 qualifications should be; 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

HR 1831 RDS

1 (7) what limitations should be placed on the use 

2 of data provided; 

3 (8) how to protect information and ensure indi4 vidual privacy and confidentiality; 

5 (9) how data and results of research can be 

6 used to inform program administrators and policy7 makers to improve program design; and 

8 (10) what incentives may facilitate interagency 

9 sharing of information to improve programmatic ef10 fectiveness and enhance data accuracy and com11 prehensiveness. 

12 (c) REPORT.—Upon the affirmative vote of at least 

13 three-quarters of the members of the Commission, the 

14 Commission shall submit to the President and Congress 

15 a detailed statement of its findings and conclusions as a 

16 result of the activities required by subsections (a) and (b), 

17 together with its recommendations for such legislation or 

18 administrative actions as the Commission considers appro19 priate in light of the results of the study. 

20 (d) DEADLINE.—The report under subsection (c) 

21 shall be submitted not later than the date that is 15 

22 months after the date a majority of the members of the 

23 Commission are appointed pursuant to section 3. 

24 (e) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘adminis25 trative data’’ means data— 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

HR 1831 RDS

1 (1) held by an agency or a contractor or grant2 ee of an agency (including a State or unit of local 

3 government); and 

4 (2) collected for other than statistical purposes. 

5 SEC. 5. OPERATION AND POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

6 (a) EXECUTIVE BRANCH ASSISTANCE.—The heads of 

7 the following agencies shall advise and consult with the 

8 Commission on matters within their respective areas of re9 sponsibility: 

10 (1) The Bureau of the Census. 

11 (2) The Internal Revenue Service. 

12 (3) The Department of Health and Human 

13 Services. 

14 (4) The Department of Agriculture. 

15 (5) The Department of Housing and Urban De16 velopment. 

17 (6) The Social Security Administration. 

18 (7) The Department of Education. 

19 (8) The Department of Justice. 

20 (9) The Office of Management and Budget. 

21 (10) The Bureau of Economic Analysis. 

22 (11) The Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

23 (12) Any other agency, as determined by the 

24 Commission. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

HR 1831 RDS

1 (b) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet not 

2 later than 30 days after the date upon which a majority 

3 of its members have been appointed and at such times 

4 thereafter as the chairperson or co-chairperson shall deter5 mine. 

6 (c) RULES OF PROCEDURE.—The chairperson and 

7 co-chairperson shall, with the approval of a majority of 

8 the members of the Commission, establish written rules 

9 of procedure for the Commission, which shall include a 

10 quorum requirement to conduct the business of the Com11 mission. 

12 (d) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur13 pose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act 

14 at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence 

15 as the Commission considers appropriate. 

16 (e) CONTRACTS.—The Commission may contract 

17 with and compensate government and private agencies or 

18 persons for any purpose necessary to enable it to carry 

19 out this Act. 

20 (f) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United 

21 States mails in the same manner and under the same con22 ditions as other agencies of the Federal Government. 

23 (g) GIFTS.—The Commission may accept, use, and 

24 dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
10 

HR 1831 RDS

1 SEC. 6. FUNDING. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b) and the 

3 availability of appropriations— 

4 (1) at the request of the Director of the Cen5 sus, the agencies identified as ‘‘Principal Statistical 

6 Agencies’’ in the report, published by the Office of 

7 Management and Budget, entitled ‘‘Statistical Pro8 grams of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 

9 2015’’ shall transfer funds, as specified in advance 

10 in appropriations Acts and in a total amount not to 

11 exceed $3,000,000, to the Bureau of the Census for 

12 purposes of carrying out the activities of the Com13 mission as provided in this Act; and 

14 (2) the Bureau of the Census shall provide ad15 ministrative support to the Commission, which may 

16 include providing physical space at, and access to, 

17 the headquarters of the Bureau of the Census, lo18 cated in Suitland, Maryland. 

19 (b) PROHIBITION ON NEW FUNDING.—No additional 

20 funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 

21 Act. This Act shall be carried out using amounts otherwise 

22 available for the Bureau of the Census or the agencies de23 scribed in subsection (a)(1). 

24 SEC. 7. PERSONNEL. 

25 (a) DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall have a Direc26 tor who shall be appointed by the chairperson with the 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
11 

HR 1831 RDS

1 concurrence of the co-chairperson. The Director shall be 

2 paid at a rate of pay established by the chairperson and 

3 co-chairperson, not to exceed the annual rate of basic pay 

4 payable for level V of the Executive Schedule (section 

5 5316 of title 5, United States Code). 

6 (b) STAFF.—The Director may appoint and fix the 

7 pay of additional staff as the Director considers appro8 priate. 

9 (c) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—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 which do not to exceed the daily equivalent 

13 of the annual rate of basic pay for a comparable position 

14 paid under the General Schedule. 

15 SEC. 8. TERMINATION. 

16 The Commission shall terminate not later than 18 

17 months after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 27, 2015. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS