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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 252

To establish a cabinet-level interagency task force to develop a comprehensive

legislative proposal that coordinates and reforms all Federal programs

that provide assistance to individuals with limited incomes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 5, 1993

Mr. NEAL of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was referred

to the Committee on Government Operations

A BILL

To establish a cabinet-level interagency task force to develop

a comprehensive legislative proposal that coordinates and

reforms all Federal programs that provide assistance to

individuals with limited incomes.

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 ‘‘Cabinet-Level Inter5 agency Task Force on Welfare Reform Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

7 The purpose of this Act is to establish a cabinet-level

8 interagency task force to develop a comprehensive legisla-
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1 tive proposal that coordinates and reforms all Federal pro2 grams that provide assistance to individuals with limited

3 incomes in order to help such individuals achieve self-suffi4 ciency within a reasonable period of time.

5 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

6 There is established a cabinet-level interagency task

7 force to be known as the ‘‘Cabinet-Level Interagency Task

8 Force on Welfare Reform’’ (in this Act referred to as the

9 ‘‘Task Force’’).

10 SEC. 4. DUTIES.

11 The Task Force shall—

12 (1) review all Federal programs that provide as13 sistance to individuals with limited incomes;

14 (2) in consultation with appropriate State and

15 local officials, develop a comprehensive legislative

16 proposal that coordinates and reforms such pro17 grams by—

18 (A) providing assistance under such pro19 grams according to a coordinated plan under

20 which services are designed to meet the needs

21 of each such individual;

22 (B) establishing eligibility standards for

23 such programs to allow maximum flexibility for

24 such individuals;
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1 (C) establishing a single application form

2 and process for assistance under such pro3 grams, including a single location at which an

4 individual can apply for and receive such assist5 ance; and

6 (D) establishing as the clear purpose of all

7 assistance to individuals with limited incomes

8 the goal of self-sufficiency and independence for

9 such individuals; and

10 (3) not later than 6 months after the date of

11 the enactment of this Act, submit a report to the

12 Congress which contains the legislative proposal de13 veloped under paragraph (2).

14 SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

15 (a) NUMBER.—The Task Force shall be composed of

16 6 members as follows:

17 (1) The Secretary of Agriculture.

18 (2) The Secretary of Education.

19 (3) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv20 ices.

21 (4) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel22 opment.

23 (5) The Secretary of Labor.

24 (6) The Secretary of the Treasury.
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1 (b) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed for the

2 life of the Task Force.

3 (c) CHAIRPERSON.—The Task Force shall elect a

4 chairperson from among its members.

5 (d) BASIC PAY.—

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para7 graph (2), each member shall serve without pay.

8 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member shall

9 receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of

10 subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and

11 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

12 (e) MEETINGS.—The Task Force shall meet at the

13 call of the chairperson.

14 (f) QUORUM.—A majority of the members shall con15 stitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

16 SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

17 (a) DIRECTOR.—The Task Force shall have a direc18 tor who shall be appointed by the chairperson subject to

19 rules prescribed by the Task Force.

20 (b) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request

21 of the chairperson, the head of any Federal agency may

22 detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of

23 the agency to the Task Force to assist the Task Force

24 in carrying out its duties.
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1 (c) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

2 LAWS.—The director and staff of the Task Force may be

3 appointed without regard to title 5, United States Code,

4 governing appointments in the competitive service, and

5 may be paid without regard to the requirements of chapter

6 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating

7 to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except

8 that an individual so appointed may not receive pay in

9 excess of the maximum annual rate of basic pay payable

10 for GS–13 of the General Schedule.

11 SEC. 7. POWERS.

12 (a) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The chairperson

13 may secure directly from any Federal agency information

14 necessary to enable the Task Force to carry out its duties.

15 Upon request of the chairperson, the head of the agency

16 shall furnish such information to the Task Force to the

17 extent such information is not prohibited from disclosure

18 by law.

19 (b) MAILS.—The Task Force may use the United

20 States mails in the same manner and under the same con21 ditions as other Federal agencies.

22 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon the

23 request of the chairperson, the Administrator of General

24 Services shall provide to the Task Force, on a reimburs-
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1 able basis, the administrative support services necessary

2 for the Task Force to carry out its duties.

3 (d) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The chairperson may

4 contract with and compensate government and private

5 agencies or persons for the purpose of conducting re6 search, surveys, and other services necessary to enable the

7 Task Force to carry out its duties.

8 SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

9 The Task Force shall terminate 3 months after the

10 date on which the Commission submits to the Congress

11 the report under section 4(3).

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