Congressional Evidence-Based Policymaking Resolution

Subjects: Congress


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 49 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 49

 Establishing the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking to review, 
  analyze, and make recommendations to Congress to promote the use of 
Federal data for evidence-building and evidence-based policymaking, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2023

 Mr. Kilmer (for himself, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Morelle, and Mr. Phillips) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee 
   on Oversight and Accountability, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Establishing the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking to review, 
  analyze, and make recommendations to Congress to promote the use of 
Federal data for evidence-building and evidence-based policymaking, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This concurrent resolution may be cited as the ``Congressional 
Evidence-Based Policymaking Resolution''.

SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON EVIDENCE-BASED POLICYMAKING.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the legislative branch 
the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking (in this section referred 
to as the ``Commission'') to review, analyze, and make recommendations 
with respect to promoting the use of Federal data for evidence-building 
and evidence-based policymaking.
    (b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 12 members, 
appointed not later than 45 days after the date of the adoption of this 
resolution, as follows:
            (1) Three shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives, of whom--
                    (A) one shall be an academic researcher 
                specializing in Congress, social science, or data 
                science;
                    (B) one shall be a former Member or senior staffer 
                of the House; and
                    (C) one shall be an employee of an office that 
                participates in the Congressional Data Task Force or 
                other legislative branch support agency as appropriate 
                for the purposes of studying and developing the 
                recommendations under subsection (g).
            (2) Three shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 
        House of Representatives, of whom--
                    (A) one shall be an academic researcher 
                specializing in Congress, social science, or data 
                science;
                    (B) one shall be a former Member or senior staffer 
                of the House; and
                    (C) one shall be an employee of an office that 
                participates in the Congressional Data Task Force or 
                other legislative branch support agency as appropriate 
                for the purposes of studying and developing the 
                recommendations under subsection (g).
            (3) Three shall be appointed by the majority leader of the 
        Senate, of whom--
                    (A) one shall be an academic researcher 
                specializing in Congress, social science, or data 
                science;
                    (B) one shall be a former Member or senior staffer 
                of the Senate; and
                    (C) one shall be an employee of an office that 
                participates in the Congressional Data Task Force or 
                other legislative branch support agency as appropriate 
                for the purposes of studying and developing the 
                recommendations under subsection (g).
            (4) Three shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 
        Senate, of whom--
                    (A) one shall be an academic researcher 
                specializing in Congress, social science, or data 
                science;
                    (B) one shall be a former Member or senior staffer 
                of the Senate; and
                    (C) one shall be an employee of an office that 
                participates in the Congressional Data Task Force or 
                other legislative branch support agency as appropriate 
                for the purposes of studying and developing the 
                recommendations under subsection (g).
    (c) Prohibition Against Service by Current Members of Congress.--An 
individual is not eligible to serve on the Commission if the individual 
is a current Member of Congress (including a Delegate or Resident 
Commissioner to the Congress).
    (d) Co-Chairs.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 
majority leader of the Senate shall each select one member of the 
Commission to serve as co-chairs.
    (e) Terms; Vacancies.--Each member shall be appointed for the 
duration of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect its powers, and shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made.
    (f) Staff.--
            (1) Director.--The Commission shall have a Director who 
        shall be appointed jointly by the co-chairs. The Director shall 
        be paid at a rate of pay established by the co-chairs, not to 
        exceed the annual rate of basic pay payable for level V of the 
        Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States 
        Code.
            (2) Other staff.--The Director may appoint and fix the pay 
        of not more than 8 full-time equivalent employees and 4 part-
        time employees.
            (3) Coverage under congressional accountability act of 
        1995.--For purposes of the Congressional Accountability Act of 
        1995 (2 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.)--
                    (A) the Commission shall be treated as an employing 
                office under the Act; and
                    (B) an employee of the Commission shall be treated 
                as a covered employee under the Act.
            (4) Detail of employees.--At the request of the Commission, 
        an employee of an office of the House of Representatives or 
        Senate may be detailed to the Commission to assist the 
        Commission with carrying out its duties.
    (g) Recommendations.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall study and consider 
        approval of applicable recommendations with respect to 
        evidence-based policymaking within the Federal Government, 
        including--
                    (A) how Congress may encourage Federal agencies to 
                produce and prioritize evidence on effectiveness for 
                major new programs and reauthorizations, consistent 
                with the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking 
                Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-435) and the amendments 
                made by such Act;
                    (B) how Congress may encourage Federal agencies to 
                support States in making data more open and accessible, 
                in a manner similar to that provided under the 
                Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 
                (Public Law 115-435) and the amendments made by such 
                Act;
                    (C) how Congress can revise existing laws or enact 
                new laws to improve access to administrative and survey 
                data for evidence building;
                    (D) how to incorporate evidence such as outcomes 
                measurement, rigorous impact analysis, and 
                implementation-aligned language into the lawmaking 
                process;
                    (E) how Congress can access and incorporate real-
                time, structured, integrated, and machine-readable data 
                into the lawmaking process;
                    (F) the potential need for and duties of a 
                congressional Chief Data Officer, including whether the 
                officer should be located in a stand-alone office or 
                housed within another existing agency and how such an 
                office would function with existing data and 
                transformation units in Congress; and
                    (G) ways to increase data and data privacy 
                expertise in Congress through the incorporation of 
                technologists, data scientists, data analysts, privacy 
                experts, social scientists, and engineers to assist in 
                policy evaluation and legislative drafting.
            (2) Adoption of recommendations.--Any recommendation 
        considered by the Commission shall only be considered adopted 
        by the Commission upon receiving the votes of at least two-
        thirds of the members of the Commission.
    (h) Reports.--
            (1) Interim reports.--The Commission may submit to the 
        Speaker of the House and the majority leader of the Senate 
        interim reports containing such findings, conclusions, and 
        recommendations as have been agreed to by at least two-thirds 
        of the members of the Commission.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than the final day of the One 
        Hundred Eighteenth Congress, the Commission shall submit a 
        report to the Speaker of the House and the majority leader of 
        the Senate on the activities and findings of the Commission.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section, 
of which--
            (1) 50 percent shall be derived from the applicable 
        accounts of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) 50 percent shall be derived from the contingent fund of 
        the Senate.
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