I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4060
To establish the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 11, 1996
Mr. SOLOMON (for himself, Mr. STUMP, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, and Mr.
LONGLEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Rules,
and National Security, 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 the Commission on the Future for America’s
Veterans.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commission on the
Future for America’s Veterans Act’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a commission
to be known as the Commission on the Future for Ameri-
ca’s Veterans (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
‘‘Commission’’).
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF PANELS.—There are estab-
lished within the Commission two panels as follows:
(1) The Panel on Veterans’ Employment Op-
portunities (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
‘‘Opportunities Panel’’).
(2) The Panel on Veterans’ Health Benefits
(hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Health
Panel’’).
SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission
shall be composed initially of 25 members. Upon termi-
nation of the Opportunities Panel, the Commission shall
be composed of 13 members, of whom one is the chairman
of the Commission and 12 are the members of the Health
Panel. The initial composition of the Commission is as fol-
lows:
(1) Three members shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
majority leader of the Senate, jointly, in consultation
with the chairman of the Committee on Veterans’
Affairs of the Senate and the chairman of the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives.
(2) Six members shall be appointed as follows:
(A) One member shall be the Under Sec-
retary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Adminis-
tration, Department of Veterans Affairs, or his
designee.
(B) One member shall be the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Force Management
Personnel, Department of Defense, or his des-
ignee.
(C) One member shall be the Assistant
Secretary for Veterans Employment and Train-
ing, Department of Labor, or his designee.
(D) One member shall be the Under Sec-
retary for Health, Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, or his designee.
(E) One member shall be the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, De-
partment of Defense, or his designee.
(F) One member shall be the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services, or his
designee.
(3)(A) 16 members shall be appointed as fol-
lows:
(i) Six members, of whom one shall be a
representative of a veterans service organiza-
tion, shall be appointed by the chairman of the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate,
in consultation with the ranking member of
that committee.
(ii) Six members, of whom one shall be a
representative of a veterans service organiza-
tion, shall be appointed by the chairman of the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of
Representatives, in consultation with the rank-
ing member of that committee.
(iii) Two members shall be appointed by
the chairman of the Committee on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate, in consultation with the
ranking member of that committee.
(iv) Two members shall be appointed by
the chairman of the Committee on National Se-
curity of the House of Representatives, in con-
sultation with the ranking member of that com-
mittee.
(B) The appointments of such members under
this paragraph shall be made from among individ-
uals who are not full-time officers or employees of
the United States and who have appropriate and di-
verse experience, expertise, and historical perspec-
tives on veterans, military, organizational, and man-
agement matters. To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, such individuals shall be veterans.
(C) The appointments of such members shall,
to the maximum extent practicable, be made after
consultation with representatives of veterans service
organizations.
(D)(i) Each appointing authority under this
paragraph shall designate one half of the members
such authority appoints to serve on the Opportuni-
ties Panel and the other half of the members such
authority appoints to serve on the Health Panel.
(ii) In the case of the representatives of a veter-
ans service organization described in clauses (i) and
(ii) of paragraph (A), the appointing authorities
under such clauses shall designate such representa-
tives to serve on the Opportunities Panel.
(b) DESIGNATION
OF
THE CHAIRMAN
AND VICE
CHAIRMEN.—The Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives and the majority leader of the Senate, jointly, in con-
sultation with the chairman of the Committee on Veter-
ans’ Affairs of the Senate and the chairman of the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representa-
tives shall, from the members appointed in subsection
(a)(1), designate—
(1) one as chairman of the Commission;
(2) one as vice chairman of the Commission to
serve as chairman of the Opportunities Panel; and
(3) one as vice chairman of the Commission to
serve as chairman of the Health Panel.
(c) OPPORTUNITIES
PANEL.—The Opportunities
Panel shall be composed of 13 members of the Commission
as follows:
(1) The chairman of the Commission.
(2) The vice chairman of the Commission des-
ignated as the chairman of the Opportunities Panel.
(3) The members of the Commission appointed
in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of subsection
(a)(2).
(4) The members appointed in subsection (a)(3)
designated to serve on the Opportunities Panel.
(d) HEALTH PANEL.—The Health Panel shall be
composed of 13 members of the Commission as follows:
(1) The chairman of the Commission.
(2) The vice chairman of the Commission des-
ignated as the chairman of the Health Panel.
(3) The members of the Commission appointed
in subparagraphs (D), (E), and (F) of subsection
(a)(2).
(4) The members appointed in subsection (a)(3)
designated to serve on the Health Panel.
(e) TIME OF APPOINTMENT.—The members of the
Commission shall be appointed not later than December
1, 1996.
(f) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—
(1) CHAIRMAN.—The chairman of the Commis-
sion shall be appointed for the life of the Commis-
sion.
(2) OPPORTUNITIES
PANEL.—Except as pro-
vided in paragraph (1), a member of the Commis-
sion who serves on the Opportunities Panel shall be
appointed for the life of the Opportunities Panel.
(3) HEALTH
PANEL.—Except as provided in
paragraph (1), a member of the Commission who
serves on the Health Panel shall be appointed for
the life of the Health Panel.
(4) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Commis-
sion shall not affect its powers and shall be filled in
the same manner as the original appointment.
(g) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after
the date on which all members of the Commission have