(c) STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.—
(1) STAFF DIRECTOR.—
(A) APPOINTMENT.—The Panel shall ap-
point a staff director of the Panel.
(B) COMPENSATION.—The staff director
shall be paid at a rate not to exceed the rate
established for level III of the Executive Sched-
ule.
(2) STAFF.—The Panel shall appoint such addi-
tional personnel as the Panel determines to be nec-
essary.
(3) APPLICABILITY OF CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—
The staff director and other members of the staff of
the Panel shall be appointed without regard to the
provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing
appointments in the competitive service, and shall be
paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51
and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relat-
ing to classification and General Schedule pay rates.
(4) EXPERTS
AND
CONSULTANTS.—With the
approval of the Panel, the staff director may procure
temporary and intermittent services under section
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
(d) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Panel may con-
tract with and compensate government and private agen-
cies or persons for items and services, without regard to
section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5).
(e) PHYSICAL FACILITIES.—The Architect of the
Capitol, in consultation with the appropriate entities in the
legislative branch, shall locate and provide suitable office
space for the operation of the Panel on a reimbursable
basis. The facilities shall serve as the headquarters of the
Panel and shall include all necessary equipment and
incidentals required for the proper functioning of the
Panel.
(f) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Upon the re-
quest of the Panel, the head of any Federal agency may
detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of
such agency to the Panel to assist the Panel in carrying
out its duties.
(g) USE OF MAILS.—The Panel may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as Federal agencies and shall, for purposes of the
frank, be considered a commission of Congress as de-
scribed in section 3215 of title 39, United States Code.
(h) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon
the request of the Panel, the Architect of the Capitol shall
provide to the Panel on a reimbursable basis such adminis-
trative support services as the Panel may request.
(i) PRINTING.—For purposes of costs relating to
printing and binding, including the cost of personnel de-
tailed from the Government Printing Office, the Panel
shall be deemed to be a committee of the Congress.
SEC. 206. REPORT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than February 1, 1999,
the Panel shall submit to the President, the Committee
on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and
the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report which
shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and con-
clusions of the Panel, including the set of recommenda-
tions required under section 202. The report shall include
only those recommendations of the Panel that receive the
approval of at least six members of the Panel, including
both Co-Chairs.
(b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of
the Congress that, pending the report of the Panel under
subsection (a), the Federal unified budget surplus should
be dedicated to reducing the Federal debt held by the pub-
lic, increasing the retirement income security of individ-
uals and insuring the solvency of the Social Security sys-
tem.
SEC. 207. TERMINATION.
The Panel shall terminate March 31, 1999.
SEC. 208. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated from the
Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund
such sums as are necessary to carry out the purposes of
this title, but not to exceed $2,000,000.
Passed the House of Representatives April 29, 1998.
Attest:
Clerk.