(h) QUORUM.—6 members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hear-
ings. 
(i) MEETINGS.— 
(1) INITIAL MEETING.—The Commission shall 
meet as soon as practicable after the date of the en-
actment of this Act 
(2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—After the initial 
meeting, the Commission shall meet at the call of 
the chair or a majority of its members but no fewer 
than four times each year. 
SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION. 
(a) DIRECTOR.—The chair, in accordance with rules 
agreed upon by the Commission, may appoint and fix the 
compensation of a Director. 
(b) STAFF.—The chair, in accordance with rules 
agreed upon by the Commission, may appoint and fix the 
compensation of any additional personnel as may be nec-
essary to enable the Commission to carry out its functions. 
(c) APPLICABILITY
OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE 
LAWS.—The Director and staff of the Commission may 
be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, 
United States Code, governing appointments in the com-
petitive service, and may be paid without regard to the 
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53
of that title relating to classification and General Schedule 
pay rates, except that any individual so appointed may not 
receive pay in excess of the annual rate of basic pay for 
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
title 5, United States Code. 
(d) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission 
may procure temporary and intermittent services under 
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates 
not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual 
rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code. 
(e) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request 
of the Commission, the head of any Federal department 
or agency may detail, without reimbursement, any of the 
personnel of that department or agency to the Commission 
to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act. 
SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 
(a) HEARINGS
AND SESSIONS.—The Commission 
may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hear-
ings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and 
receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. 
The Commission may administer oaths or affirmations to 
witnesses appearing before it. 
(b) PUBLIC MEETINGS, HEARINGS, AND REPORTS.—
(1) NONAPPLICABILITY OF THE FEDERAL ADVI-
SORY COMMITTEE ACT.—Section 10(a) of the Fed-
eral Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
not apply to the Commission. 
(2) PUBLIC MEETINGS AND RELEASE OF PUB-
LIC
VERSIONS
OF
REPORTS.—The Commission 
shall— 
(A) hold public hearings and meetings to 
the extent appropriate; and 
(B) release public versions of the reports 
submitted under section 7. 
(3) PUBLIC
HEARINGS.—A public hearing of 
the Commission shall be conducted in a manner con-
sistent with the protection of information provided 
to or developed for or by the Commission as re-
quired by any applicable statute, regulation, or Ex-
ecutive order. 
(c) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any mem-
ber or agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the 
Commission, take any action which the Commission is au-
thorized to take by this section. 
(d) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may secure 
directly from any department or agency of the 
United States information necessary to enable it to
carry out this Act, including rosters of personnel 
who participated in any chemical or biological war-
fare test or project. Upon request of the chair, the 
head of that department or agency shall furnish that 
information to the Commission. 
(2) PARTICIPANT INFORMATION.— 
(A) Before the expiration of the 45-day pe-
riod which begins on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the head of a department or agency 
of the United States which is in possession of 
any participant information described in sub-
paragraph (B) shall furnish such information to 
the Commission. 
(B) The participant information referred 
to in subparagraph (A) is the name, service 
number, social security number, and birth date 
of each individual who participated in a chem-
ical or biological warfare test or project and the 
date and location of any such project in which 
the individual participated. 
(e) SECURITY CLEARANCES.— 
(1) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.—The chair and 
vice chair of the Commission shall hold, as a condi-
tion of appointment to or employment with the Com-
mission, appropriate security clearances for access to
the classified briefing, records, and materials to be 
reviewed by the Commission or its staff and shall 
follow the guidance and practices on security under 
applicable Executive orders and agency directives. 
(2) CERTAIN STAFF.—Not fewer than one-third 
of the staff of the Commission shall hold, as a condi-
tion of appointment to or employment with the Com-
mission, appropriate security clearances for access to 
the classified briefing, records, and materials to be 
reviewed by the Commission or its staff and shall 
follow the guidance and practices on security under 
applicable Executive orders and agency directives. 
(3) MEMBERS AND STAFF.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph 
(2), the appropriate Federal agencies or depart-
ments shall cooperate with the Commission in 
expeditiously providing to the Commission 
members and staff appropriate security clear-
ances to the extent possible pursuant to existing 
procedures and requirements. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—No person shall be pro-
vided with access to classified information 
under this Act without the appropriate required 
security clearance access.
(f) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES.—The Commis-
sion may accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or 
devises of services or property, both real and personal, for 
the purpose of aiding or facilitating the work of the Com-
mission. Gifts, bequests, or devises of money and proceeds 
from the sales of other property received as gifts, bequests, 
or devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be 
available for disbursement upon the order of the Commis-
sion. 
(g) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United 
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as other departments and agencies of the United 
States. 
(h) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 
the request of the Commission, the Administrator of Gen-
eral Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reim-
bursable basis, the administrative support services nec-
essary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act. 
(i) SUBPOENA POWER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may issue 
subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of 
witnesses and the production of any evidence relat-
ing to any matter under investigation by the Com-
mission. The attendance of witnesses and the pro-