(5) The President shall not appoint any indi-
vidual as a member of the Commission who has a 
current or former relationship with the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency that the President 
determines would constitute a conflict of interest. 
(6) To the extent practicable, the President 
shall ensure that the members of the Commission in-
clude some individuals with experience relative to 
local government administration, as well as some in-
dividuals with investigative experience and some in-
dividuals with legal experience. 
(7) To the extent practicable, the President 
shall seek diversity in the membership of the Com-
mission. 
(c) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—All members of 
the Commission shall be appointed no later than 60 days 
after issuance of the executive order establishing the Com-
mission. 
(d) INITIAL MEETING.—The Commission shall meet 
and begin operations as soon as practicable. 
(e) QUORUM; VACANCIES.—After its initial meeting, 
the Commission shall meet upon the call of the Chairman 
or a majority of its members. Eight members of the Com-
mission shall constitute a quorum. Any vacancy in the 
Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled
in the same manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
SEC. 5. TASKS OF THE COMMISSION. 
The Commission shall, to the extent possible, under-
take the following tasks: 
(1) Chronicle the trajectory of Hurricane 
Katrina, including the timetable and locations of its 
path, and the responses made by the Federal, State, 
and local governments. 
(2) Issue a statement of an estimate as to the 
loss of life, physical and structural damage, and dis-
placement of residents as a result of the disaster. 
(3) Make recommendations for corrective ac-
tions. 
(4) Provide any additional findings or rec-
ommendations considered by the Commission to be 
important, whether or not they are related to emer-
gency disaster management. 
(5) Prepare a report to Congress, the Presi-
dent, and the public. 
SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) HEARINGS AND EVIDENCE.—The Commis-
sion or, on the authority of the Commission, any
subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the pur-
pose of carrying out this Act— 
(A) hold such hearings and sit and act at 
such times and places, take such testimony, re-
ceive such evidence, administer such oaths; and 
(B) subject to paragraph (2)(A), require, 
by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance and 
testimony of such witnesses and the production 
of such books, records, correspondence, memo-
randa, papers, and documents, 
as the Commission or such designated subcommittee 
or designated member may determine advisable. 
(2) SUBPOENAS.— 
(A) ISSUANCE.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—A subpoena may be 
issued under this subsection only— 
(I) by the agreement of the 
Chairman and the Vice Chairman; or 
(II) by the affirmative vote of 8 
members of the Commission. 
(ii) SIGNATURE.—Subject to clause 
(i), subpoenas issued under this subsection 
may be issued under the signature of the 
Chairman or any member designated by a 
majority of the Commission, and may be
served by any person designated by the 
Chairman or by a member designated by a 
majority of the Commission. 
(B) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of con-
tumacy or failure to obey a subpoena 
issued under subparagraph (A), the United 
States district court for the judicial district 
in which the subpoenaed person resides, is 
served, or may be found, or where the sub-
poena is returnable, may issue an order re-
quiring such person to appear at any des-
ignated place to testify or to produce docu-
mentary or other evidence. Any failure to 
obey the order of the court may be pun-
ished by the court as a contempt of that 
court. 
(ii) ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT.—In 
the case of a failure of a witness to comply 
with a subpoena or to testify when sum-
moned under authority of this section, the 
Commission may, by majority vote, certify 
a statement of fact constituting such fail-
ure to the appropriate United States attor-
ney, who may bring the matter before a