I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 79 
To establish the Medicare Eligible Military Retiree Health Care Consensus 
Task Force. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2005 
Mrs. EMERSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To establish the Medicare Eligible Military Retiree Health 
Care Consensus Task Force. 
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 ‘‘Military Retiree Health 
Care Task Force Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established a task force to be known as the 
‘‘Medicare Eligible Military Retiree Health Care Con-
sensus Task Force’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Task 
Force’’).
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF TASK FORCE. 
(a) STUDY.—It shall be the duty of the Task Force 
to conduct a comprehensive legal and factual study of the 
following matters: 
(1) Promises, commitments, or representations 
made to members of the uniformed services by De-
partment of Defense personnel with respect to 
health care coverage of such members and their fam-
ilies after separation from the uniformed services. 
(2) Sharing agreements and contracts between 
the Department of Defense and the Department of 
Veterans Affairs regarding health care coverage for 
military retirees and their dependents. 
(3) Proposals to provide for a full continuum of 
health care coverage for medicare eligible military 
retirees and their dependents, including any such 
proposal developed by the Department of Defense. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the Task 
Force first meets, the Task Force shall submit to Con-
gress a report containing a detailed statement of the find-
ings and conclusions of the Task Force with respect to 
the study conducted under subsection (a), together with 
its recommendations for such legislative and administra-
tive actions as it considers appropriate.
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Task Force 
shall be composed of 12 members appointed as follows: 
(1) The Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives and the minority leader of the House of Rep-
resentatives shall jointly appoint nine members from 
among qualified individuals as follows: 
(A) Two members shall be representatives 
of veterans service organizations. 
(B) Three members shall be representa-
tives of military associations with retired en-
listed members. 
(C) One member shall be a representative 
of a retired officers association. 
(D) Three members shall be health care 
professionals. 
(2) The Secretary of Defense shall appoint one 
member from among officers or employees of the 
Department of Defense. 
(3) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ap-
point one member from among officers or employees 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(4) The Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices shall appoint one member from among officers 
or employees of the Department of Health and 
Human Services.
Not more than six members appointed under this sub-
section may be of the same political party. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—Members of the 
Task Force shall be appointed by not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) TERMS OF APPOINTMENT.—The term of any ap-
pointment under subsection (a) shall be for the life of the 
Task Force. 
(d) VACANCIES.—Any member appointed to fill a va-
cancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which 
the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be ap-
pointed only for the remainder of that term. A vacancy 
in the Task Force shall be filled in the manner in which 
the original appointment was made. 
(e) WAIVER OF LIMITATION ON EXECUTIVE SCHED-
ULE POSITIONS.—Appointments may be made under this 
section without regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(f) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If a member 
was appointed to the Task Force as a Member of Congress 
and the member ceases to be a Member of Congress, or 
was appointed to the Task Force while the member was 
not an officer or employee of any government and later 
becomes an officer or employee of a government, that 
member may continue as a member.
(g) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Task Force 
shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by 
reason of their service on the Task Force. 
(h) EXPENSES.—Each member of the Task Force 
shall receive travel expenses and per diem in lieu of sub-
sistence in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 
5, United States Code. 
(i) QUORUM.—Seven members of the Task Force 
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold 
hearings. 
(j) CHAIRPERSON.—As the first order of business at 
the first meeting of the Task Force, the members of the 
Task Force shall elect a chairperson from among the 
members. 
(k) MEETINGS.—The Task Force shall meet at the 
call of the Chairperson or a majority of its members. 
SEC. 5. STAFF OF TASK FORCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES. 
(a) DIRECTOR.—The Chairperson shall appoint a Di-
rector of the Task Force, without regard to section 
5311(b) of title 5, United States Code. The Director shall 
be paid at the minimum annual rate of basic pay payable 
for GS–15 of the General Schedule. 
(b) STAFF.—With the approval of the Chairperson of 
the Task Force, the Director may appoint and fix the pay 
of not more than eight additional personnel.
(c) APPLICABILITY
OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE 
LAWS.—The staff of the Task Force may be appointed 
without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 
and may be paid without regard to the provisions of chap-
ter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relat-
ing to classification and General Schedule pay rates, ex-
cept that an individual so appointed may not receive pay 
in excess of the minimum annual rate of basic pay payable 
for GS–13 of the General Schedule. 
(d) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request 
of the Chairperson, the head of any department or agency 
of the United States may detail, on a reimbursable basis, 
any of the personnel of that department or agency to the 
Task Force to assist it in carrying out its duties under 
this Act. 
SEC. 6. POWERS OF TASK FORCE. 
(a) HEARINGS
AND SESSIONS.—The Task Force 
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 Task Force considers appropriate. 
(b) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any mem-
ber or agent of the Task Force may, if authorized by the 
Task Force, take any action which the Task Force is au-
thorized to take by this section.
(c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Task Force 
may secure directly from any department or agency of the 
United States information necessary to enable it to carry 
out this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Task 
Force, the head of that department or agency shall furnish 
that information to the Task Force. 
(d) MAILS.—The Task Force 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. 
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 
the request of the Task Force, the Administrator of Gen-
eral Services shall provide to the Task Force, on a reim-
bursable basis, the administrative support services nec-
essary for the Task Force to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act. 
(f) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Task Force may 
contract with and compensate government and private 
agencies or persons for supplies or services, without regard 
to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5). 
SEC. 7. TERMINATION. 
The Task Force shall terminate 90 days after submit-
ting the report under section 3(b). 
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