(b) APPOINTMENT BY OTHER OFFICERS.—Four ad-
ditional members shall be appointed to the Commission, 
with 1 member appointed by each of the following officers: 
(1) The Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(2) The minority leader of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(3) The majority leader of the Senate. 
(4) The minority leader of the Senate. 
(c) ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATION.—To the ex-
tent practicable, members of the Commission shall be ap-
pointed— 
(1) in a manner that ensures participation of 
individuals of different racial, ethnic, cultural, geo-
graphic, religious, linguistic, and class backgrounds 
and of different genders and sexual orientations; and 
(2) from among individuals who demonstrate 
knowledge and understanding of the concerns of the 
groups described in paragraph (1). 
(d) SELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIR-
PERSON.—The Secretary shall appoint a Chairperson and 
Vice Chairperson for the Commission from among the 
members of the Commission. 
(e) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem-
bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any 
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vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the powers of 
the Commission and shall be filled in the same manner 
as the original appointment not later than 60 days after 
the date of vacancy. 
(f) SCHEDULE
OF MEETINGS.—The Commission 
shall hold its first meeting not later than 6 weeks after 
the date on which the final member of the Commission 
is appointed, and subsequent meetings shall be held at the 
call of the Chairperson. 
SEC. 103. DUTIES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Commission shall conduct a com-
prehensive study to examine and assess— 
(1) the professional capacity of the social work 
workforce to successfully serve and respond to the 
increasing biopsychosocial needs of individuals, 
groups, and communities in areas related to— 
(A) aging; 
(B) child welfare; 
(C) military and veterans affairs; 
(D) mental and behavioral health and dis-
ability; 
(E) criminal justice and correctional sys-
tems; 
(F) health and other issues affecting 
women and families; and 
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(G) other topics identified by the Commis-
sion; 
(2) workforce challenges facing the profession 
of social work, including high educational debt, lack 
of fair market compensation, the need to translate 
social work research to practice, the need to improve 
social worker safety, the need to develop State-level 
social work licensure policies and reciprocity agree-
ments for social workers providing services across 
State lines, the lack of diversity in the social work 
profession, and any other issue determined by the 
Secretary to be appropriate; 
(3) the effect of such challenges on the recruit-
ment and retention of social workers; 
(4) the effect of such challenges and of social 
worker shortages on the needs of clients served by 
social workers; and 
(5) the advisability of establishing in the Treas-
ury a social work enhancement account to provide 
direct grant assistance to local governments to en-
courage the engagement of social workers in social 
service programs. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of its first meeting, the Commission shall submit a 
report to the Secretary and to Congress containing specific 
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findings and conclusions regarding the need to recruit and 
retain social workers, to conduct research on the social 
work profession, and to reinvest in the profession. The re-
port shall include recommendations and strategies for cor-
rective actions to ensure a robust social work workforce 
capable of keeping up with the demand for services. The 
Commission may provide to the Secretary and to Congress 
any additional findings or recommendations considered by 
the Commission to be important. 
SEC. 104. POWERS. 
(a) POWERS.—In carrying out the duties of the Com-
mission, the Commission shall have the power to— 
(1) hold hearings, take testimony, receive evi-
dence, administer oaths, and sit and act at such 
times and places as the Commission considers advis-
able; 
(2) enter into contracts; and 
(3) consult, to the extent that the Commission 
determines that such consultation is necessary or 
useful, with Federal agencies that include— 
(A) agencies within the Department of 
Health and Human Services, including the Ad-
ministration for Children and Families, the Ad-
ministration 
on 
Aging, 
the 
Agency 
for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers 
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for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers 
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Health 
Resources and Service Administration, the In-
dian Health Service, the National Institutes of 
Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration; 
(B) the Social Security Administration; 
and 
(C) the Departments of Agriculture, De-
fense, Education, Homeland Security, Labor, 
Justice, State, and Veterans Affairs. 
(b) COOPERATION WITH
THE COMMISSION.—The 
agencies described in subsection (a)(3) shall cooperate 
with, and provide counsel to, the Commission to the great-
est extent practicable. 
SEC. 105. COMPENSATION. 
(a) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com-
mission shall not receive compensation for the perform-
ance of services for the Commission, but shall be provided 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 
at rates authorized for employees of Federal agencies 
under subchapter 1 of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of 
business in the performance of services for the Commis-
sion. 
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