ability and affordability in the United States 
and in the general market for credit services 
due to the Safety Star System. 
(3) COMMENTS
ON
CERTAIN
BOARD
RE-
PORTS.— 
(A) TRANSMITTAL
TO
COMMISSION.—If 
the Board submits to Congress (or a committee 
of Congress) a report that is required by law 
and that relates to the Safety Star System, the 
Board shall transmit a copy of the report to the 
Commission. 
(B) INDEPENDENT
REVIEW.—The Com-
mission shall review any report received under 
subparagraph (A) and, not later than 6 months 
after the date of submission of the report to 
Congress, shall submit to the appropriate com-
mittees of Congress written comments on such 
report. Such comments may include such rec-
ommendations as the Commission determines 
appropriate. 
(4) AGENDA AND ADDITIONAL REVIEWS.—The 
Commission shall consult periodically with the chair-
person and ranking minority members of the appro-
priate committees of Congress regarding the agenda 
of the Commission and progress towards achieving 
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the agenda. The Commission may conduct additional 
reviews, and submit additional reports to the appro-
priate committees of Congress, from time to time on 
such topics relating to the Safety Star System as 
may be requested by such chairpersons and mem-
bers, and as the Commission determines appro-
priate. 
(5) AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS.—The Commis-
sion shall transmit to the Board a copy of each re-
port submitted under this subsection, and shall 
make such reports available to the public in an eas-
ily accessible format, including operating a website 
containing the reports. 
(6) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—For purposes of this subsection, the term 
‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Serv-
ices of the House of Representatives. 
(7) VOTING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
With respect to each recommendation contained in a 
report submitted under paragraph (1), each member 
of the Commission shall vote on the recommenda-
tion, and the Commission shall include, by member, 
the results of that vote in the report containing the 
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recommendation. The Commission may file a minor-
ity report. 
(8) 
EXAMINATION
OF
BUDGET
CON-
SEQUENCES.—Before making any recommendation 
that is likely to have a Federal budgetary impact, 
the Commission shall examine the budget con-
sequences of such recommendation, directly or 
through consultation with appropriate expert enti-
ties. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Com-
mission shall be composed of 15 members appointed 
by the Comptroller General of the United States, in 
accordance with this section. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The membership of the 
Commission shall include individuals— 
(i) who have achieved national rec-
ognition for their expertise in credit cards, 
debt management, economics, credit avail-
ability, consumer protection, and other 
credit card-related issues and fields; or 
(ii) who provide a mix of different 
professions, a broad geographic representa-
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tion, and a balance between urban and 
rural representatives. 
(B) MAKEUP OF COMMISSION.—The Com-
mission shall be made up of 15 members, of 
whom— 
(i) 4 shall be representatives from 
consumer groups; 
(ii) 4 shall be representatives from 
credit card issuers or banks; 
(iii) 7 shall be representatives from 
nonprofit research entities or nonpartisan 
experts in banking and credit cards; and 
(iv) no fewer than 1 of the members 
described in clauses (i) through (iii) shall 
represent each of— 
(I) the elderly; 
(II) economically disadvantaged 
consumers; 
(III) racial or ethnic minorities; 
and 
(IV) students and minors. 
(C) ETHICS
DISCLOSURES.—The Comp-
troller General shall establish a system for pub-
lic disclosure by members of the Commission of 
financial and other potential conflicts of interest 
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relating to such members. Members of the 
Commission shall be treated as employees of 
Congress whose pay is disbursed by the Sec-
retary of the Senate for purposes of title I of 
the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Public 
Law 95–521). 
(3) TERMS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The terms of members 
of the Commission shall be for 5 years except 
that the Comptroller General shall designate 
staggered terms for the members first ap-
pointed. 
(B) VACANCIES.—Any member appointed 
to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration 
of the term for which the member’s predecessor 
was appointed shall be appointed only for the 
remainder of that term. A member may serve 
after the expiration of that member’s term until 
a successor has taken office. A vacancy in the 
Commission shall be filled in the manner in 
which the original appointment was made. 
(4) COMPENSATION.— 
(A) MEMBERS.—While serving on the busi-
ness of the Commission (including travel time), 
a member of the Commission shall be entitled 
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to compensation at the per diem equivalent of 
the rate provided for level IV of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
States Code, and while so serving away from 
home and the regular place of business of the 
member, the member may be allowed travel ex-
penses, as authorized by the Chairperson. 
(B) OTHER EMPLOYEES.—For purposes of 
pay (other than pay of members of the Commis-
sion) and employment benefits, rights, and 
privileges, all employees of the Commission 
shall be treated as if they were employees of the 
United States Senate. 
(5) CHAIRPERSON; VICE
CHAIRPERSON.—The 
Comptroller General shall designate a member of the 
Commission, at the time of appointment of the mem-
ber as Chairperson and a member as Vice Chair-
person for that term of appointment, except that in 
the case of vacancy in the position of Chairperson or 
Vice Chairperson of the Commission, the Comp-
troller General may designate another member for 
the remainder of that member’s term. 
(6) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at 
the call of the Chairperson. 
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(d) DIRECTOR AND STAFF; EXPERTS AND CONSULT-
ANTS.—Subject to such review as the Comptroller General 
determines necessary to assure the efficient administration 
of the Commission, the Commission may— 
(1) employ and fix the compensation of an Ex-
ecutive Director (subject to the approval of the 
Comptroller General) and such other personnel as 
may be necessary to carry out its duties (without re-
gard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
governing appointments in the competitive service); 
(2) seek such assistance and support as may be 
required in the performance of its duties from ap-
propriate Federal departments and agencies; 
(3) enter into contracts or make other arrange-
ments, as may be necessary for the conduct of the 
work of the Commission (without regard to section 
3709 of the Revised Statutes of the United States 
(41 U.S.C. 5)); 
(4) make advance, progress, and other pay-
ments which relate to the work of the Commission; 
(5) provide transportation and subsistence for 
persons serving without compensation; and 
(6) prescribe such rules and regulations as it 
determines necessary with respect to the internal or-
ganization and operation of the Commission. 
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(e) POWERS.— 
(1) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commis-
sion may secure directly from any department or 
agency of the United States information necessary 
to enable it to carry out this section. Upon request 
of the Chairperson, the head of that department or 
agency shall furnish that information to the Com-
mission on an agreed upon schedule. 
(2) DATA COLLECTION.—In order to carry out 
its functions, the Commission shall— 
(A) utilize existing information, both pub-
lished and unpublished, where possible, collected 
and assessed either by its own staff or under 
other arrangements made in accordance with 
this section; 
(B) carry out, or award grants or con-
tracts for, original research and experimen-
tation, where existing information is inad-
equate; and 
(C) adopt procedures allowing any inter-
ested party to submit information for the Com-
mission’s use in making reports and rec-
ommendations. 
(3) ACCESS
OF
GAO
TO
INFORMATION.—The 
Comptroller General shall have unrestricted access 
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to all deliberations, records, and nonproprietary data 
of the Commission, immediately upon request. 
(4) PERIODIC
AUDIT.—The Commission shall 
be subject to periodic audit by the Comptroller Gen-
eral. 
(f) ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT SERVICES.—The 
Comptroller General shall provide such administrative and 
support services to the Commission as may be necessary 
to carry out this section. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission, not 
more than $10,000,000 for each fiscal year to carry out 
this section. 
Æ 
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