I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1511
To establish a National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 1, 1997
Mr. MCKEON (for himself, Mr. GOODLING, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. SMITH of
Michigan, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. KLUG, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. LU-
THER, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr.
GORDON, Mr. PETRI, Mr. RIGGS, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mrs. ROUKEMA,
Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. UPTON, Mr. LEWIS
of California, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. MIL-
LER of Florida, Mr. HORN, Mr. FROST, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. FATTAH, Mr.
KASICH, Mr. CLEMENT, Mr. DELAY, and Mr. BOEHNER) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
A BILL
To establish a National Commission on the Cost of Higher
Education.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Cost of Higher Education Review Act of 1997’’.
(b) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) According to a report issued by the General
Accounting Office, tuition at 4-year public colleges
and universities increased 234 percent from school
year 1980–1981 through school year 1994–1995,
while median household income rose 82 percent and
the cost of consumer goods as measured by the
Consumer Price Index rose 74 percent over the same
time period.
(2) A 1995 survey of college freshmen found
that concern about college affordability was the
highest it has been in the last 30 years.
(3) Paying for a college education now ranks as
one of the most costly investments for American
families.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL COMMISSION ON
THE COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
There is established a Commission to be known as
the ‘‘National Commission on the Cost of Higher Edu-
cation’’ (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commis-
sion’’).
SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.
(a) APPOINTMENT.—The Commission shall be com-
posed of 7 members as follows:
(1) Two individuals shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House.
(2) One individual shall be appointed by the Mi-
nority Leader of the House.
(3) Two individuals shall be appointed by the
Majority Leader of the Senate.
(4) One individual shall be appointed by the Mi-
nority Leader of the Senate.
(5) One individual shall be appointed by the
Secretary of Education.
(b) ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS.—Each of the in-
dividuals appointed under subsection (a) shall be an indi-
vidual with expertise and experience in higher education
finance (including the financing of State institutions of
higher education), Federal financial aid programs, edu-
cation economics research, public or private higher edu-
cation administration, or management of business effi-
ciency and cost reduction programs.
(c) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The
members of the Commission shall elect a Chairman and
a Vice Chairperson. In the absence of the Chairperson,
the Vice Chairperson will assume the duties of the Chair-
person.
(d) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the
Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business.
(e) APPOINTMENTS.—All appointments under sub-
section (a) shall be made within 30 days after the date
of enactment of this Act. In the event that an officer au-
thorized to make an appointment under subsection (a) has
not made such appointment within such 30 days, the ap-
pointment may be made for such officer as follows:
(1) the Chairman of the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce may act under such sub-
section for the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives;
(2) the Ranking Minority Member of the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce may act
under such subsection for the Minority Leader of
the House of Representatives;
(3) the Chairman of the Committee on Labor
and Human Resources may act under such sub-
section for the Majority Leader of the Senate; and
(4) the Ranking Minority Member of the Com-
mittee on Labor and Human Resources may act
under such subsection for the Minority Leader of
the Senate.
(f) VOTING.—Each member of the Commission shall
be entitled to one vote, which shall be equal to the vote
of every other member of the Commission.
(g) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy on the Commission
shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the manner
in which the original appointment was made.
(h) PROHIBITION OF ADDITIONAL PAY.—Members of
the Commission shall receive no additional pay, allow-
ances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Com-
mission. Members appointed from among private citizens
of the United States may be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding per diem, in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by
law for persons serving intermittently in the government
service to the extent funds are available for such expenses.
(i) INITIAL MEETING.—The initial meeting of the
Commission shall occur within 40 days after the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION.
(a) SPECIFIC FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—
The Commission shall study and make findings and spe-
cific recommendations regarding the following:
(1) The increase in tuition compared with other
commodities and services.
(2) Innovative methods of reducing or stabiliz-
ing tuition.
(3) Trends in college and university administra-
tive costs, including administrative staffing, ratio of
administrative staff to instructors, ratio of adminis-
trative staff to students, remuneration of adminis-
trative staff, and remuneration of college and univer-
sity presidents or chancellors.
(4) Trends in (A) faculty workload and remu-
neration (including the use of adjunct faculty), (B)
faculty-to-student ratios, (C) number of hours spent
in the classroom by faculty, and (D) tenure prac-
tices, and the impact of such trends on tuition.
(5) Trends in (A) the construction and renova-
tion of academic and other collegitate facilities, and
(B) the modernization of facilities to access and uti-
lize new technologies, and the impact of such trends
on tuition.
(6) The extent to which institutional financial
aid and tuition discounting have affected tuition in-
creases, including the demographics of students re-
ceiving such aid, the extent to which such aid is pro-
vided to students with limited need in order to at-
tract such students to particular institutions or
major fields of study, and the extent to which Fed-
eral financial aid, including loan aid, has been used
to offset such increases.
(7) The extent to which Federal, State, and
local laws, regulations, or other mandates contribute
to increasing tuition, and recommendations on re-
ducing those mandates.
(8) The establishment of a mechanism for a
more timely and widespread distribution of data on
tuition trends and other costs of operating colleges
and universities.
(9) The extent to which student financial aid
programs have contributed to increased tuition.
(10) Other related topics determined to be ap-
propriate by the Commission.
(b) FINAL REPORT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2),
the Commission shall submit to the President and to
the Congress, not later than 120 days after the date
of the first meeting of the Commission, a report
which shall contain a detailed statement of the find-
ings and conclusions of the Commission, including
the Commission’s recommendations for administra-
tive and legislative action that the Commission con-
siders advisable.
(2) MAJORITY
VOTE
REQUIRED
FOR
REC-
OMMENDATIONS.—Any recommendation described in
paragraph (1) shall be made by the Commission to
the President and to the Congress only if such rec-
ommendation is adopted by a majority vote of the
members of the Commission who are present and
voting.
SEC. 5. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur-
pose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings and sit
and act at such times and places, as the Commission may
find advisable.
(b) RULES
AND REGULATIONS.—The Commission
may adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary
to establish the Commission’s procedures and to govern
the manner of the Commission’s operations, organization,
and personnel.
(c) ASSISTANCE FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—
(1) INFORMATION.—The Commission may re-
quest from the head of any Federal agency or in-
strumentality such information as the Commission
may require for the purpose of this Act. Each such
agency or instrumentality shall, to the extent per-
mitted by law and subject to the exceptions set forth
in section 552 of title 5, United States Code (com-
monly referred to as the Freedom of Information
Act), furnish such information to the Commission,
upon request made by the Chairperson of the Com-
mission.
(2) FACILITIES AND SERVICES, PERSONNEL DE-
TAIL
AUTHORIZED.—Upon request of the Chair-
person of the Commission, the head of any Federal
agency or instrumentality shall, to the extent pos-
sible and subject to the discretion of such head—
(A) make any of the facilities and services
of such agency or instrumentality available to
the Commission; and
(B) detail any of the personnel of such
agency or instrumentality to the Commission,
on a nonreimbursable basis, to assist the Com-
mission in carrying out the Commission’s duties
under this Act.
(d) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as other Federal agencies.
(e) CONTRACTING.—The Commission, to such extent
and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation
Acts, may enter into contracts with State agencies, private
firms, institutions, and individuals for the purpose of con-
ducting research or surveys necessary to enable the Com-
mission to discharge the Commission’s duties under this
Act.
(f) STAFF.—Subject to such rules and regulations as
may be adopted by the Commission, and to such extent
and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation
Acts, the Chairperson of the Commission shall have the
power to appoint, terminate, and fix the compensation
(without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service,
and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and
subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title, or of any other
provision, or of any other provision of law, relating to the
number, classification, and General Schedule rates) of an
Executive Director, and of such additional staff as the
Chairperson deems advisable to assist the Commission, at
rates not to exceed a rate equal to the maximum rate for
level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5332 of
such title.
SEC. 6. EXPENSES OF COMMISSION.
There are authorized to be appropriated to pay any
expenses of the Commission such sums as may be nec-
essary not to exceed $650,000. Any sums appropriated for
such purposes are authorized to remain available until ex-
pended, or until one year after the termination of the
Commission pursuant to section 7, whichever occurs first.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall cease to exist on the date that
is 60 days after the date on which the Commission is re-
quired to submit its final report in accordance with section
4(b).
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