I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 973 
To establish the Program Reform Commission to review unnecessary Federal 
programs and make recommendations for termination, modification, or 
retention of such programs, and to express the sense of the Congress 
that the Congress should promptly consider legislation that would make 
the changes in law necessary to implement the recommendations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 17, 2005 
Mr. SMITH of Washington (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. 
ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. KIND, Mr. WOLF, Mr. EMANUEL, Mr. 
HEFLEY, and Mr. DAVIS of Florida) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Government Reform 
A BILL 
To establish the Program Reform Commission to review un-
necessary Federal programs and make recommendations 
for termination, modification, or retention of such pro-
grams, and to express the sense of the Congress that 
the Congress should promptly consider legislation that 
would make the changes in law necessary to implement 
the recommendations. 
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 ‘‘Program Reform Com-
mission Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
(1) Federal programs which may have been en-
acted with a valid purpose can become obsolete, or 
no longer in the public interest, making such pro-
grams unnecessary or undesired; 
(2) it is unfair to force the United States tax-
payer to support unnecessary programs that do not 
provide a substantial public benefit or serve the pub-
lic interest; 
(3) the Congress has been unable to evaluate 
methodically those Federal programs that are unfair 
and unnecessary and require reform or elimination; 
and 
(4) a Commission to advise the Congress is es-
sential to a comprehensive review of such programs 
and to the reform or elimination of such programs. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to establish a fair and de-
liberative process that will result in the timely identifica-
tion, review, and reform or elimination of programs of the 
Federal Government.
SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 
For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘program’’— 
(1) except as provided in paragraph (2), means 
a system of services or projects that is provided by 
the Federal Government; and 
(2) does not include a service or project that ex-
ists for the purposes of research and development in 
the broad public interest on the basis of a peer re-
viewed or other open, competitive, merit-based proce-
dure. 
SEC. 5. THE COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the legislative branch of the Federal Government an inde-
pendent commission to be known as the ‘‘Program Reform 
Commission’’ (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 
‘‘Commission’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—The Commission shall— 
(1) examine the programs of the Federal Gov-
ernment and identify programs that are no longer 
necessary; 
(2) review unnecessary programs; and 
(3) submit the report required under section 
6(c) to the Congress, making recommendations re-
garding the termination, modification, or retention 
of programs. 
(c) APPOINTMENT.—
(1) MEMBERS.—The Commission shall be com-
posed of 8 members, of whom— 
(A) 2 shall be appointed by the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives; 
(B) 2 shall be appointed by the minority 
leader of the House of Representatives; 
(C) 2 shall be appointed by the majority 
leader of the Senate, one of whom shall be des-
ignated by the majority leader to serve as a co- 
chair; and 
(D) 2 shall be appointed by the minority 
leader of the Senate, one of whom shall be des-
ignated by the minority leader to serve as a co- 
chair. 
(2) CONSULTATION
REQUIRED.—The Speaker 
of the House of Representatives, the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives, the majority leader 
of the Senate, and the minority leader of the Senate 
shall consult among themselves prior to the appoint-
ment of the members of the Commission in order to 
achieve, to the maximum extent possible, fair and 
equitable representation of various points of view 
with respect to the matters to be studied by the 
Commission under subsection (b).
(3) BACKGROUND.—The members of the Com-
mission shall represent a broad array of expertise 
covering, to the extent practical, all subject matter, 
programs, and laws the Commission is likely to re-
view. 
(4) LIMITATION
ON
FEDERAL
OFFICER.—No 
officer or employee of a Federal agency may serve 
as a member of the Commission. 
(5) TERMS.—The members of the Commission 
shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. 
(d) MEETINGS.— 
(1) INITIAL MEETING.—No later than April 1, 
2006, the Commission shall conduct its first meet-
ing. 
(2) OPEN
MEETINGS.—Each meeting of the 
Commission shall be open to the public, except that 
in cases in which classified information, trade se-
crets, or personnel matters are discussed, the co- 
chairs may close the meeting. All proceedings, infor-
mation, and deliberations of the Commission shall be 
available, upon request, to the Chairman and rank-
ing minority member of the relevant Committee of 
the Congress having jurisdiction to report legislation 
regarding the subject matter thereof.