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(B) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall
meet at the call of the Chairman. The initial
meeting of the Commission shall be conducted
not later than 30 days after the appointment of
the last member of the Commission, or not later
than 30 days after the date on which appro-
priated funds are available for the Commission,
whichever is later.
(C) QUORUM; VOTING; RULES.—A majority
of the members of the Commission shall con-
stitute a quorum to conduct business, but the
Commission may establish a lesser quorum for
conducting hearings scheduled by the Commis-
sion. Each member of the Commission shall have
one vote, and the vote of each member shall be
accorded the same weight. The Commission may
establish by majority vote any other rules for the
conduct of the Commission’s business, if such
rules are not inconsistent with this Act or other
applicable law.
SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) STUDY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall be the duty of the
Commission to conduct a comprehensive legal and
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factual study of the social and economic impacts of
gambling in the United States on—
(A) Federal, State, local, and Native Amer-
ican tribal governments; and
(B) communities and social institutions
generally, including individuals, families, and
businesses within such communities and institu-
tions.
(2) MATTERS
TO
BE
STUDIED.—The matters
studied by the Commission under paragraph (1) shall
at a minimum include—
(A) a review of existing Federal, State,
local, and Native American tribal government
policies and practices with respect to the legal-
ization or prohibition of gambling, including a
review of the costs of such policies and practices;
(B) an assessment of the relationship be-
tween gambling and levels of crime, and of exist-
ing enforcement and regulatory practices that
are intended to address any such relationship;
(C) an assessment of pathological or prob-
lem gambling, including its impact on individ-
uals, families, businesses, social institutions, and
the economy;
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(D) an assessment of the impacts of gam-
bling on individuals, families, businesses, social
institutions, and the economy generally, includ-
ing the role of advertising in promoting gam-
bling and the impact of gambling on depressed
economic areas;
(E) an assessment of the extent to which
gambling provides revenues to State, local, and
Native American tribal governments, and the ex-
tent to which possible alternative revenue sources
may exist for such governments; and
(F) an assessment of the interstate and
international effects of gambling by electronic
means, including the use of interactive tech-
nologies and the Internet.
(b) REPORT.—No later than 2 years after the date on
which the Commission first meets, the Commission shall
submit to the President, the Congress, State Governors, and
Native American tribal governments a comprehensive re-
port of the Commission’s findings and conclusions, together
with any recommendations of the Commission. Such report
shall include a summary of the reports submitted to the
Commission by the Advisory Commission on Intergovern-
mental Relations and National Research Council under sec-
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tion 7, as well as a summary of any other material relied
on by the Commission in the preparation of its report.
SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) HEARINGS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission may hold
such hearings, sit and act at such times and places,
administer such oaths, take such testimony, and re-
ceive such evidence as the Commission considers ad-
visable to carry out its duties under section 4.
(2) WITNESS EXPENSES.—Witnesses requested to
appear before the Commission shall be paid the same
fees as are paid to witnesses under section 1821 of
title 28, United States Code. The per diem and mile-
age allowances for witnesses shall be paid from funds
appropriated to the Commission.
(b) SUBPOENAS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—If a person fails to supply in-
formation requested by the Commission, the Commis-
sion may by majority vote require by subpoena the
production of any written or recorded information,
document, report, answer, record, account, paper,
computer file, or other data or documentary evidence
necessary to carry out its duties under section 4. The
Commission shall transmit to the Attorney General a
confidential, written notice at least 10 days in ad-
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vance of the issuance of any such subpoena. A sub-
poena under this paragraph may require the produc-
tion of materials from any place within the United
States.
(2) INTERROGATORIES.—The Commission may,
with respect only to information necessary to under-
stand any materials obtained through a subpoena
under paragraph (1), issue a subpoena requiring the
person producing such materials to answer, either
through a sworn deposition or through written an-
swers provided under oath (at the election of the per-
son upon whom the subpoena is served), to interrog-
atories from the Commission regarding such informa-
tion. A complete recording or transcription shall be
made of any deposition made under this paragraph.
(3) CERTIFICATION.—Each person who submits
materials or information to the Commission pursuant
to a subpoena issued under paragraph (1) or (2) shall
certify to the Commission the authenticity and com-
pleteness of all materials or information submitted.
The provisions of section 1001 of title 18, United
States Code, shall apply to any false statements made
with respect to the certification required under this
paragraph.
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(4) TREATMENT OF SUBPOENAS.—Any subpoena
issued by the Commission under paragraph (1) or (2)
shall comply with the requirements for subpoenas is-
sued by a United States district court under the Fed-
eral Rules of Civil Procedure.
(5) FAILURE TO OBEY A SUBPOENA.—If a person
refuses to obey a subpoena issued by the Commission
under paragraph (1) or (2), the Commission may
apply to a United States district court for an order
requiring that person to comply with such subpoena.
The application may be made within the judicial dis-
trict in which that person is found, resides, or trans-
acts business. Any failure to obey the order of the
court may be punished by the court as civil contempt.
(c) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The
Commission may secure directly from any Federal depart-
ment or agency such information as the Commission con-
siders necessary to carry out its duties under section 4.
Upon the request of the Commission, the head of such de-
partment or agency may furnish such information to the
Commission.
(d) INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.—The
Commission shall be considered an agency of the Federal
Government for purposes of section 1905 of title 18, United
States Code, and any individual employed by an individ-
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ual, entity, or organization under contract to the Commis-
sion under section 7 shall be considered an employee of the
Commission for the purposes of section 1905 of title 18,
United States Code. Information obtained by the Commis-
sion, other than information available to the public, shall
not be disclosed to any person in any manner, except—
(1) to Commission employees or employees of
any individual, entity, or organization under con-
tract to the Commission under section 7 for the pur-
pose of receiving, reviewing, or processing such infor-
mation;
(2) upon court order; or
(3) when publicly released by the Commission in
an aggregate or summary form that does not directly
or indirectly disclose—
(A) the identity of any person or business
entity; or
(B) any information which could not be re-
leased under section 1905 of title 18, United
States Code.
SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each member of
the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the
Federal Government, or whose compensation is not pre-
cluded by a State, local, or Native American tribal govern-