HR 3246 RFS
contracts with any participating State government 
or otherwise providing retirement and other em-
ployee coverage; 
‘‘(7) accept, use, and dispose of gifts or dona-
tions or services or real, personal, tangible, or intan-
gible property; 
‘‘(8) enter into and perform such contracts, co-
operative agreements, or other transactions as are 
necessary to carry out Commission duties, including 
any contracts or cooperative agreements with a de-
partment, agency, or instrumentality of the United 
States, a State (including a political subdivision, 
agency, or instrumentality of the State), or a person, 
firm, association, or corporation; and 
‘‘(9) maintain a government relations office in 
the District of Columbia and establish and maintain 
a central office at such location in its region as the 
Commission may select. 
‘‘(b) FEDERAL AGENCY COOPERATION.—A Federal 
agency shall— 
‘‘(1) cooperate with a Commission; and 
‘‘(2) provide, to the extent practicable, on re-
quest of the Federal Cochairperson, appropriate as-
sistance in carrying out this subtitle, in accordance 
with applicable Federal laws (including regulations). 
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‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the administrative expenses of a Commission shall 
be paid— 
‘‘(A) by the Federal Government, in an 
amount equal to 50 percent of the administra-
tive expenses of the Commission; and 
‘‘(B) by the States participating in the 
Commission, in an amount equal to 50 percent 
of the administrative expenses. 
‘‘(2) EXPENSES
OF
THE
FEDERAL
COCHAIR-
PERSON.—All expenses of the Federal Cochair-
person, including expenses of the alternate and staff 
of the Federal Cochairperson, shall be paid by the 
Federal Government. 
‘‘(3) STATE SHARE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the share of administrative expenses 
of a Commission to be paid by each State of the 
Commission shall be determined by a unani-
mous vote of the State members of the Com-
mission. 
‘‘(B) NO FEDERAL PARTICIPATION.—The 
Federal Cochairperson shall not participate or 
vote in any decision under subparagraph (A). 
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‘‘(C) DELINQUENT STATES.—During any 
period in which a State is more than 1 year de-
linquent in payment of the State’s share of ad-
ministrative expenses of the Commission under 
this subsection— 
‘‘(i) no assistance under this subtitle 
shall be provided to the State (including 
assistance to a political subdivision or a 
resident of the State) for any project not 
approved as of the date of the commence-
ment of the delinquency; and 
‘‘(ii) no member of the Commission 
from the State shall participate or vote in 
any action by the Commission. 
‘‘(4) EFFECT ON ASSISTANCE.—A State’s share 
of administrative expenses of a Commission under 
this subsection shall not be taken into consideration 
when determining the amount of assistance provided 
to the State under this subtitle. 
‘‘§ 15305. Meetings 
‘‘(a) INITIAL MEETING.—Each Commission shall 
hold an initial meeting not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this section. 
‘‘(b) ANNUAL MEETING.—Each Commission shall 
conduct at least 1 meeting each year with the Federal Co-
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chairperson and at least a majority of the State members 
present. 
‘‘(c) ADDITIONAL
MEETINGS.—Each Commission 
shall conduct additional meetings at such times as it deter-
mines and may conduct such meetings by electronic 
means. 
‘‘§ 15306. Personal financial interests 
‘‘(a) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.— 
‘‘(1) NO ROLE ALLOWED.—Except as permitted 
by paragraph (2), an individual who is a State mem-
ber or alternate, or an officer or employee of a Com-
mission, shall not participate personally and sub-
stantially as a member, alternate, officer, or em-
ployee of the Commission, through decision, ap-
proval, disapproval, recommendation, request for a 
ruling, or other determination, contract, claim, con-
troversy, or other matter in which, to the individ-
ual’s knowledge, any of the following has a financial 
interest: 
‘‘(A) The individual. 
‘‘(B) The individual’s spouse, minor child, 
or partner. 
‘‘(C) An organization (except a State or 
political subdivision of a State) in which the in-
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dividual is serving as an officer, director, trust-
ee, partner, or employee. 
‘‘(D) Any person or organization with 
whom the individual is negotiating or has any 
arrangement concerning prospective employ-
ment. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply if the individual, in advance of the proceeding, 
application, request for a ruling or other determina-
tion, contract, claim controversy, or other particular 
matter presenting a potential conflict of interest— 
‘‘(A) advises the Commission of the nature 
and circumstances of the matter presenting the 
conflict of interest; 
‘‘(B) makes full disclosure of the financial 
interest; and 
‘‘(C) receives a written decision of the 
Commission that the interest is not so substan-
tial as to be considered likely to affect the in-
tegrity of the services that the Commission may 
expect from the individual. 
‘‘(3) VIOLATION.—An individual violating this 
subsection shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned 
for not more than 1 year, or both. 
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‘‘(b) STATE MEMBER
OR ALTERNATE.—A State 
member or alternate member may not receive any salary, 
or any contribution to, or supplementation of, salary, for 
services on a Commission from a source other than the 
State of the member or alternate. 
‘‘(c) DETAILED EMPLOYEES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No person detailed to serve 
a Commission shall receive any salary, or any con-
tribution to, or supplementation of, salary, for serv-
ices provided to the Commission from any source 
other than the State, local, or intergovernmental de-
partment or agency from which the person was de-
tailed to the Commission. 
‘‘(2) VIOLATION.—Any person that violates this 
subsection shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned 
not more than 1 year, or both. 
‘‘(d) FEDERAL COCHAIRMAN, ALTERNATE TO FED-
ERAL COCHAIRMAN, AND FEDERAL OFFICERS AND EM-
PLOYEES.—The Federal Cochairman, the alternate to the 
Federal Cochairman, and any Federal officer or employee 
detailed to duty with the Commission are not subject to 
this section but remain subject to sections 202 through 
209 of title 18. 
‘‘(e) RESCISSION.—A Commission may declare void 
any contract, loan, or grant of or by the Commission in 
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