I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6171 
To provide for the establishment of a commission and a national competition 
to significantly improve the energy efficiency of and reduce emissions 
from Federal buildings in the National Capital Region. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 3, 2008 
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To provide for the establishment of a commission and a 
national competition to significantly improve the energy 
efficiency of and reduce emissions from Federal buildings 
in the National Capital Region. 
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 ‘‘National Capital Re-
gion Leadership in Environmental and Energy Steward-
ship Commission Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— 
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(1) to set the example in environmental and en-
ergy stewardship for our Nation and the rest of the 
world, the Federal Government must lead by cre-
ating a big, bold, and innovative vision to push the 
envelope of technology; 
(2) in 1792, George Washington and Thomas 
Jefferson initiated a competition for the design of 
Congress’ House to generate interest in the new 
Federal City and recognize a place for noble archi-
tecture in a young and rugged Nation; 
(3) in the spirit of that competition, the Fed-
eral Government should create a commission to hold 
another competition to generate greater interest in 
environmental and energy stewardship; 
(4) this competition should recognize America’s 
technological ingenuity and innovative spirit; 
(5) the Capitol is the symbol of freedom and 
democracy, and the National Capital Region should 
be the symbol of energy and environmental steward-
ship; 
(6) the footprint of the Federal Government in 
the National Capital Region is in excess of 120 large 
facilities and 55,000,000 square feet; 
(7) the Federal Government will spend in ex-
cess of 2,000,000,000 dollars over the next 10 years 
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on facility energy costs in the National Capital Re-
gion, to include electricity, natural gas, coal, and 
fuel oil; 
(8) Federal Government facilities emit numer-
ous air pollutants for which permits are required 
under title V of the Clean Air Act and several hun-
dred thousand tons of greenhouse gases annually; 
and 
(9) the Federal Government is completely tied 
into the national power grid and would be signifi-
cantly impacted by a large electrical outage. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab-
lish a commission to— 
(1) analyze the overall facility environmental 
and energy footprint and impact of the Federal Gov-
ernment in the National Capital Region; 
(2) hold a nationwide competition with cash 
prizes up to $1,000,000 to find innovative solutions 
with the singular goal to significantly eliminate Na-
tional Capital Region Federal Government facility 
emissions and reduce its dependence on the national 
power grid by making local combustion facilities cli-
mate neutral or implementing other technologies to 
achieve the same goals; 
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(3) analyze existing and upcoming technologies 
which the Federal Government can implement to 
eliminate facility pollution and reduce its dependence 
on the national power grid; 
(4) recommend innovative, economical, clean, 
multifuel, self sustaining, reliable, secure, and long- 
term solutions to significantly eliminate Federal 
Government facility emissions and reduce their de-
pendence on the national power grid; and 
(5) submit to the Congress the results of the 
competition and study, together with recommended 
solutions and draft legislation. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CLIMATE
NEUTRAL
COMBUSTION
FACIL-
ITY.—The term ‘‘climate neutral combustion facil-
ity’’ means any facility which— 
(A) burns or uses matter to produce elec-
tricity; 
(B) captures the carbon dioxide released 
during combustion; and 
(C) neither produces, nor leads to the pro-
duction of, atmospheric emissions of mercury or 
greenhouse gasses and no emissions that form 
fine particulate, smog, or acid rain. 
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(ii) one Member of Congress from the 
House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee upon the recommendation of 
the Ranking Member; and 
(iii) one Member of Congress from the 
House Oversight and Government Reform 
Committee upon the recommendation of 
the Ranking Member. 
(D) The Senate majority leader shall ap-
point— 
(i) one Senator from the Senate Rules 
and Administration Committee upon the 
recommendation of the Chairman; 
(ii) one Senator from the Senate 
Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs Committee upon the recommendation 
of the Chairman; and 
(iii) one Senator from the Senate En-
vironment and Public Works Committee 
upon the recommendation of the Chair-
man. 
(E) The Senate minority leader shall ap-
point— 
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(i) one Senator from the Senate Rules 
and Administration Committee upon the 
recommendation of the Ranking Member; 
(ii) one Senator from the Senate 
Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs Committee upon the recommendation 
of the Ranking Member; and 
(iii) one Senator from the Senate En-
vironment and Public Works Committee 
upon the recommendation of the Ranking 
Member. 
(2) All members of the Commission shall be 
persons who are especially qualified to serve on the 
Commission by virtue of their education, training, or 
experience, particularly in the field of environmental 
and energy stewardship. 
(b) TERMS.—The term of office for members shall 
be for the life of the Commission. A vacancy in the Com-
mission shall not affect the powers of the Commission, and 
shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 
appointment was made. 
(c) FIRST MEETING.—The Commission shall meet 
and begin operations as soon as practicable. 
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(d) QUORUM.—12 members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hear-
ings. 
(e) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.—The Commission shall 
elect a Chair from among its members. The term of office 
shall be for the life of the Commission. 
SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 
(a) HEARINGS
AND SESSIONS.—The Commission 
may, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this 
Act, hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and 
at such places in the United States, and request the at-
tendance and testimony of such witnesses and the produc-
tion of such books, records, correspondence, memoranda, 
papers, and documents, as the Commission considers ap-
propriate. 
(b) POWERS OF SUBCOMMITTEES AND MEMBERS.— 
Any subcommittee or member of the Commission may, if 
authorized by the Commission, take any action which the 
Commission is authorized to take by this section. 
(c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission 
may acquire directly from the head of any department, 
agency, or instrumentality of the executive branch of the 
Government, available information which the Commission 
considers useful in the discharge of its duties. All depart-
ments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the executive 
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branch of the Government shall cooperate with the Com-
mission with respect to such information and shall furnish 
all information requested by the Commission to the extent 
permitted by law. 
(d) NONAPPLICABILITY
OF
FEDERAL
ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE ACT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
Commission. 
(2) PUBLIC MEETINGS AND RELEASE OF PUB-
LIC
VERSIONS
OF
REPORTS.—The Commission 
shall— 
(A) hold public hearings and meetings to 
the extent appropriate; and 
(B) release public versions of the reports 
required under section 3(c)(1) and (2). 
(3) PUBLIC HEARINGS.—Any public hearings of 
the Commission shall be conducted in a manner con-
sistent with the protection of information provided 
to or developed for or by the Commission as re-
quired by any applicable statute, regulation, or Ex-
ecutive order. 
SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATION PROVISIONS. 
(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each member of 
the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the 
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United States may be compensated at a rate equal to the 
daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed 
for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 
of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including 
travel time) during which the member is engaged in the 
performance of the duties of the Commission. All members 
of the Commission who are officers or employees of the 
United States shall serve without compensation in addi-
tion to that received for their services as officers or em-
ployees of the United States. 
(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com-
mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 
diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ-
ees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 
5, United States Code, while away from their homes or 
regular places of business in the performance of services 
for the Commission. 
(c) STAFF.— 
(1) The Chair of the Commission may, 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 relating to classification and General Schedule 
pay rates, except that no rate of pay fixed under this 
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subsection may exceed the equivalent of that payable 
for a position at level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code. 
(2) The Chair of the Commission may fix the 
compensation of the executive director and other 
personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, 
United States Code, relating to classification of posi-
tions and General Schedule pay rates, except that 
the rate of pay for the executive director and other 
personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level 
V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
such title. 
(d) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Upon 
request of the Chair of the Commission, the head of any 
Federal department or agency may detail, on a non-
reimbursable basis, any personnel of that department or 
agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its 
duties. 
(e) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT-
TENT SERVICES.—The Chair of the Commission may pro-
cure temporary and intermittent services under section 
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individ-
uals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
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the Commission shall remain available, without fiscal year 
limitation, until the termination of the Commission. 
(i) GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION.—The Ad-
ministrator of General Services shall provide to the Com-
mission on a reimbursable basis administrative support 
and other services for the performance of the Commis-
sion’s functions. 
(j) OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.—In addi-
tion to the assistance prescribed in subsection (i), depart-
ments and agencies of the United States may provide to 
the Commission such services, funds, facilities, staff, and 
other support services as they may determine advisable 
and as may be authorized by law. 
(k) GIFTS.—The Commission may accept, use, and 
dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. 
(l) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 
the United States mails in the same manner and under 
the same conditions as departments and agencies of the 
United States. 
(m) AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT VOLUNTARY SERV-
ICES.—Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1342 of 
title 31, United States Code, the Commission is authorized 
to accept and utilize the services of volunteers serving 
without compensation. The Commission may reimburse 
such volunteers for local travel and office supplies, and 
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