IV 
★
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 54 
Establishing the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer 
Pension Plans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2019 
Mr. STEIL submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Rules 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Establishing the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of 
Multiemployer Pension Plans. 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), 
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘joint committee’’ means the Joint 
Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pen-
sion Plans established under section 2(a); and 
(2) the term ‘‘joint committee bill’’ means a bill 
consisting of the proposed legislative language of the 
joint committee recommended in accordance with 
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section 2(b)(2)(B)(ii) and introduced under section 
4(a). 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
JOINT
SELECT
COM-
MITTEE.—There is established a joint select committee of 
Congress to be known as the ‘‘Joint Select Committee on 
Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans’’. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) GOAL.—The goal of the joint committee is 
to improve the solvency of multiemployer pension 
plans and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corpora-
tion. 
(2) DUTIES.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The joint committee 
shall provide recommendations and legislative 
language that will significantly improve the sol-
vency of multiemployer pension plans and the 
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. 
(B) REPORT, 
RECOMMENDATIONS, 
AND 
LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 
April 30, 2020, the joint committee shall 
vote on— 
(I) a report that contains a de-
tailed statement of the findings, con-
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clusions, and recommendations of the 
joint committee; and 
(II) proposed legislative language 
to carry out the recommendations de-
scribed in subclause (I). 
(ii) APPROVAL OF REPORT AND LEG-
ISLATIVE LANGUAGE.— 
(I) IN GENERAL.—The report of 
the joint committee and the proposed 
legislative 
language 
described 
in 
clause (i) shall only be approved upon 
receiving the votes of— 
(aa) a majority of joint com-
mittee members appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the majority 
leader of the Senate; and 
(bb) a majority of joint com-
mittee members appointed by the 
minority leader of the House of 
Representatives and the minority 
leader of the Senate. 
(II) AVAILABILITY.—The text of 
any report and proposed legislative 
language shall be publicly available in 
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electronic form at least 24 hours prior 
to its consideration. 
(iii) ADDITIONAL VIEWS.—A member 
of the joint committee who gives notice of 
an intention to file supplemental, minority, 
or additional views at the time of the final 
joint committee vote on the approval of the 
report and legislative language under 
clause (ii) shall be entitled to 2 calendar 
days after the day of such notice in which 
to file such views in writing with the co- 
chairs. Such views shall then be included 
in the joint committee report and printed 
in the same volume, or part thereof, and 
their inclusion shall be noted on the cover 
of the report. In the absence of timely no-
tice, the joint committee report may be 
printed and transmitted immediately with-
out such views. 
(iv) TRANSMISSION OF REPORT AND 
LEGISLATIVE
LANGUAGE.—If the report 
and legislative language are approved by 
the joint committee pursuant to clause (ii), 
the joint committee shall submit the joint 
committee report and legislative language 
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described in clause (i) to the President, the 
Vice President, the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives, and the majority and 
minority leaders of each House of Con-
gress not later than 15 calendar days after 
such approval. 
(v) REPORT AND LEGISLATIVE LAN-
GUAGE TO BE MADE PUBLIC.—Upon the 
approval of the joint committee report and 
legislative language pursuant to clause (ii), 
the joint committee shall promptly make 
the full report and legislative language, 
and a record of any vote, available to the 
public. 
(3) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The joint committee 
shall be composed of 16 members appointed 
pursuant to subparagraph (B). 
(B) APPOINTMENT.—Members of the joint 
committee shall be appointed as follows: 
(i) The Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives shall appoint 4 members from 
among Members of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
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(ii) The minority leader of the House 
of Representatives shall appoint 4 mem-
bers from among Members of the House of 
Representatives. 
(iii) The majority leader of the Senate 
shall appoint 4 members from among 
Members of the Senate. 
(iv) The minority leader of the Senate 
shall appoint 4 members from among 
Members of the Senate. 
(C) CO-CHAIRS.—Two of the appointed 
members of the joint committee will serve as co- 
chairs. The Speaker of the House of Represent-
atives and the majority leader of the Senate 
shall jointly appoint one co-chair, and the mi-
nority leader of the House of Representatives 
and the minority leader of the Senate shall 
jointly appoint the second co-chair. The co- 
chairs shall be appointed not later than 14 cal-
endar days after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
(D) DATE.—Members of the joint com-
mittee shall be appointed not later than 14 cal-
endar days after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
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(E) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT.—Members 
shall be appointed for the life of the joint com-
mittee. Any vacancy in the joint committee 
shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled 
not later than 14 calendar days after the date 
on which the vacancy occurs, in the same man-
ner as the original appointment was made. If a 
member of the joint committee ceases to be a 
Member of the House of Representatives or the 
Senate, as the case may be, the member is no 
longer a member of the joint committee and a 
vacancy shall exist. 
(4) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(A) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—For purposes 
of enabling the joint committee to exercise its 
powers, functions, and duties under this Act, 
and consistent with the Standing Rules of the 
Senate, there is authorized from the date of en-
actment of this Act through June 30, 2020, 
$500,000 to be allocated— 
(i) in total during the period March 1, 
2019 through September 30, 2019; and 
(ii) any remaining amounts shall be 
carried forward for the period October 1, 
2019 through September 30, 2020. 
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(B) EXPENSES.—Expenses of the joint 
committee shall be paid from the contingent 
fund of the Senate upon vouchers approved by 
the co-chairs, subject to the rules and regula-
tions of the Senate. 
(C) QUORUM.—Nine members of the joint 
committee shall constitute a quorum for pur-
poses of voting and meeting, and 5 members of 
the joint committee shall constitute a quorum 
for holding hearings. 
(D) VOTING.—No proxy voting shall be al-
lowed on behalf of the members of the joint 
committee. 
(E) MEETINGS.— 
(i) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 
30 calendar days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the joint committee shall 
hold its first meeting. 
(ii) AGENDA.—The co-chairs of the 
joint committee shall provide an agenda to 
the joint committee members not less than 
48 hours in advance of any meeting. 
(F) HEARINGS.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The joint com-
mittee may, for the purpose of carrying 
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out this section, hold such hearings, sit 
and act at such times and places, require 
attendance of witnesses and production of 
books, papers, and documents, take such 
testimony, receive such evidence, and ad-
minister such oaths as the joint committee 
considers advisable. 
(ii) HEARING PROCEDURES AND RE-
SPONSIBILITIES OF CO-CHAIRS.— 
(I) ANNOUNCEMENT.—The co- 
chairs of the joint committee shall 
make a public announcement of the 
date, place, time, and subject matter 
of any hearing to be conducted, not 
less than 7 days in advance of such 
hearing, unless the co-chairs deter-
mine that there is good cause to begin 
such hearing at an earlier date. 
(II) EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF 
WITNESSES.—Each co-chair shall be 
entitled to select an equal number of 
witnesses for each hearing held by the 
joint committee. 
(III) WRITTEN
STATEMENT.—A 
witness appearing before the joint 
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committee shall file a written state-
ment of proposed testimony at least 2 
calendar days before the appearance 
of the witness, unless the requirement 
is waived by the co-chairs, following 
their determination that there is good 
cause for failure to comply with such 
requirement. 
(G) MINIMUM NUMBER OF PUBLIC MEET-
INGS
AND
HEARINGS.—The joint committee 
shall hold— 
(i) not less than a total of 5 public 
meetings or public hearings; and 
(ii) not less than 3 public hearings, 
which may include field hearings. 
(H) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Upon writ-
ten request of the co-chairs, a Federal agency, 
including legislative branch agencies, shall pro-
vide technical assistance to the joint committee 
in order for the joint committee to carry out its 
duties. 
(I) STAFFING.— 
(i) DETAILS.—Employees of the legis-
lative branch may be detailed to the joint 
committee on a nonreimbursable basis, 
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consistent with the rules and regulations of 
the Senate. 
(ii) STAFF DIRECTOR.—The co-chairs, 
acting jointly, may designate one such em-
ployee as staff director of the joint com-
mittee. 
(c) ETHICAL STANDARDS.—Members on the joint 
committee who serve in the House of Representatives shall 
be governed by the ethics rules and requirements of the 
House. Members of the Senate who serve on the joint com-
mittee shall comply with the ethics rules of the Senate. 
(d) TERMINATION.—The joint committee shall termi-
nate on April 30, 2020, or 30 days after submission of 
its report and legislative recommendations pursuant to 
this section whichever occurs first. 
SEC. 3. FUNDING. 
(a) SPECIAL RESERVE.—To enable the joint com-
mittee to exercise its powers, functions, and duties under 
this Act, within the funds in the account for ‘‘Expenses 
of Inquiries and Investigations’’ of the Senate, not more 
than $500,000 shall be allocated from the special reserve 
established in S. Res. 70, agreed to February 27, 2019 
(116th Congress), for use by the joint committee. 
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(b) EXPIRATION.—None of the funds made available 
by this section may be available for obligation by the joint 
committee after July 2, 2020. 
(c) AVAILABILITY REQUIREMENTS.—For purposes of 
the joint committee, section 20(b) of S. Res. 70, agreed 
to February 27, 2019 (116th Congress), shall not apply. 
SEC. 4. CONSIDERATION OF JOINT COMMITTEE BILL IN 
THE SENATE. 
(a) INTRODUCTION.—Upon receipt of proposed legis-
lative language approved in accordance with section 
2(b)(2)(B)(ii), the language shall be introduced in the 
Senate (by request) on the next day on which the Senate 
is in session by the majority leader of the Senate or by 
a Member of the Senate designated by the majority leader 
of the Senate. 
(b) COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION.—A joint com-
mittee bill introduced in the Senate under subsection (a) 
shall be jointly referred to the Committee on Finance and 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions, which committees shall report the bill without any 
revision and with a favorable recommendation, an unfavor-
able recommendation, or without recommendation, no 
later than 7 session days after introduction of the bill. If 
either committee fails to report the bill within that period, 
that committee shall be automatically discharged from 
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consideration of the bill, and the bill shall be placed on 
the appropriate calendar. 
(c) MOTION TO PROCEED TO CONSIDERATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding rule XXII 
of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order, 
not later than 2 days of session after the date on 
which a joint committee bill is reported or dis-
charged from the Committee on Finance and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions, for the majority leader of the Senate or the 
majority leader’s designee to move to proceed to the 
consideration of the joint committee bill. It shall also 
be in order for any Member of the Senate to move 
to proceed to the consideration of the joint com-
mittee bill at any time after the conclusion of such 
2-day period. 
(2) CONSIDERATION
OF
MOTION.—Consider-
ation of the motion to proceed to the consideration 
of the joint committee bill and all debatable motions 
and appeals in connection therewith shall not exceed 
10 hours, which shall be divided equally between the 
majority and minority leaders or their designees. A 
motion to further limit debate is in order, shall re-
quire an affirmative vote of three-fifths of Members 
duly chosen and sworn, and is not debatable. 
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(3) VOTE THRESHOLD.—The motion to proceed 
to the consideration of the joint committee bill shall 
only be agreed to upon an affirmative vote of three- 
fifths of Members duly chosen and sworn. 
(4) LIMITATIONS.—The motion is not subject 
to a motion to postpone. All points of order against 
the motion to proceed to the joint committee bill are 
waived. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the 
motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in 
order. 
(5) DEADLINE.—Not later than the last day of 
the 116th Congress, the Senate shall vote on a mo-
tion to proceed to the joint committee bill. 
(6) COMPANION MEASURES.—For purposes of 
this subsection, the term ‘‘joint committee bill’’ in-
cludes a bill of the House of Representatives that is 
a companion measure to the joint committee bill in-
troduced in the Senate. 
(d) RULES OF SENATE.—This section is enacted by 
Congress— 
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the Senate, and as such is deemed a part of the 
rules of the Senate, but applicable only with respect 
to the procedure to be followed in the Senate in the 
case of a joint committee bill, and supersede other 
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rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent 
with such rules; and 
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of the Senate to change the rules (so far as re-
lating to the procedure of the Senate) at any time, 
in the same manner, and to the same extent as in 
the case of any other rule of the Senate. 
Æ 
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