I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3213
To establish a commission to conduct a comprehensive review of Federal 
agencies and programs and to recommend the elimination or realignment 
of duplicative, wasteful, or outdated functions, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 1, 2003
Mr. TIAHRT (for himself, Mr. RYUN of Kansas, and Mr. OTTER) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government 
Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To establish a commission to conduct a comprehensive review 
of Federal agencies and programs and to recommend 
the elimination or realignment of duplicative, wasteful, 
or outdated functions, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Commission on the 
Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies Act’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Com-
mission on the Accountability and Review of Federal 
Agencies (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Com-
mission’’). 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall con-
sist of 12 members, all of whom shall be appointed 
by the President not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—
The President shall designate a chairperson and vice 
chairperson from among the members of the Com-
mission. 
(c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem-
bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any 
vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but 
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appoint-
ment. 
(d) MEETINGS.—
(1) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date on which all members of the Commis-
sion have been appointed, the Commission shall hold 
its first meeting. 
(2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—The Commission 
shall meet at the call of the chairperson.
(e) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the 
Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser num-
ber of members may hold hearings. 
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions shall apply: 
(1) AGENCY.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the term ‘‘agency’’ has the 
meaning given the term ‘‘Executive agency’’ 
under section 105 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
(B) EXCEPTIONS.—The term ‘‘agency’’ 
does not include—
(i) the Department of Defense or its 
subdivisions; or 
(ii) any agency that solely administers 
entitlement programs. 
(2) ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘enti-
tlement program’’ means any program that makes 
payments (including loans and grants), the budget 
authority for which is not provided for in advance by 
appropriation Acts, to any person or government if, 
under the provisions of the law containing such au-
thority, the United States is obligated to make such
payments to persons or governments who meet the 
requirements established by such law. 
(3) PROGRAM.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the term ‘‘program’’ means 
any activity or function of an agency. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—The term ‘‘program’’ 
does not include entitlement programs. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall—
(1) evaluate all agencies and programs within 
those agencies, using the criteria under subsection 
(c); and 
(2) submit to Congress—
(A) a plan with recommendations of the 
agencies and programs that should be realigned 
or eliminated; and 
(B) proposed legislation to implement the 
plan described under subparagraph (A). 
(c) CRITERIA.—
(1) DUPLICATIVE.—If 2 or more agencies or 
programs are performing the same essential function 
and the function can be consolidated or streamlined 
into a single agency or program, the Commission 
shall recommend that the agency or program be re-
aligned.
(2) WASTEFUL
OR
INEFFICIENT.—The Com-
mission shall recommend the realignment or elimi-
nation of any agency or program that has wasted 
Federal funds by—
(A) egregious spending; 
(B) mismanagement of resources and per-
sonnel; or 
(C) use of such funds for personal benefit 
or the benefit of a special interest group. 
(3) OUTDATED, IRRELEVANT, OR FAILED.—The 
Commission shall recommend the elimination of any 
agency or program that—
(A) has completed its intended purpose; 
(B) has become irrelevant; or 
(C) has failed to meet its objectives. 
(d) SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAMS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the President 
shall—
(A) establish a systematic method for as-
sessing the effectiveness and accountability of 
agency programs; and 
(B) submit, to the Commission, assess-
ments of not less than 1⁄2 of all programs cov-