Title: Establishing the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This concurrent resolution establishes the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans to provide recommendations and legislative language that will significantly improve the solvency of multiemployer pension plans and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 54 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 Pension 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 section 2(b)(2)(B)(ii) 
        and introduced under section 4(a).

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment of Joint Select Committee.--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 Corporation.
            (2) Duties.--
                    (A) In general.--The joint committee shall provide 
                recommendations and legislative language that will 
                significantly improve the solvency 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 
                                detailed statement of the findings, 
                                conclusions, and recommendations of the 
                                joint committee; and
                                    (II) proposed legislative language 
                                to carry out the recommendations 
                                described in subclause (I).
                            (ii) Approval of report and legislative 
                        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 
                                        committee members appointed by 
                                        the Speaker of the House of 
                                        Representatives and the 
                                        majority leader of the Senate; 
                                        and
                                            (bb) a majority of joint 
                                        committee 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 
                                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 notice, the joint committee report may 
                        be printed and transmitted immediately without 
                        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 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 
                        Congress not later than 15 calendar days after 
                        such approval.
                            (v) Report and legislative language 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 
                        Representatives shall appoint 4 members from 
                        among Members of the House of Representatives.
                            (ii) The minority leader of the House of 
                        Representatives shall appoint 4 members 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 Representatives and the majority leader of 
                the Senate shall jointly appoint one co-chair, and the 
                minority 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 calendar days after the date of enactment 
                of this Act.
                    (D) Date.--Members of the joint committee shall be 
                appointed not later than 14 calendar days after the 
                date of enactment of this Act.
                    (E) Period of appointment.--Members shall be 
                appointed for the life of the joint committee. 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 manner 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 enactment 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.
                    (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 regulations of the Senate.
                    (C) Quorum.--Nine members of the joint committee 
                shall constitute a quorum for purposes 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 allowed on 
                behalf of the members of the joint committee.
                    (E) Meetings.--
                            (i) Initial meeting.--Not later than 30 
                        calendar days after the date of enactment 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 committee may, 
                        for the purpose of carrying 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 
                        administer such oaths as the joint committee 
                        considers advisable.
                            (ii) Hearing procedures and 
                        responsibilities 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 determine 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 committee 
                                shall file a written statement 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 meetings 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 written request of 
                the co-chairs, a Federal agency, including legislative 
                branch agencies, shall provide technical assistance to 
                the joint committee in order for the joint committee to 
                carry out its duties.
                    (I) Staffing.--
                            (i) Details.--Employees of the legislative 
                        branch may be detailed to the joint committee 
                        on a nonreimbursable basis, consistent with the 
                        rules and regulations of the Senate.
                            (ii) Staff director.--The co-chairs, acting 
                        jointly, may designate one such employee as 
                        staff director of the joint committee.
    (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 
committee shall comply with the ethics rules of the Senate.
    (d) Termination.--The joint committee shall terminate 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 committee 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.
    (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 legislative 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 committee 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 
Pensions, which committees shall report the bill without any revision 
and with a favorable recommendation, an unfavorable 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 
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 discharged from the Committee on Finance and the 
        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 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 committee 
        bill at any time after the conclusion of such 2-day period.
            (2) Consideration of motion.--Consideration 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 require an affirmative 
        vote of three-fifths of Members duly chosen and sworn, and is 
        not debatable.
            (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 motion to proceed to the 
        joint committee bill.
            (6) Companion measures.--For purposes of this subsection, 
        the term ``joint committee bill'' includes a bill of the House 
        of Representatives that is a companion measure to the joint 
        committee bill introduced 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 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 relating 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.
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