In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

Q: SECTION 1. EXTENDED PHASE-IN OF THE INPATIENT REHABILITATION FACILITY 
              CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA.

    (a) In General.--Section 5005 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``apply the applicable 
        percent specified in subsection (b)'' and inserting ``require a 
        compliance rate that is no greater than the 60 percent 
        compliance rate that became effective for cost reporting 
        periods beginning on or after July 1, 2006''; and
            (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
    ``(b) Continued Use of Comorbidities.--For cost reporting periods 
beginning on or after July 1, 2008, the Secretary shall include 
patients with comorbidities as described in section 412.23(b)(2)(i) of 
title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect as of January 1, 
2007), in the inpatient population that counts towards the percent 
specified in subsection (a).''.
    (b) Medical Necessity Criteria for Beneficiaries Served in 
Rehabilitation Hospitals and Units.--The Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services and Medicare fiscal intermediaries, Medicare 
administrative contractors, recovery audit contractors, and other 
government agents shall use and apply the criteria established in HCFA 
Ruling 85-2, as issued on July 31, 1985 (50 Fed. Reg. 31040), as the 
sole standard for determining the medical necessity of services 
provided by inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units to Medicare 
beneficiaries under title XVIII of the Social Security Act.

SEC. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLASSIFYING INPATIENT REHABILITATION 
              HOSPITALS AND UNITS.

    (a) Report to Congress.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
in consultation with physicians, administrators of inpatient 
rehabilitation and acute care hospitals, Medicare beneficiaries, and 
trade organizations representing inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and 
units, shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report 
that includes--
            (1) an examination of the impact of the 75 percent rule on 
        the Medicare program and the specific impact of the rule on 
        Medicare beneficiaries; and
            (2) alternatives to the 75 percent rule policy for 
        determining exclusion criteria for inpatient rehabilitation 
        hospital and unit designation under the Medicare program, 
        including determining clinical appropriateness of inpatient 
        rehabilitation hospital and unit admissions, and including 
        alternative criteria based solely on a measure of a patient's 
        functional status which is independent of diagnosis.
For the purposes of this section, the term ``75 percent rule'' means 
the requirement of section 412.23(b)(2) of title 42, Code of Federal 
Regulations, that 75 percent of the patients of a rehabilitation 
hospital or converted rehabilitation unit are in 1 or more of 13 listed 
treatment categories.
    (b) Considerations.--In developing the report described in 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall include the following:
            (1) The effect of the 75 percent rule on access to 
        inpatient hospital rehabilitation care by Medicare 
        beneficiaries and the effectiveness of care available to such 
        beneficiaries in other health care settings.
            (2) A comparative analysis of the overall Medicare system 
        costs, including Medicare expenditures to acute care hospitals, 
        home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and long-term 
        care hospitals, resulting from implementation of the 75 percent 
        rule.
            (3) A analysis that compares the quality, cost, and patient 
        outcomes of inpatient rehabilitation services among different 
        post-acute care settings, including whether the Medicare 
        program and Medicare beneficiaries may incur higher costs of 
        care for the entire episode of illness because of factors such 
        as--
                    (A) readmissions to acute care hospitals that could 
                have been avoided absent the 75 percent rule; or
                    (B) extended lengths of stay in post-acute settings 
                other than a rehabilitation hospital or unit because 
                beneficiaries were denied access to care in such a 
                hospital or unit due to the 75 percent rule.

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL CORRECTION FOR INPATIENT REHABILITATION HOSPITALS AND 
              UNITS NOMENCLATURE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1886(j) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395ww(j)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``(in this subsection 
        referred to as a `rehabilitation facility'), other than a 
        facility'' and inserting ``other than a hospital or unit'';
            (2) by striking ``rehabilitation facility'' and 
        ``facility'' and inserting ``inpatient rehabilitation hospital 
        or a rehabilitation unit'' and ``hospital or unit'', 
        respectively, each place it appears;
            (3) by striking ``rehabilitation facilities'' and inserting 
        ``inpatient rehabilitation hospitals or rehabilitation units'' 
        each place it appears; and
            (4) in paragraph (6), by striking ``rehabilitation 
        facilities' costs'' and inserting ``costs of inpatient 
        rehabilitation hospitals or rehabilitation units''.
    (b) Use of the Term ``IRH/U''.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall, under regulation and Medicare program guidance, use the 
term ``inpatient rehabilitation hospital/unit'' or ``IRH/U'' to refer 
to entities receiving payment for inpatient rehabilitation services 
under section 1886(j) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(j)).

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Sections 1 and 3 of this Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007, and 
section 2 shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

A: Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to revise the classification criterion used to determine whether a hospital or hospital unit is an inpatient rehabilitation facility under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Eliminates the current schedule of applicable percentages. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, instead, to require in the classification criterion a compliance rate no greater than the 60% compliance rate that became effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after July 1, 2006.

Requires the Secretary, for cost reporting periods beginning on or after July 1, 2008, to include patients with comorbidity in the inpatient population that counts towards such 60% compliance rate.

Requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Medicare fiscal intermediaries, Medicare administrative contractors, recovery audit contractors, and other government agents to use and apply the criteria established in HCFA Ruling 85-2, as issued on July 31, 1985, as the sole standard for determining the medical necessity of servivces provided by inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units to Medicare beneficiaries.

Directs the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees: (1) an examination of the impact of the 75% rule on the Medicare program, and specifically on Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) alternatives to the 75% rule policy for determining exclusion criteria for inpatient rehabilitation hospital and unit designation under the Medicare program.
****
Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Commission on 
Rebuilding America for the 21st Century Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 1808, Albert Gallatin, while serving as President 
        Thomas Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury, reported to 
        Congress on the infrastructure investments needed by the young 
        Nation.
            (2) Gallatin's plan built on President George Washington's 
        vision of connecting the interior settlements of the Nation 
        with the markets and ports of the East Coast through a network 
        of roads and canals, and provided a roadmap for infrastructure 
        development in the 19th century.
            (3) In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt convened a 
        conference of State and territorial governors, members of his 
        Cabinet and Congress, professional organizations, private 
        citizens, and government agencies to plan for the United States 
        conservation and infrastructure needs in the 20th century.
            (4) The resulting plan laid the groundwork for many of the 
        critical investments initiated by President Franklin D. 
        Roosevelt to jumpstart the Nation's recovery from the Great 
        Depression.
            (5) Today, as in 1808 and 1908, the United States is faced 
        with significant economic, environmental, and demographic 
        challenges.
            (6) To stave off the worst effects of global warming, the 
        United States will need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
        significantly.
            (7) The Nation's population is projected to increase to 420 
        million by 2050, which is nearly a 50 percent increase from the 
        Nation's population size in 2000.
            (8) By 2050, more than 70 percent of the Nation's 
        population growth and economic growth is expected to take place 
        in extended networks of metropolitan regions linked by 
        environmental systems, transportation networks, economies, and 
        culture.
            (9) The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue 
        Study Commission recently calculated that maintaining the 
        Nation's existing transportation system over the next 50 years 
        will require $225 billion annually. The latest transportation 
        authorization, SAFETEA-LU, provided only $244 billion total for 
        the 5 years ending with fiscal year 2009.
            (10) The American Society of Civil Engineers has given the 
        Nation's public infrastructure, consisting of water, sewer, and 
        transportation systems, a grade of D-minus, estimating that it 
        will cost $1.6 trillion over the next 5 years merely to repair 
        the Nation's existing infrastructure.
            (11) The Nation's decaying water infrastructure and a lack 
        of available funding to maintain and upgrade the Nation's 
        wastewater infrastructure pose a serious threat to water 
        quality. More than 72,000 miles of municipal water and sewer 
        pipe are more than 80 years old, threatening the health, 
        environment, and economy of communities large and small.
            (12) Population growth and associated development will 
        place the Nation's water resources under increasing stress, 
        including increased pollutant loads, increased potential for 
        flooding, diminished drinking water supplies, loss of aquatic 
        habitat, and stream scouring and erosion. Global warming will 
        exacerbate existing water challenges and make other changes to 
        the natural hydrology, including more extreme storm events, 
        more frequent droughts, higher air and water temperatures, 
        changes in timing of stream flows, and sea level rise. New 
        technologies and a comprehensive strategy will be needed to 
        overcome these challenges and ensure a safe, adequate, 
        reliable, and sustainable water supply.
            (13) The Environmental Protection Agency, the Congressional 
        Budget Office, and other stakeholders have identified a funding 
        gap of between $300 billion and $400 billion over the next 20 
        years for the restoration and replacement of wastewater 
        infrastructure, and an additional $250 billion over the next 30 
        years will be needed to replace worn-out drinking water pipes 
        and associated structures.
            (14) From 1999 to 2009, the Nation's electricity demand 
        rose by nearly 20 percent while transmission capacity grew by 
        only 3.5 percent. To accommodate increased demand, and to 
        accommodate increased electrical supply from renewable sources 
        by 2050, electrical transmission infrastructure requires 
        significant investment.
            (15) The Nation's rural economy is dependant on 
        transportation and communications networks to grow and compete 
        in an increasingly globalized market.
            (16) Significant under-investment in public lands 
        infrastructure jeopardizes the tremendous conservation, 
        environmental, and mixed use benefits that these lands provide 
        the public.
            (17) Much of the Nation's infrastructure was built in the 
        last half of the 20th century and will reach its capacity 
        limits early in the 21st century. Unless new capacity is 
        created in roads, rails, airports, seaports, and other systems, 
        the Nation's economic potential will be artificially limited.
            (18) Since 1980, the number of miles people in the United 
        States drive has grown 3 times faster than the Nation's 
        population. Residents of walkable cities, however, drive 26 
        percent fewer miles per day than those living in the most 
        sprawling areas.
            (19) By 2050, 89 million new or replaced homes as well as 
        190 billion square feet of new offices, stores, and other 
        nonresidential buildings will be constructed.
            (20) By 2050, smart growth building policies could reduce 
        total transportation-related CO&lt;INF&gt;2&lt;/INF&gt; emissions by 7 to 
        10 percent.
            (21) Development of a bold national plan to overcome these 
        challenges by 2050 will allow the United States to respond in 
        the most economically and environmentally sustainable way.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``United 
States Commission on Rebuilding America for the 21st Century'' (in this 
Act referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Appointment of Members.--The Commission shall be composed of 17 
members as follows:
            (1) Two members, including the chairman of the Commission, 
        to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Two members to be appointed by the majority leader of 
        the Senate.
            (3) Three members to be appointed jointly by the minority 
        leader of the House of Representatives and the minority leader 
        of the Senate.
            (4) One member to be appointed by the Administrator of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency.
            (5) One member to be appointed by the Secretary of 
        Transportation.
            (6) One member to be appointed by the Secretary of Housing 
        and Urban Development.
            (7) One member to be appointed by the Secretary of the 
        Interior.
            (8) One member to be appointed by the Secretary of Energy.
            (9) One member to be appointed by the President of the 
        Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National 
        Association of Counties, in consultation with the other members 
        of the Board.
            (10) One member to be appointed by the Chair of the 
        National Governors Association.
            (11) One member to be appointed by the Executive Director 
        of the National Conference of State Legislatures, in 
        consultation with the members of the Conference's executive 
        committee.
            (12) One member to be appointed by the President of the 
        Board of Directors of the National Association of Regional 
        Councils, in consultation with the other members of the Board.
            (13) One member to be appointed by the President of the 
        United States Conference of Mayors, in consultation with the 
        members of the Conference's executive board.
    (b) Dates of Appointments.--The initial member appointed to the 
Commission shall be the Chairman, as designated by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives under subsection (a)(1). The remainder of the 
members of the Commission shall be appointed in the 30-day period 
beginning on the 30th day following the date of the appointment of the 
Chairman.
    (c) Qualifications.--
            (1) In general.--Each member of the Commission shall be 
        knowledgeable in--
                    (A) the fields of transportation finance, highway 
                and transit programs, and transportation policy;
                    (B) the fields of land use and housing policy, 
                including community planning and design;
                    (C) the fields of water supply, water 
                infrastructure, and water conservation policy; or
                    (D) the fields of energy supply, energy 
                infrastructure, and energy conservation policy.
            (2) Eligibility of certain representatives.--The members of 
        the Commission--
                    (A) may include representatives of State and local 
                governments, public transportation authorities, and 
                other appropriate governmental units; but
                    (B) may not include any member of the House of 
                Representatives, the Senate, or the President's 
                Cabinet.
    (d) Terms.--The members of the Commission shall be appointed for 
the life of the Commission.
    (e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled 
promptly and in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (f) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 60 days after the last 
        day of the appointment period described in section 4(b), the 
        Commission shall hold the initial meeting of the Commission.
            (2) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
        chairman of the Commission or a majority of its members.
            (3) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission 
        shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may 
        hold hearings.
    (g) Pay.--Members of the Commission shall serve without pay.
    (h) Travel Expenses.--Each member of the Commission shall receive 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 5. DUTIES.

    (a) Review of Published Materials.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall review published 
        materials on the Nation's transportation, water, energy, public 
        lands, and housing infrastructure and, based on the review, 
        assess the challenges of meeting the Nation's infrastructure 
        needs in the 21st century.
            (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 120 days after the 
        last day of the appointment period described in section 4(b), 
        the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the review 
        and assessment conducted under paragraph (1) and make the 
        report available to the public.
    (b) Public Hearings.--In order to facilitate a national dialogue on 
the Nation's infrastructure needs, the Commission shall hold public 
hearings in at least 50 congressional districts representing a cross-
section of the geographical regions of the United States, and consult 
with other interested persons, before submitting a final report under 
subsection (c)
    (c) Final Report.--
            (1) National vision of infrastructure investments.--Not 
        later than one year after the last day of the appointment 
        period described in section 4(b), the Commission shall prepare 
        and submit to Congress a report that--
                    (A) documents the challenges of meeting the 
                Nation's transportation, water, energy, public lands, 
                and housing infrastructure needs in the 21st century; 
                and
                    (B) articulates a national vision of infrastructure 
                investments to overcome the challenges.
            (2) Specific recommendations.--The report to be submitted 
        under paragraph (1) shall contain specific recommendations on 
        appropriate policies and investments, including integration of 
        existing programs, to provide the people of the United States 
        with--
                    (A) improved transportation mobility, choice, and 
                access to economic opportunities;
                    (B) streamlined investment processes to facilitate 
                State and local transportation investments;
                    (C) improved community health outcomes and social 
                equity;
                    (D) improved water conservation, quality, and 
                quantity;
                    (E) an efficient, vibrant, and flexible electric 
                grid that delivers clean, safe, and affordable energy;
                    (F) reductions in greenhouse gas emissions; and
                    (G) improved public lands infrastructure sufficient 
                to accommodate the growth in users without degrading 
                the environmental and conservation values of the public 
                lands.
            (3) Model principles.--The report to be submitted under 
        paragraph (1) shall contain a set of model principles to ensure 
        that future investments in the Nation's transportation, water, 
        energy, public lands, and housing infrastructure incorporate 
        the findings and recommendations contained in the report.

SEC. 6. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--For the purpose of carrying out this 
Act, the Commission may hold such hearings, meet and act at such times 
and places, take such testimony, administer such oaths, and receive 
such evidence as the Commission considers appropriate.
    (b) Other Evidence.--The Commission shall gather evidence through 
such means as the Commission considers appropriate, including--
            (1) by soliciting comments through Federal Register 
        notices; and
            (2) by receiving testimony at public hearings conducted by 
        members of the Commission, at the direction of the chairman of 
        the Commission, subject to appropriate rules governing the 
        receiving of evidence.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information (other 
than information required by any law to be kept confidential by such 
department or agency) necessary for the Commission to carry out its 
duties under this Act. Upon request of the Commission, the head of that 
department or agency shall furnish such nonconfidential information to 
the Commission.
    (d) Contracts.--The Commission may enter into contracts with other 
entities in carrying out the duties of the Commission.
    (e) Gifts, Bequests, and Devises.--To the extent or in the amounts 
provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Commission may accept, 
use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of services or 
property, both real and personal, for the purpose of aiding or 
facilitating the work of the Commission. Gifts, bequests, or devises of 
money and proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, 
bequests, or devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be 
available for disbursement upon order of the Chairperson.
    (f) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.
    (g) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act.

SEC. 7. STAFF.

    (a) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of such 
personnel as the Commission considers appropriate.
    (b) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon request of the Commission, the 
head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 
basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the 
Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out its duties under 
this Act.
    (c) Experts and Consultants.--The Commission may procure temporary 
and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily 
equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay for GS-15 of the 
General Schedule.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$2,500,000.

SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate on the 180th day following the date 
of transmittal of the final report required under section 5(c). All 
records and papers of the Commission shall thereupon be delivered to 
the Administrator of General Services for deposit in the National 
Archives.

A: United States Commission on Rebuilding America for the 21st Century Act - Establishes the United States Commission on Rebuilding America for the 21st Century to review published materials on the nation's transportation, water, energy, public lands, and housing infrastructure and assess the challenges of meeting the nation's infrastructure needs in the 21st century.

Directs the Commission to submit to Congress a report that: (1) documents those challenges and articulates a national vision of infrastructure investments to overcome them; (2) contains specific recommendations on policies and investments to provide for streamlined state and local transportation investment processes, an electric grid that delivers clean, safe, and affordable energy, reductions in greenhouse has emissions, and improved transportation mobility, community health outcomes, water conservation, and public lands infrastructure accommodating user growth without degrading the environment; and (3) contains a set of model principles to ensure that future investments in the nation's infrastructure incorporate the report's findings and recommendations.
****
Q: SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION ON CRIME AND VIOLENCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the ``National Commission on Crime and Violence in America'' 
(referred to as the ``Commission'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 22 
        members, of whom--
                    (A) 6 shall be appointed by the President;
                    (B) 8 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
                House of Representatives, of whom 2 shall be appointed 
                on the recommendation of the minority leader; and
                    (C) 8 shall be appointed by the President pro 
                tempore of the Senate, of whom 6 shall be appointed on 
                the recommendation of the majority leader and 2 shall 
                be appointed on the recommendation of the minority 
                leader.
            (2) Goals in making appointments.--In appointing members of 
        the Commission, the President, Speaker, President pro tempore, 
        and the majority and minority leaders shall seek to ensure 
        that--
                    (A) the membership of the Commission reflects the 
                racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the United 
                States; and
                    (B) members are specially qualified to serve on the 
                Commission by reason of their education, training, 
                expertise, or experience in--
                            (i) sociology;
                            (ii) psychology;
                            (iii) law;
                            (iv) law enforcement;
                            (v) social work; and
                            (vi) ethnography and urban poverty, 
                        including health care, housing, education, and 
                        employment.
            (3) Deadline.--Members of the Commission shall be appointed 
        within 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
            (4) Term.--Members shall serve on the Commission through 
        the date of its termination under section 7.
            (5) Meetings.--The Commission--
                    (A) shall have its headquarters in the District of 
                Columbia; and
                    (B) shall meet at least once each month for a 
                business session.
            (6) Quorum.--Twelve members of the Commission shall 
        constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
            (7) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--Not later than 15 
        days after the members of the Commission are appointed, the 
        members shall designate a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of 
        the Commission.
            (8) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
        not later than 30 days after the Commission is informed of the 
        vacancy in the manner in which the original appointment was 
        made.
            (9) Compensation.--
                    (A) No pay, allowance, or benefit.--Members of the 
                Commission shall receive no pay, allowances, or 
                benefits by reason of their service on the Commission.
                    (B) Travel expenses.--A member of the Commission 
                shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in 
                lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 
                and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 2. DUTIES.

    The Commission shall--
            (1) review the effectiveness of traditional criminal 
        justice approaches in preventing and controlling crime and 
        violence;
            (2) examine the impact that changes to Federal and State 
        law have had in controlling crime and violence;
            (3) examine the impact of changes in Federal immigration 
        laws and policies and increased development and growth along 
        United States international borders on crime and violence in 
        the United States, particularly among our Nation's youth;
            (4) examine the problem of youth gangs and provide 
        recommendations on how to reduce youth involvement in violent 
        crime;
            (5) examine the extent to which assault weapons and high 
        power firearms have contributed to violence and murder in the 
        United States;
            (6) convene hearings in various parts of the country to 
        receive testimony from a cross section of criminal justice 
        professionals, business leaders, elected officials, medical 
        doctors, and other citizens that wish to participate;
            (7) review all segments of the criminal justice system, 
        including the law enforcement, prosecution, defense, judicial, 
        corrections components, in developing the crime control and 
        antiviolence plan;
            (8) develop a comprehensive and effective crime control and 
        antiviolence plan that will serve as a blueprint for action in 
        the 1990's;
            (9) bring attention to successful models and programs in 
        crime prevention, crime control, and antiviolence;
            (10) reach out beyond the traditional criminal justice 
        community for ideas when developing the comprehensive crime 
        control and antiviolence plan;
            (11) recommend improvements in the coordination of Federal, 
        State, local, and international border crime control efforts;
            (12) make a comprehensive study of the economic and social 
        factors leading to or contributing to crime and violence and 
        specific proposals for legislative and administrative actions 
        to reduce crime and violence and the elements that contribute 
        to crime and violence; and
            (13) recommend means of allocating finite correctional 
        facility space and resources to the most serious and violent 
        offenders, with the goal of achieving the most cost-effective 
        crime control and protection of the community and public 
        safety, after--
                    (A) examining the issue of disproportionate 
                incarceration rates among black males and any other 
                minority group disproportionately represented in 
                Federal and State correctional populations; and
                    (B) considering increased use of alternatives to 
                incarceration that offer a reasonable prospect of equal 
                or better crime control at equal or less cost than 
                incarceration.

SEC. 4. STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

    (a) Director.--
            (1) Appointment.--After consultation with the members of 
        the Commission, the Chairperson shall appoint a director of the 
        Commission (referred to as the ``Director'').
            (2) Compensation.--The Director shall be paid the rate of 
        basic pay for level V of the Executive Schedule.
    (b) Staff.--With the approval of the Commission, the Director may 
appoint such personnel as the Director considers to be appropriate.
    (c) Civil Service Laws.--The staff of the Commission shall be 
appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service and shall be 
paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and General 
Schedule pay rates.
    (d) Experts and Consultants.--With the approval of the Commission, 
the Director may procure temporary and intermittent services under 
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
    (e) Staff of Federal Agencies.--Upon the request of the Commission, 
the head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, 
personnel of that agency to the Commission to assist in carrying out 
its duties.
    (f) Physical Facilities.--The Administrator of the General Services 
Administration shall provide suitable office space for the operation of 
the Commission. The facilities shall serve as the headquarters of the 
Commission and shall include all necessary equipment and incidentals 
required for proper functioning.

SEC. 5. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings.--The Commission may conduct public hearings or forums 
at its discretion, at any time and place it is able to secure 
facilities and witnesses, for the purpose of carrying out its duties.
    (b) Delegation of Authority.--Any member or agent of the Commission 
may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action that the 
Commission is authorized to take by this section.
    (c) Information.--The Commission may secure from any Federal agency 
or entity in the executive or legislative branch such materials, 
resources, statistical data, and other information as is necessary to 
enable it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson or 
Vice Chairperson of the Commission, the head of a Federal agency or 
entity shall furnish the information to the Commission to the extent 
permitted by law.
    (d) Gifts, Bequests, and Devises.--The Commission may accept, use, 
and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of services or property, 
both real and personal, for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the 
work of the Commission. Gifts, bequests, or devises of money and 
proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, bequests, or 
devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be available for 
disbursement upon order of the Commission.
    (e) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    (a) Monthly Reports.--The Commission shall submit monthly activity 
reports to the President and the Congress.
    (b) Interim Report.--Not later than 1 year before the date of its 
termination, the Commission shall submit an interim report to the 
President and the Congress containing--
            (1) a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of 
        the Commission;
            (2) recommendations for legislative and administrative 
        action based on the Commission's activities to date;
            (3) an estimation of the costs of implementing the 
        recommendations made by the Commission; and
            (3) a strategy for disseminating the report to Federal, 
        State, and local authorities.
    (c) Final Report.--Not later than the date of its termination, the 
Commission shall submit to the Congress and the President a final 
report with a detailed statement of final findings, conclusions, 
recommendations, and estimation of costs and an assessment of the 
extent to which recommendations included in the interim report under 
subsection (b) have been implemented.
    (d) Printing and Public Distribution.--Upon receipt of each report 
of the Commission under this section, the President shall--
            (1) order the report to be printed; and
            (2) make the report available to the public.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after 
the date on which members of the Commission have met and designated a 
Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.

A:
Establishes a National Commission on Crime and Violence in America.   Includes among the duties of the Commission to:  (1) review the effectiveness of traditional criminal justice approaches in preventing and controlling crime and violence; (2) convene hearings in various parts of the country; (3) develop a comprehensive and effective crime control and antiviolence plan that will serve as a blueprint for action in the 1990's and which reaches out beyond the traditional criminal justice community for ideas; and (4) study the economic and social factors leading to or contributing to, and specific proposals for legislative and administrative actions to reduce, crime and violence.
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