Detailed Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Problem:SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Ethics Reform Act of 1995''.

TITLE I--TERMINATION OF COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT IN
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEC. 101. EXERCISE OF CONGRESSIONAL RULEMAKING POWER.

The provisions of this title amending the Rules of the House of
Representatives are enacted by Congress--
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of
Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such they
shall be considered a part of the rules of the House of
Representatives and such rules shall supersede other rules only
to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of
the House of Representatives to change such rules at any time
in the same manner and to the same extent as in the case of any
other rule of such House.

SEC. 102. TERMINATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL
CONDUCT.

(a) Termination.--
(1) Rules.--Rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is amended--
(A) in clause 1--
(i) by striking paragraph (p); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (q), (r),
and (s) as paragraphs (p), (q), and (r),
respectively; and
(B) in clause 4--
(i) by striking paragraph (e); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (f), (g),
(h), and (i) as paragraphs (e), (f), (g), and
(h), respectively.
(2) Law.--The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-
194) is amended by striking subsections (b), (c), (d), and (i)
of section 803 (2 U.S.C. 29d).
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Rules.--
(A) Clause 3(e) of rule VI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives is amended --
(i) by striking ''Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct'' and inserting ''Independent
Commission on Congressional Ethics''; and
(ii) by striking ''clause 4(e)(1)(C) of
rule X'' and inserting ''section 203(3) the
Ethics Reform Act of 1995''.
(B) Clause 1(m)(1) of rule X of such Rules is
amended by striking ''(other than rules or joint rules
relating to the Code of Official Conduct)''.
(C) Clause 6(a) of rule X of such Rules is
amended--
(i) by striking subparagraph (2); and
(ii) by striking ''(1)''.
(D) Clause 2(e)(2) of rule XI of such Rules is
amended by striking '', except that in the case of
records in the Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct'' and all that follows through ''prior approval
of the committee''.
(E) Clause 2(g)(2) of rule XI of such Rules is
amended by striking '', with the exception of the
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct,''.
(F) Clause 2(i)(1) of rule XI of such Rules is
amended by striking ''the Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct,''.
(G) Clause 4(a) of rule XI of such Rules is
amended--
(i) by striking ''and the Committee on
Standards of Official Conduct'' and all that
follows;
(ii) by inserting ''and'' before ''the
Committee on Rules''; and
(iii) by striking the semicolon after
''order of business'' and inserting a period.
(H) Clause 6(a)(2) of rule XI of such Rules is
amended by striking ''the Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct and''.
(I) Clause 7(d) of rule XIII is amended--
(i) by striking ''and the Committee on
Standards of Official Conduct,''; and
(ii) by inserting ''and'' before ''the
Committee on Rules''.
(J) Clause 1 of rule XXXII of such Rules is amended
by striking ''Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct'' and inserting ''Independent Commission on
Congressional Ethics''.
(K) Clause 4 of rule XLIII of such Rules is amended
by striking ''Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct pursuant to clause 4(e)(1)(E) of rule X'' and
inserting ''Committee on Rules''.
(L) Clause 12(b) of rule XLIII of such Rules is
amended by striking ''Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct'' and inserting ''Independent
Commission on Congressional Ethics''.
(M) Clause (1) of rule XLIV of such Rules is
amended by striking ''Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct'' and inserting ''Independent
Commission on Congressional Ethics''.
(N) Clause 2(5) of rule XLVII of such Rules is
amended by striking ''Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct'' and inserting ''Independent
Commission on Congressional Ethics''.
(O) Clause 5 of rule XLVIII of such Rules is
amended by striking ''of the Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct and''.
(P) Clause 7(d) of rule XLVIII of such Rules is
amended by striking ''Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct'' and inserting ''Independent
Commission on Congressional Ethics''.
(Q) Clause 7(e) of rule XLVIII of such Rules is
amended by striking ''Committee on Standards of
Official Conduct'' and inserting ''Independent
Commission on Congressional Ethics''.
(R) Clause 13 of rule LI of such Rules is amended
by striking ''and the Rules of the House Committee on
Standards of Official Conduct''.
(2) Law.--The following provisions are each amended by
striking ''the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of
the House of Representatives'' and inserting ''the Independent
Commission on Congressional Ethics'':
(A) Section 5(e) of Public Law 93-191 (2 U.S.C.
501(e)).
(B) Section 7342(a)(6)(A) of title 5, United States
Code.
(C) Section 7353(d)(1) of title 5, United States
Code.
(D) Section 103(j)(1) of the Ethics in Government
Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(E) Section 109(1) of the Ethics in Government Act
of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(F) Section 109(18)(B) of the Ethics in Government
Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(G) Section 111(2) of the Ethics in Government Act
of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(H) Section 503(1)(A) of the Ethics in Government
Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).

SEC. 103. REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT.

Any reference in a law, regulation, document, paper, or other
record of the United States to the ''Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct of the House of Representatives'' shall be deemed to be a
reference to the ''Independent Commission on Congressional Ethics''.

SEC. 104. TRANSITION PROVISIONS.

In the case of investigations pending before the Committee on
Standards of Official Conduct on the day before the date of the
enactment of this Act, the proceedings shall be continued by the
Independent Commission on Congressional Ethics.

TITLE II--ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION

SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

There is established an independent commission within the
legislative branch of the Federal Government to be known as the
Independent Commission on Congressional Ethics (in this title referred
to as the ''Commission'').

SEC. 202. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.

(a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of
five retired or senior Federal judges as follows:
(1) Two individuals appointed by the Speaker of the House
of Representatives.
(2) Two individuals appointed by the Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
(3) One individual appointed by the individuals appointed
under paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) Terms.--The term of office for a member of the Commission shall
be four years. A member shall be eligible for two terms of office.
(c) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the
manner in which the original appointment was made.
(d) Removal.--Any member of the Commission may be removed from
office by a majority decision of the appointing authorities described
in subsection (a), but only for--
(1) disability that substantially prevents the member from
carrying out the duties of the member;
(2) incompetence;
(3) neglect of duty; or
(4) malfeasance, including a felony or conduct involving
moral turpitude.
(e) Compensation.--
(1) Rate of pay.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), each
member of the Commission shall serve without pay or benefits.
(2) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Commission may
receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title
5, United States Code.
(f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum.
(g) Chairperson.--
(1) Election.--The Commission shall elect a Chairperson of
the Commission from among its members at its first meeting.
(2) Term.--The term of the Chairperson shall be two years.
(h) Meetings.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall meet at the call of
the Chairperson or a majority of its members.
(2) Initial meeting.--The Commission shall hold its initial
meeting not later than 60 days after the date on which
appointments are completed.

SEC. 203. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

The Commission is authorized--
(1) to recommend to the House of Representatives, from time
to time, such administrative actions as it may deem appropriate
to establish or enforce standards of official conduct for
Members, officers, and employees of the House of
Representatives;
(2) to investigate any alleged violation, by a Member,
officer, or employee of the House of Representatives, of any
law, rule, regulation, or other standard of conduct applicable
to the conduct of such Member, officer, or employee in the
performance of his duties or the discharge of his
responsibilities, and after notice and hearing (unless the
right to a hearing is waived by the Member, officer, or
employee), shall report to the House of Representatives its
findings of fact and recommendations, if any, upon the final
disposition of any such investigation, and such action as the
Commission may deem appropriate in the circumstances;
(3) to report to the appropriate Federal or State
authorities, with the approval of the House of Representatives,
any substantial evidence of a violation, by a Member, officer,
or employee of the House of Representatives, of any law
applicable to the performance of his duties or the discharge of
his responsibilities, which may have been disclosed in a
Commission investigation;
(4) to give consideration to the request of any Member,
officer, or employee of the House of Representatives for an
advisory opinion with respect to the general propriety of any
current or proposed conduct of such Member, officer, or
employee and, with appropriate deletions to assure the privacy
of the individual concerned, to publish such opinion for the
guidance of other Members, officers, and employees of the House
of Representatives; and
(5) to provide information and guidance to Members,
officers and employees of the House of Representatives
regarding any laws, rules, regulations, and other standards of
conduct applicable to such individuals in their official
capacities, and develop and carry out periodic educational
briefings for Members, officers, and employees of the House of
Representatives on those laws, rules, regulations, or other
standards.

SEC. 204. PROCEDURAL RULES.

(a) Majority Approval.--No resolution, report, recommendation, or
advisory opinion relating to the official conduct of a Member, officer,
or employee of the House shall be made by the Commission, and no
investigation of such conduct shall be undertaken by the Commission,
unless approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of
the Commission.
(b) Investigations.--Except in the case of an investigation
undertaken by the Commission on its own initiative, the Commission may
undertake an investigation relating to the official conduct of an
individual Member, officer, or employee of the House of Representatives
only--
(i) upon receipt of a complaint, in writing and under oath,
made by or submitted to a Member of the House of
Representatives and transmitted to the Commission by such
Member, or
(ii) upon receipt of a complaint, in writing and under
oath, directly from an individual not a Member of the House of
Representatives if the Commission finds that such complaint has
been submitted by such individual to not less than three
Members of the House who have refused, in writing, to transmit
such complaint to the Commission.
(c) Prohibition of Certain Investigations.--No investigation shall
be undertaken by the Commission of any alleged violation of a law,
rule, regulation, or standard of conduct not in effect at the time of
the alleged violation; nor shall any investigation be undertaken by the
Commission of any alleged violation which occurred before the third
previous Congress unless the Commission determines that the alleged
violation is directly related to any alleged violation which occurred
in a more recent Congress.
(d) Disclosure.--No information or testimony received, or the
contents of a complaint or the fact of its filing, shall be publicly
disclosed by any member of the Commission or staff of the Commission
unless specifically authorized in each instance by a vote of the full
Commission.

SEC. 205. STAFF OF COMMISSION.

(a) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and fix the compensation of
such staff as the Commission considers necessary to perform its duties.
(b) Detailed Personnel.--The Commission may, with the prior consent
of the department or agency of the Federal Government concerned, use on
a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis the services of personnel of
any such department or agency, including the services of members or
personnel of the General Accounting Office Personnel Appeals Board.
(c) Consultants.--In carrying out the functions of the Commission,
the Commission may procure the temporary (not to exceed one year) or
intermittent services of consultants.

TITLE III--DISCHARGE OF COMMISSION REPORT FROM COMMITTEE ON RULES IN
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEC. 301. DISCHARGE OF COMMITTEE.

(1) If the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives to which
the report has been referred has not reported it at the end of 30
legislative days after the introduction, it is in order to move either
to discharge the committee from further consideration of the report or
to discharge the committee from further consideration of any other
resolution introduced with respect to the same matter, except that a
motion to discharge--
(A) may only be made on the second legislative day after
the calendar day on which the Member making the motion
announces to the House his intention to do so; and
(B) is not in order after the Committee has reported a
resolution with respect to the same matter.
(2) A motion to discharge under paragraph (1) may be made only by
an individual favoring the resolution, and is highly privileged in the
House; and debate thereon shall be limited to not more than 1 hour, the
time to be divided in the House equally between those favoring and
those opposing the resolution. An amendment to the motion is not in
order, and it is not in order to move to reconsider the vote by which
the motion is agreed to or disagreed to.

SEC. 302. FLOOR CONSIDERATION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(1) A motion in the House of Representatives to proceed to the
consideration of the resolution shall be highly privileged and not
debatable. An amendment to the motion shall not be in order, nor shall
it be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion is
agreed to or disagreed to.
(2) Debate in the House of Representatives on a resolution shall be
limited to not more than 6 hours, which shall be divided equally
between those favoring the resolution and those opposing the
resolution. A further motion to limit debate shall not be debatable. No
amendment to, or motion to recommit, the resolution shall be in order.
It shall not be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which a
resolution is agreed to or disagreed to.
Solution:
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title I: Termination of Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct in the House of Representatives
Title II: Establishment of Commission
Title III: Discharge of Commission Report from Committee on
Rules in the House of Representatives
Ethics Reform Act of 1995 -
Title I: Termination of Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in the House of Representatives
- Amends: (1) rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives to terminate the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct; and (2) the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 to repeal provisions regarding that Committee.
Makes conforming amendments to the Rules, the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, and other Federal law.
Title II: Establishment of Commission
- Establishes within the legislative branch the Independent Commission on Congressional Ethics. Sets forth provisions regarding membership and staff of, and procedural rules with respect to, the Commission.
Sets forth duties of the Commission, including: (1) recommending to the House appropriate administrative actions to establish or enforce standards of official conduct for Members, officers, and employees of the House; (2) investigating alleged violations and reporting to the House its findings and recommendations; (3) reporting to appropriate Federal or State authorities, with House approval, any substantial evidence of violations; (4) considering requests of any House Member, officer, or employee for an advisory opinion; and (5) providing information and guidance to House Members, officers, and employees regarding laws, rules, regulations, and other standards of conduct applicable to such individuals in their official capacities.
Title III: Discharge of Commission Report from Committee on Rules in the House of Representatives
- Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) discharging the Committee from further consideration of a Commission's report or any resolution introduced with respect to a Commission report, recommendation, or advisory opinion; and (2) floor consideration of such a resolution.