[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 949 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 949
To establish a commission to assess the military facility structure of
the United States overseas, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 29, 2003
Mrs. Hutchison (for herself and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a commission to assess the military facility structure of
the United States overseas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Overseas Military Facility Structure
Review Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the Commission on the
Review of the Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States
(in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
(b) Membership.--(1) The Commission shall be composed of 8 members
of whom--
(A) 2 shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of the
Senate;
(B) 2 shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the
Senate;
(C) 2 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives; and
(D) 2 shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Individuals appointed to the Commission shall have significant
experience in the national security or foreign policy of the United
States.
(3) Appointments of the members of the Commission shall be made not
later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--Members 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 appointment.
(d) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on
which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission
shall hold its first meeting.
(e) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chairman.
(f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
(g) Chairman; Vice Chairman.--The Commission shall select a
Chairman and Vice Chairman from among its members.
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
(a) Study.--The Commission shall conduct a thorough study of
matters relating to the military facility structure of the United
States overseas.
(b) Matters To Be Studied.--In conducting the study, the Commission
shall--
(1) assess the number of forces required to be forward
based outside the United States;
(2) examine the current state of the military facilities
and training ranges of the United States overseas for all
permanent stations and deployed locations, including the
condition of land and improvements at such facilities and
ranges and the availability of additional land, if required,
for such facilities and ranges;
(3) identify the amounts received by the United States,
whether in direct payments, in-kind contributions, or
otherwise, from foreign countries by reason of military
facilities of the United States overseas;
(4) assess whether or not the current military basing and
training range structure of the United States overseas is
adequate to meet the current and future mission of the
Department of Defense, including contingency, mobilization, and
future force requirements;
(5) assess the feasibility and advisability of the closure
or realignment of military facilities of the United States
overseas, or of the establishment of new military facilities of
the United States overseas; and
(6) consider or assess any other issue relating to military
facilities of the United States overseas that the Commission
considers appropriate.
(c) Report.--(1) Not later than August 30, 2004, the Commission
shall submit to the President and Congress a report which shall contain
a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the Commission,
together with its recommendations for such legislation and
administrative actions as it considers appropriate.
(2) In addition to the matters specified in paragraph (1), the
report shall also include a proposal by the Commission for an overseas
basing strategy for the Department of Defense in order to meet the
current and future mission of the Department.
SEC. 4. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act
at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such
evidence as the Commission considers advisable to carry out this Act.
(b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the
Commission considers necessary to carry out this Act. Upon request of
the Chairman of the Commission, the head of such department or agency
shall furnish such information to the Commission.
(c) Administrative Support Services.--Upon request of the
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support
necessary for the Commission to carry out its duties under this Act.
(d) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other
departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
(e) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or
donations of services or property.
SEC. 5. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) Compensation of Members.--Each member of the Commission who is
not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be
compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate
of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under
section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including
travel time) during which such member is engaged in the performance of
the duties of the Commission under this Act. All members of the
Commission who are officers or employees of the United States shall
serve without compensation in addition to that received for their
services as officers or employees of the United States.
(b) Travel.--(1) Members of the Commission shall be allowed travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular
places of business in the performance of services for the Commission
under this Act.
(2) Members and staff of the Commission may receive transportation
on aircraft of the Military Airlift Command to and from the United
States, and overseas, for purposes of the performance of the duties of
the Commission to the extent that such transportation will not
interfere with the requirements of military operations.
(c) Staff.--(1) The Chairman of the Commission may, without regard
to the civil service laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an
executive director and such other additional personnel as may be
necessary to enable the Commission to perform its duties under this
Act. The employment of an executive director shall be subject to
confirmation by the Commission.
(2) The Commission may employ a staff to assist the Commission in
carrying out its duties. The total number of the staff of the
Commission, including an executive director under paragraph (1), may
not exceed 12.
(3) The Chairman of the Commission may fix the compensation of the
executive director and other personnel without regard to chapter 51 and
subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating
to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except
that the rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel may
not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under
section 5316 of such title.
(d) Detail of Government Employees.--Any employee of the Department
of Defense, the Department of State, or the General Accounting Office
may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and such
detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or
privilege.
(e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The
Chairman of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates
for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule
under section 5316 of such title.
SEC. 6. SECURITY.
(a) Security Clearances.--Members and staff of the Commission, and
any experts and consultants to the Commission, shall possess security
clearances appropriate for their duties with the Commission under this
Act.
(b) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall assume
responsibility for the handling and disposition of any information
relating to the national security of the United States that is
received, considered, or used by the Commission under this title.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall terminate 45 days after the date on which the
Commission submits its report under section 3.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000
to the Commission to carry out this Act.
(b) Availability.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by
subsection (a) shall remain available, without fiscal year limitation,
until September 2005.
<all>