NATIONAL COMMISSION ON UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.

SEC. 411. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION. (a) Establishment of Commission.—There is established a National Commission on Unemployment Compensation (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Commission”) which shall consist of thirteen me miters who shall be appointed as follows: (1) Three members appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate. (2) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (3) Seven members appointed by the President. In making appointments under the preceding sentence, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President shall consult with each other to insure that there will be a balanced representation of interested parties on the Commission. The Commission shall consist of at least one representative of labor, industry, the Federal Government State government, local government, and small business. The President shall designate one of the members to serve as Chairman of the Commission. Seven members shall constitute a quorum. Any vacancies in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made. (b) Duties of the Commission.—The Commission shall study and evaluate, the present unemployment compensation programs in order to assess the long-range needs of the programs, to develop alternatives, and to recommend changes in the programs. Such study and evaluation shall include, without being limited to— (1) examination of the adequacy, and economic and administrative impacts, of the changes made by this Act in coverage, benefit pro visions, and financing ; (2) identification of appropriate purposes, objectives, and future directions for unemployment compensation programs; including railroad unemployment insurance; (3) examination of issues and alternatives concerning the relationship of unemployment compensation to the economy, with special attention to long-range funding requirements and desirable methods of program financing; (4) examination of eligibility requirements, disqualification Êrevisions, and factors to consider in determining appropriate benefit amounts and duration ; (5) examination of (A) the problems of claimant fraud and abuse in the unemployment compensation programs (B) the adequacy of present statutory requirements and administrative procedures designed to protect the programs against such fraud and abuse and (C) problems of claimants in obtaining prompt processing and payment of their claims for benefits and any appropriate measures to relieve such problems; (6) examination of the relationship between unemployment compensation programs and manpower training and employment programs; 90 STAT. 2682 (7) examination of the appropriate role of unemployment compensation in income maintenance and its relationship to other social insurance and income maintenance programs; (8) conduct of such surveys, hearings, research, and other activities as it deems necessary to enable it to formulate appropriate recommendations, and to obtain relevant information, attitudes, opinions, and recommendations from individuals and organizations representing employers, employees, and the general public; (9) review of the present method of collecting and analyzing present and prospective national and local employment and unemployment information and statistics; (10) identification of any weaknesses in such method and any problem which results from the operation of such method; (11) formulation of any necessary or appropriate new techniques for the collection and analysis of such information and statistics; and (12) examination of the feasibility and advisability of developing or not developing Federal minimum benefit standards for State unemployment insurance program. (c) Powers of the Commission.— (1) Hearings.—The Commission, or, on the authorization of the Commission, any subcommittee or members thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section, hold such hearing, take such testimony, receive such evidence, take such oaths and sit and act at such times and places as the Commission may deem appropriate and may administer oaths or affirmations to witnesses anpearing before the Commission or any subcommittee or members thereof. (2) Staff.— Subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted by the Commission, the Chairman shall have the power to— (A) appoint, and fix the compensation of an executive director, and such additional personnel as he deems advisable, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that the executive director may not receive pay in excess of the maximum annual rate of basic pay in effect for grade GS–18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of such title and any additional personnel may not receive pay in excess of the maximum annual rate of basic pay in effect for grade GS–15 of such General Schedule, and (B) obtain temporary and intermittent services of experts and consultants in accordance with the provisions of section 3109 of title 5, United States Code. (3) Contracts.—The Commission is authorized to negotiate and enter into contracts with organizations, institutions, and individuals to carry out such studies, surveys, or research and prepare such reports as the Commission determines are necessary in order to carry out its duties, (d) Cooperation of Other Federal Agencies.— (1) Information.—Each department, agency, and instrumentality of the Federal Government is authorized and directed to 90 STAT. 2683furnish to the Commission, upon request made by the Chairman, and to the extent permitted by law, such data, reports, and other information as the Commission deems necessary to carry out its functions under this section. (2) Services.—The head of each department or agency of the Federal Government is authorized to provide to the Commission such services as the Commission requests on such basis, reimbursable and otherwise., as may be agreed between the department or agency and the Chairman of the Commission. All such requests shall be made by the Chairman of the Commission. (3) Department of labor.—The Department of Labor shall provide support for the Commission and shall perform such other functions with respect to the Commission as may be required by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. (e) Pay and Travel Expenses.— (1) Members serve without pay.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), members of the Commission shall serve without pay. (2) Travel expenses.—While away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission, members of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b) of title 5 of the United States Code. (f) Interim Report.—The Commission shall transmit to the Congress not later than March 31, 1978, an interim report. (g) Final Report.—The Commission shall transmit to the President and the Congress not later than January 1, 1979, a final report containing a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with such recommendations as it deems advisable. (h) Termination.—On the ninetieth day after the date of submission of its final report to the President, the Commission shall cease to exist. (i) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.