[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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Establishing the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans.
#54 | HCONRES Congress #116
Policy Area: Congress
Last Action: Referred to the House Committee on Rules. (7/24/2019)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text