,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cfdb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #c1        
#bjac,mr4 ,hastings of ,florida 7for    
himself1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 and ,ms4 ,lee of
 ,california7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,education and the        
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish a  
commission to study employment and      
economic insecurity in the ,united      
,states workforce4  #a4 ,short title    
,this ,act may be cited as the ,national
 ,commission on ,employment and         
,economic ,security ,act4  #b4 ,findings
 ,congress finds the following3 7#a7    
,americans' commitment to economic      
participation has been a defining       
feature of the cultural fabric of the   
,united ,states1 helping individuals    
feel positive about themselves1 develop 
independence1 and maintain hope for the 
future4  7#b7 ,during the recession that
 began in ,december #bjjg1 more than    
#h4g million jobs were lost4 ,the scope 

of the economic downturn was so large   
that its impact was felt almost         
everywhere along the economic spectrum1 
and continues to be felt in many        
communities across the ,nation4  7#c7   
,as ,americans lose their jobs and their
 incomes shrink1 too often1 they also   
face the loss of their family's health  
insurance and1 subsequent to the loss of
 income1 even their housing4  7#d7      
,research has shown that people who have
 experienced home-foreclosure are at    
risk for severe depressive symptoms and 
increased risk for mental illness4 ,in a
 #bjji study from the ,american ,journal
 of ,public ,health1 more than #cg      
percent of people going through         
foreclosure met criteria for major      
depression4  7#e7 ,the loss of a job and
 the subsequent loss of income1         
insurance1 and other benefits from that 
job have been proven to not only lead to
 increased stress but also be           
substantial triggers for mental health  
disorders including depression and      

anxiety4  7#f7 ,calls to the ,national  
,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline increased
 by more than #gb percent from #bjjg to 
#bjaj4  7#g7 ,according to the ,bureau  
of ,labor ,statistics1 the unemployment 
rate hovered between #h4i and #aj       
percent from ,april #bjji to ,october   
#bjaa1 peaking at #aj4j percent in      
,october #bjji4 ,by ,october #bjji1 the 
number of unemployed persons had reached
 nearly #ae4d million1 and has yet to   
fall below #aa million4  7#h7 ,the      
number of long-term unemployed workers  
7those jobless for #bg weeks or more7   
was #f4b million in ,september #bjaa1 an
 increase of #dbf percent since the     
beginning of the recession in #bjjg4 ,in
 ,august #bjac1 #d4c million ,americans 
were classified as long-term unemployed4
  7#i7 ,according to an ,american       
,psychological ,association ,september  
#bjaj report1 money 7#gf percent71 work 
7#gj percent7 and the economy 7#fe      
percent7 remained the most frequently   
cited sources of stress for ,americans  

at the height of the recession4 ,a      
recent report from ,february #bjac found
 that even as the economy improves1     
these factors are relatively unchanged4 
,money 7#fi percent71 work 7#fe         
percent71 and the economy 7#fa percent7 
remain high sources of stress for       
,americans4  7#aj7 ,according to the    
same #bjaj ,american ,psychological     
,association report1 job stability rose 
as a source of stress4 ,nearly half 7#di
 percent7 of adults reported that job   
stability was a source of stress in     
#bjaj1 compared to #dd percent in #bjji4
 ,during the same time period1 fewer    
,americans were satisfied with the ways 
their employer helped them balance work 
and non-work demands 7#cf percent       
compared to #db percent in #bjji74      
7#aa7 ,research shows that time flexible
 work policies are associated with less 
stress1 fewer absences from work1 and   
more employer loyalty4  7#ab7 ,since    
,march #bjaj1 #g4e million              
private-sector jobs have been created in

 #db straight months of job growth4     
,during the same time period1 the       
unemployment rate has fallen from #i4i  
percent to #g4b percent4 ,the           
,congressional ,budget ,office projects 
that the unemployment rate will not fall
 below #f percent until the end of      
#bjaf1 and will remain above #e percent 
through #bjbc4  #c4 ,establishment of   
commission ,there is established a      
commission to be known as the ,national 
,commission on ,employment and ,economic
 ,security4  #d4 ,duties of commission  
,the ,commission shall-- 7#a7 examine   
the issues of economic and psychological
 insecurity of members of the ,united   
,states workforce caused by employment  
displacement2  7#b7 gather data on the  
relationship between psychological      
stress caused by employment insecurity  
and economic insecurity1 the increase in
 mental health disorders including      
clinical depression and anxiety in the  
,united ,states1 and increased violence 
by employees and former employees in the

 workplace and in their private lives2  
7#c7 analyze the psychological impact of
 increased workplace responsibilities   
and stress on current workers due to    
downsizing1 and the role of workplace   
flexibility policies in alleviating     
stress on these remaining workers2  7#d7
 examine the economic and psychological 
effects of the decreasing number of     
well-paid jobs on members of the ,united
 ,states workforce and their families2  
7#e7 analyze whether measures may be    
taken to reduce said economic and       
psychological effects2 and  7#f7        
recommend potential solutions1 including
 recommendations for legislative and    
administrative action1 to alleviate the 
problems of economic and psychological  
insecurity of members of the ,united    
,states workforce4  #e4 ,membership of  
commission  7a7 ,number and appointment 
,the ,commission shall be composed of   
#ag members1 with expertise in research 
methods or statistics1 who shall be     
appointed as follows3 7#a7 ,nine        

individuals appointed by the ,president1
 of which-- 7,a7 #b members shall be    
individuals who represent labor         
organizations1 as defined by section    
#b7e7 of the ,national ,labor ,relations
 ,act 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #aeb7e772  7,b7 #b 
members shall be individuals who        
represent business interests2  7,c7 #b  
members shall be individuals who        
represent mental health interests2 and  
7,d7 #c members shall be individuals who
 represent relevant ,federal agencies4  
7#b7 ,two individuals appointed by the  
,speaker of the ,house of               
,representatives4  7#c7 ,two individuals
 appointed by the minority leader of the
 ,house of ,representatives4  7#d7 ,two 
individuals appointed by the majority   
leader of the ,senate4  7#e7 ,two       
individuals appointed by the minority   
leader of the ,senate4  7b7             
,qualifications  7#a7 ,in general       
,members shall be experts in the fields 
of labor1 employment1 economics1 and    
psychology4  7#b7 ,political affiliation

 ,political affiliation shall not be a  
factor in the appointment of members4   
7c7 ,deadline for appointment ,each     
member shall be appointed to the        
,commission not later than #ij days     
after the date of enactment of this     
,act4  7d7 ,terms ,each member shall be 
appointed for the life of the           
,commission4  7e7 ,vacancies ,a vacancy 
in the ,commission shall be filled in   
the manner in which the original        
appointment was made4  7f7 ,basic pay   
,members shall serve without pay4  7g7  
,travel expenses ,each member shall     
receive travel expenses1 including per  
diem in lieu of subsistence1 in         
accordance with sections #egjb and #egjc
 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7h7 ,quorum ,eight members of the       
,commission shall constitute a quorum   
but a lesser number may hold hearings4  
7i7 ,chairperson  7#a7 ,in general ,the 
,chairperson of the ,commission shall be
 elected by the members not later than  
#cj days after the date on which all of 

the original members of the ,commission 
have been appointed4  7#b7 ,presidential
 appointment ,if the members of the     
,commission are unable to elect the     
,chairperson in accordance with         
paragraph 7#a71 the ,president shall    
appoint a member of the ,commission to  
be the ,chairperson4  7j7 ,meetings ,the
 ,commission shall meet at the call of  
the ,chairperson4  #f4 ,staff of        
commission  7a7 ,staff ,the ,chairperson
 may appoint and fix the pay of the     
personnel of the ,commission as the     
,chairperson considers appropriate4  7b7
 ,applicability of certain civil service
 laws ,the staff of the ,commission     
shall be appointed subject to the       
provisions of title #e1 ,united ,states 
,code1 governing appointments in the    
competitive service1 and shall be paid  
in accordance with the provisions of    
chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of     
chapter #ec of that title relating to   
classification and ,general ,schedule   
pay rates4  7c7 ,staff of federal       

agencies ,upon request of the           
,chairperson1 the head of any ,federal  
department or agency may detail1 on a   
reimbursable basis1 any of the personnel
 of that department or agency to the    
,commission to assist it in carrying out
 its duties under this ,act4  #g4       
,powers of commission  7a7 ,hearings and
 sessions ,the ,commission may1 for the 
purpose of carrying out this ,act1 hold 
hearings1 sit and act at times and      
places1 take testimony1 and receive     
evidence as the ,commission considers   
appropriate4 ,the ,commission may       
administer oaths or affirmations to     
witnesses appearing before it4  7b7     
,powers of members and agents ,any      
member or agent of the ,commission may1 
if authorized by the ,commission1 take  
any action which the ,commission is     
authorized to take by this section4  7c7
 ,obtaining official data ,the          
,commission may secure directly from any
 ,federal department or agency          
information necessary to enable it to   

carry out this ,act4 ,upon request of   
the ,chairperson of the ,commission1 the
 head of that department or agency shall
 provide that information to the        
,commission4  7d7 ,mail ,the ,commission
 may use the ,united ,states mail in the
 same manner and under the same         
conditions as other ,federal departments
 and agencies4  7e7 ,administrative     
support services ,upon the request of   
the ,commission1 the ,administrator of  
,general ,services shall provide to the 
,commission1 on a reimbursable basis1   
the administrative support services     
necessary for the ,commission to carry  
out its responsibilities under this     
,act4  7f7 ,immunity ,the ,commission is
 an agency of the ,united ,states for   
purpose of part ,v of title #ah1 ,united
 ,states ,code 7relating to immunity of 
witnesses74  7g7 ,subpoena power  7#a7  
,in general ,the ,commission may issue a
 subpoena to require the attendance and 
testimony of witnesses and the          
production of evidence relating to any  

matter described in paragraphs 7#a7     
through 7#c7 of section #d4  7#b7       
,failure to obey an order or subpoena   
,if a person refuses to obey a subpoena 
issued under paragraph 7#a71 the        
,commission may apply to a ,united      
,states district court for an order     
requiring that person to appear before  
the ,commission to give testimony1      
produce evidence1 or both1 relating to  
the matter under investigation4 ,the    
application may be made within the      
judicial district where the hearing is  
conducted or where that person is found1
 resides1 or transacts business4 ,any   
failure to obey the order of the court  
may be punished by the court as civil   
contempt4  7#c7 ,service of subpoenas   
,the subpoenas of the ,commission shall 
be served in the manner provided for    
subpoenas issued by a ,united ,states   
district court under the ,federal ,rules
 of ,civil ,procedure for the ,united   
,states district courts4  7h7 ,contract 
authority ,the ,commission may contract 

with and compensate government and      
private agencies or persons for supplies
 or services1 without regard to section 
#cgji of the ,revised ,statutes 7#da    
,u4,s4,c4 #e74  #h4 ,report of          
commission ,not later than #a year after
 the date on which all original members 
have been appointed to the ,commission1 
the ,commission shall transmit to the   
,president and ,congress a report that  
contains a detailed statement of the    
findings and recommendations of the     
,commission made pursuant to section #d4
  #i4 ,termination of commission  7a7   
,termination ,the ,commission shall     
terminate #fj days after the date of    
submission of the report pursuant to    
section #h4  7b7 ,administrative        
activities before termination ,the      
,commission may use the #fj-;day period 
referred to in subsection 7a7 for the   
purpose of concluding its activities1   
including providing testimony to        
committees of ,congress concerning its  
reports and disseminating the second    

report4  #aj4 ,authorization of         
appropriations  7a7 ,in general ,there  
are authorized to be appropriated       
#b1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjab for use
 in the development and implementation  
of plans under this ,act4  7b7          
,availability ,amounts authorized to be 
appropriated by subsection 7a7 are      
authorized to remain available until    
expended4