,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ecd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,february #f1 #bjac  
,mr4 ,connolly 7for himself and ,mr4    
,cicilline7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,oversight and ,government
 ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish the  
,national ,commission on                
,intergovernmental ,relations to        
facilitate the fullest cooperation and  
coordination between all levels of      
government4  #a4 ,short ,title ,this    
,act may be cited as the ,restore the   
,partnership ,act4  #b4 ,establishment  
,there is established a permanent       
bipartisan commission to be known as the
 ,national ,commission on               
,intergovernmental ,relations 7in this  
,act referred to as the ,commission74   
#c4 ,declaration of purpose ,in order to
 facilitate the fullest cooperation and 
coordination between all levels of      
government in an increasingly complex   
society1 it is essential that a         

commission be established to give       
continuing attention to                 
intergovernmental issues4 ,it is        
intended that the ,commission1 in the   
performance of its duties1 will--  7#a7 
bring together representatives of       
,federal1 ,state1 and local governments 
for the consideration of common         
problems2  7#b7 provide a forum for     
discussing the administration and       
coordination of ,federal aid and other  
programs requiring intergovernmental    
cooperation2  7#c7 give critical        
attention to the conditions1 controls1  
and oversight involved in the           
administration of such ,federal         
programs2 and  7#d7 encourage discussion
 and study during the early stages of   
emerging public challenges that are     
likely to require intergovernmental     
cooperation4  #d4 ,membership  7a7      
,number and appointment ,the ,commission
 shall be composed of #cj members1 as   
follows3  7#a7 #f appointed by the      
,president of the ,united ,states1 #c of

 whom shall be officers of the executive
 branch of the government1 and #c       
private citizens1 each of whom shall    
have experience or familiarity with     
relations between the levels of         
government4  7#b7 #c appointed by the   
,president of the ,senate1 who shall be 
,members of the ,senate4  7#c7 #c       
appointed by the ,speaker of the ,house 
of ,representatives1 who shall be       
,members of the ,house4  7#d7 #d        
appointed by the ,president from a panel
 of at least #h ,governors submitted by 
the ,national ,governors' ,association4 
7#e7 #d appointed by the ,president from
 a panel of at least #h members of      
,state legislative bodies submitted by  
the ,national ,conference of ,state     
,legislatures4  7#f7 #d appointed by the
 ,president from a panel of at least #h 
mayors submitted jointly by the         
,national ,league of ,cities and the    
,united ,states ,conference of ,mayors4 
7#g7 #d appointed by the ,president from
 a panel of at least #h elected county  

officers submitted by the ,national     
,association of ,counties4  7#h7 #b     
tribal officials appointed by the       
,secretary of the ,interior from a panel
 of at least #d submitted by the        
,national ,congress of ,american        
,indians4  7b7 ,political and           
geographical composition  7#a7 ,the     
members appointed from private life     
under paragraph 7#a7 of subsection 7a7  
shall be appointed without regard to    
political affiliation4  7#b7 ,of each   
class of members enumerated in          
paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c7 of subsection  
7a71 #b shall be from the majority party
 of the respective houses4  7#c7 ,of    
each class of members enumerated in     
paragraphs 7#d71 7#e71 7#f71 and 7#g7 of
 subsection 7a71 not more than #b shall 
be from any #a political party4  7#d7   
,of each class of members enumerated in 
paragraphs 7#e71 7#f7 and 7#g7 of       
subsection 7a71 not more than #a shall  
be from any #a ,state4  7#e7 ,at least  
#b of the appointees under paragraph    

7#f7 of subsection 7a7 shall be from    
cities with a population of less than   
#ejj1jjj4  7#f7 ,at least #b of the     
appointees under paragraph 7#g7 of      
subsection 7a7 shall be from counties   
with a population of less than #ej1jjj4 
7#g7 #a of the appointees under         
paragraph 7#h7 of subsection 7a7 shall  
be from a gaming tribe and #a shall be  
from a non-gaming tribe4  7c7 ,terms    
7#a7 ,in general ,the term of office of 
each member of the ,commission shall be 
#b years4 ,members shall be eligible for
 reappointment4 ,except as provided in  
paragraph 7#b71 members shall serve     
until their successors are appointed4   
7#b7 ,termination of service in official
 position from which originally         
appointed ,where any member ceases to   
serve in the official position from     
which originally appointed under section
 #c7;a71 his or her place on the        
,commission shall be deemed to be       
vacant4  7#c7 ,vacancies in membership  
,any vacancy in the membership of the   

,commission shall be filled in the same 
manner in which the original appointment
 was made2 except that where the number 
of vacancies is fewer than the number of
 members specified in paragraphs 7#d71  
7#e71 7#f71 and 7#g7 of section #c7;a71 
each panel of names submitted in        
accordance with the aforementioned      
paragraphs shall contain at least #b    
names for each vacancy4  #e4            
,organization of ,commission  7a7       
,initial meeting ,the ,president shall  
convene the ,commission not later than  
#ij days after the date of enactment of 
this ,act at such time and place as the 
,president may designate4  7b7 ,chairman
 and ,vice ,chairman ,the ,commission   
shall designate a ,chairman and a ,vice 
,chairman from among members of the     
,commission4  7c7 ,quorum #ac members of
 the ,commission shall constitute a     
quorum1 but #b or more members1         
representing more than #a of the class  
of members enumerated in section #d7;a71
 shall constitute a quorum for the      

purpose of conducting hearings4  #f4    
,duties of ,commission ,the ,commission 
shall--  7#a7 engage in such activities 
and make such studies and investigations
 as are necessary or desirable in the   
accomplishment of the purposes set forth
 in section #b2  7#b7 consider1 on its  
own initiative1 mechanisms for fostering
 better relations between the levels of 
government2  7#c7 make available        
technical assistance to the executive   
and legislative branches of the ,federal
 ,government in the review of proposed  
legislation to determine its overall    
effect on all levels of government2     
7#d7 recommend1 within the framework of 
the ,constitution1 the most desirable   
allocation of governmental functions1   
responsibilities1 and revenues among the
 levels of government2  7#e7 recommend  
methods of coordinating and simplifying 
tax laws and administrative policies and
 practices to achieve a more orderly and
 less competitive fiscal relationship   
between the levels of government and to 

reduce the burden of compliance for     
taxpayers2 and  7#f7 submit an annual   
report to the ,president and the        
,congress on or before ,january #ca of  
each year4  ,the ,commission may also   
submit such additional reports to the   
,president1 to ,congress or any         
committee of ,congress1 and to any unit 
of government or organization as the    
,commission may deem appropriate4  #g4  
,powers and administrative provisions   
7a7 ,hearings and ,sessions ,the        
,commission or1 on the authorization of 
the ,commission1 any subcommittee or    
members thereof1 may1 for the purpose of
 carrying out the provisions of this    
,act1 hold such hearings1 take such     
testimony1 and sit and act at such times
 and places as the ,commission deems    
advisable4 ,any member authorized by the
 ,commission may administer oaths or    
affirmations to witnesses appearing     
before the ,commission or any           
subcommittee or members thereof4  7b7   
,cooperation by ,federal agencies ,each 

department1 agency1 and instrumentality 
of the executive branch of the          
government1 including independent       
agencies1 is authorized and directed to 
furnish to the ,commission1 upon request
 made by the ,chairman or ,vice         
,chairman1 such information as the      
,commission deems necessary to carry out
 its functions under this ,act4  7c7    
,executive ,director ,the ,commission   
shall have power to appoint and remove  
an ,executive ,director4 ,the ,executive
 ,director shall be paid at the rate of 
basic pay for level ,,iii of the        
,executive ,schedule4 ,such appointment 
shall be made solely on the basis of    
fitness to perform the duties of the    
position and without regard to political
 affiliation4  7d7 ,staff ,subject to   
such rules and regulations as may be    
adopted by the ,commission1 the         
,executive ,director shall have the     
power--  7#a7 to appoint1 fix the       
compensation of1 and remove such other  
personnel as he deems necessary2 and    

7#b7 to procure temporary and           
intermittent services to the same extent
 as is authorized by law4  7e7          
,applicability of other laws to         
employees ,except as otherwise provided 
in this ,act1 persons in the employ of  
the ,commission under subsections 7c7   
and 7d77#a7 shall be considered ,federal
 employees for all purposes4  7f7       
,maximum compensation of employees ,no  
individual in the employ of the         
,commission under subsection 7d77#a7    
shall be paid compensation for such     
employment at a rate in excess of the   
highest rate provided for under the     
,general ,schedule4  #h4 ,reimbursement 
,members of the ,commission shall be    
entitled to reimbursement for travel1   
subsistence1 and other necessary        
expenses incurred by them in the        
performance of their duties as members  
of the ,commission4  #i4 ,authorization 
of appropriations ,there are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as may be  
necessary to carry out the provisions of

 this ,act4  #aj4 ,receipt of funds2    
consideration by ,congress ,the         
,commission is authorized to receive    
funds through grants1 contracts1 and    
contributions from ,state and local     
governments and organizations thereof1  
and from nonprofit organizations4 ,such 
funds may be received and expended by   
the ,commission only for purposes of    
this ,act4 ,in making appropriations to 
the ,commission1 ,congress shall        
consider the amount of any funds        
received by the ,commission in addition 
to those funds appropriated to it by    
,congress4