,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #efgb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,january #bd1        
#bjbj,mr4 ,bilirakis introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and 
in addition to the ,committee on ,energy
 and ,commerce1 for a period to be      
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish the ,commission
 on ,sustaining ,medicare and ,social   
,security1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,commission on ,sustaining ,medicare
 and ,social ,security ,act of #bjbj4   
#b4 ,establishment ,there is established
 in the legislative branch a commission 
to be known as the ,commission on       
,sustaining ,medicare and ,social       
,security 7in this ,act referred to as  
the ,commission74  #c4 ,duty of the     
commission ,not later than #a year after

 the initial meeting of the ,commission1
 the ,commission shall submit to        
,congress a report on the ,old-,age1    
,survivors1 and ,disability ,insurance  
program under title ,,ii of the ,social 
,security ,act and the ,medicare program
 under title ,,xviii of the ,social     
,security ,act1 including--  7#a7 the   
impact of using alternative indexes on  
beneficiaries and the ,trust ,funds1    
including the ,consumer ,price ,index   
for the ,elderly 7,,cpi-,e72  7#b7 the  
impact of using alternative premium     
formulas for the ,medicare program under
 title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security 
,act on beneficiaries and the ,federal  
,supplementary ,medical ,insurance      
,trust ,fund1 including premium formulas
 that consider financial hardships and  
socioeconomic status2  7#c7 program     
reforms to increase the sustainability  
of the ,old-,age1 ,survivors1 and       
,disability ,insurance program under    
title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act
 and the ,medicare program under title  

,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act2  
and  7#d7 program reforms to prevent    
fraud1 increase integrity1 and reduce   
improper payments4  #d4 ,members  7a7   
,number and appointment ,the ,commission
 shall be composed of #aa members4 ,of  
the members of the ,commission--  7#a7  
#c shall be appointed by the ,president1
 including-- 7,a7 the ,commissioner of  
the ,social ,security ,administration or
 a designee of the ,commissioner2 and   
7,b7 the ,administrator of the ,centers 
for ,medicare and ,medicaid ,services or
 a designee of the ,administrator2  7#b7
 #b shall be appointed by the ,speaker  
of the ,house of ,representatives1      
consisting of-- 7,a7 #a nongovernmental 
expert in the ,old-,age1 ,survivors1 and
 ,disability ,insurance program under   
title ,,ii of the ,social ,security     
,act2 and  7,b7 #a nongovernmental      
expert of the ,medicare program under   
title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security  
,act2  7#c7 #b shall be appointed by the
 minority leader of the ,house of       

,representatives2 consisting of--  7,a7 
#a nongovernmental expert in the        
,old-,age1 ,survivors1 and ,disability  
,insurance program under title ,,ii of  
the ,social ,security ,act2 and  7,b7 #a
 nongovernmental expert of the ,medicare
 program under title ,,xviii of the     
,social ,security ,act2  7#d7 #b shall  
be appointed by the majority leader of  
the ,senate1 consisting of--  7,a7 #a   
nongovernmental expert in the ,old-,age1
 ,survivors1 and ,disability ,insurance 
program under title ,,ii of the ,social 
,security ,act2 and  7,b7 #a            
nongovernmental expert of the ,medicare 
program under title ,,xviii of the      
,social ,security ,act2 and  7#e7 #b    
shall be appointed by the minority      
leader of the ,senate1 consisting of--  
7,a7 #a nongovernmental expert in the   
,old-,age1 ,survivors1 and ,disability  
,insurance program under title ,,ii of  
the ,social ,security ,act2 and  7,b7 #a
 nongovernmental expert of the ,medicare
 program under title ,,xviii of the     

,social ,security ,act4  7b7 ,timing of 
appointments ,each of the appointments  
under subsection 7a7 shall be made not  
later than #fj days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act4  7c7 ,terms2
 vacancies ,each member shall be        
appointed for the life of the           
,commission1 and a vacancy in the       
,commission shall be filled in the      
manner in which the original appointment
 was made4  7d7 ,compensation  7#a7 ,in 
general ,members of the ,commission     
shall serve without pay4  7#b7          
,prohibition on compensation of ,federal
 employees ,members of the ,commission  
who are full-time officers or employees 
of the ,united ,states may not receive  
additional pay1 allowances1 or benefits 
by reason of their service on the       
,commission4  7#c7 ,travel expenses     
,each member shall receive travel       
expenses1 including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence1 in accordance with         
applicable provisions under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  

,states ,code4  #e4 ,operation and      
powers of the ,commission  7a7          
,co-,chairs ,the ,commission shall have 
two co-chairs who shall be elected from 
the members of the ,commission during   
the first meeting of the ,commission4   
7b7 ,meetings ,the ,commission shall    
meet not later than #cj days after the  
members of the ,commission have been    
appointed1 and at such times thereafter 
as the co-chairs shall determine4  7c7  
,rules of procedure ,the co-chairs      
shall1 with the approval of a majority  
of the members of the ,commission1      
establish written rules of procedure for
 the ,commission1 which shall include a 
quorum requirement to conduct the       
business of the ,commission4  7d7       
,hearings ,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  7e7 ,obtaining official   
data ,the ,commission may secure        

directly from any department or agency  
of the ,united ,states1 including the   
,congressional ,budget ,office and the  
,government ,accountability ,office1 any
 information or technical assistance    
necessary to enable the ,commission to  
carry out this ,act4 ,upon request of   
the co-chairs of the ,commission1 the   
head of that department or agency shall 
furnish that information or technical   
assistance to the ,commission4  7f7     
,contract authority ,to the extent or in
 the amounts provided in advance in     
appropriation ,acts1 the ,commission may
 contract with and compensate government
 and private agencies or persons for any
 purpose necessary to enable the        
,commission to carry out this ,act4  7g7
 ,mails ,the ,commission may use the    
,united ,states mails in the same manner
 and under the same conditions as other 
departments and agencies of the ,united 
,states4  #f4 ,personnel  7a7 ,director 
,the ,commission shall have a ,director 
who shall be appointed by the           

,commission4 ,the ,director shall be    
paid at the rate of basic pay for level 
,v of the ,executive ,schedule under    
section #ecaf of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code4  7b7 ,staff ,the         
,director may appoint and fix the pay of
 additional staff as the ,director      
considers appropriate4  7c7 ,experts and
 consultants ,the ,commission may       
procure temporary and intermittent      
services under section #caji7;b7 of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 but at 
rates for individuals not to exceed the 
maximum rate of basic pay for ,,gs-#ae  
of the ,general ,schedule4  7d7 ,staff  
of federal agencies ,upon request of the
 ,commission1 the head of any ,federal  
department or agency may detail1 without
 reimbursement1 any of the personnel of 
that department or agency to the        
,commission to assist the ,commission in
 carrying out its duties under this     
,act4  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  #g4 ,termination ,the ,commission
 shall terminate not later than #fj days
 after the submission of the report     
required by section #c4  #h4            
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated        
#b1jjj1jjj to carry out this ,act4