,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #gbc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #g1 #bjai,mr4
 ,sullivan 7for himself1 ,ms4           
,murkowski1 and ,mr4 ,daines7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was read     
twice and referred to the ,committee on 
the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish
 a ,commission on ,structural           
,alternatives for the ,federal ,courts  
of ,appeals4  #a4 ,short title ,this    
,act may be cited as the ,federal       
,courts of ,appeals ,modernization ,act4
  #b4 ,establishment ,there is          
established a ,commission on ,structural
 ,alternatives for the ,federal ,courts 
of ,appeals 7in this ,act referred to as
 the ,commission74  #c4 ,membership  7a7
 ,composition ,the ,commission shall be 
composed of #e members who shall be     
appointed by the ,chief ,justice of the 
,united ,states4  7b7 ,appointment ,the 
members of the ,commission shall be     
appointed not later than #cj days after 
the date of enactment of this ,act4  7c7

 ,vacancy ,any vacancy in the           
,commission shall be filled in the same 
manner as the original appointment4  7d7
 ,chair ,the ,commission shall elect a  
chair and vice chair from among its     
members4  7e7 ,quorum ,three members of 
the ,commission shall constitute a      
quorum4  #d4 ,duties ,the ,commission   
shall--  7#a7 study the present division
 of the ,united ,states courts of       
appeals1 with particular references to  
the ,united ,states ,court of ,appeals  
for the ,ninth ,circuit2 and  7#b7      
submit to the ,president and ,congress a
 report on the recommendations of the   
,commission with respect to changes in  
circuit boundaries or structure as may  
be appropriate for the expeditious and  
effective disposition of the caseload of
 the ,united ,states courts of appeals1 
consistent with fundamental concepts of 
fairness and due process4  #e4          
,commission personnel matters  7a7      
,compensation of members ,each member of
 the ,commission who is not an officer  

or employee of the ,federal ,government 
shall be compensated at a rate equal to 
#cjj for each day 7including travel     
time7 during which such member is       
engaged in the performance of the duties
 of the ,commission4 ,all members of the
 ,commission who are officers or        
employees of the ,united ,states shall  
serve without compensation in addition  
to that received for their services as  
officers or employees of the ,united    
,states4  7b7 ,travel expenses ,each    
member of the ,commission shall be      
allowed travel expenses1 including per  
diem in lieu of subsistence1 at rates   
not greater than those described in     
section #def of title #bh1 ,united      
,states ,code4  #f4 ,staff  7a7         
,executive director ,the ,commission may
 appoint an ,executive ,director who    
shall be compensated at a rate not      
greater than the daily equivalent of the
 annual rate of basic pay prescribed for
 a position at ,,gs-#ae of the ,general 
,schedule for each day 7including travel

 time7 during which the ,executive      
,director is engaged in the performance 
of the duties of the ,commission4  7b7  
,staff ,the ,executive ,director1 with  
the approval of the ,commission1 may    
appoint and fix the compensation of such
 additional personnel as the ,executive 
,director determines necessary1 without 
regard to the provisions of title #e1   
,united ,states ,code1 governing        
appointments in the competitive service1
 and without regard to the provisions of
 chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of    
chapter #ec of such title relating to   
classification and ,general ,schedule   
pay rates1 except that a rate of pay    
fixed under this subsection may not     
exceed the annual maximum rate of basic 
pay for a position above ,,gs-#ae of the
 ,general ,schedule under section #eajh 
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7c7
 ,experts and consultants ,the          
,executive ,director may procure by     
contract the temporary or intermittent  
services of experts or consultants in   

accordance with section #caji of title  
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 at rates for 
individuals that are not greater than   
the daily equivalent of the annual rate 
of basic pay for a comparable position  
paid under the ,general ,schedule4  7d7 
,services ,the ,administrative ,office  
of the ,united ,states ,courts shall    
provide administrative services1        
including financial and budgeting       
services1 to the ,commission on a       
reimbursable basis4 ,the ,federal       
,judicial ,center shall provide         
necessary research services to the      
,commission on a reimbursable basis4    
#g4 ,information ,the ,commission may   
request from any department1 agency1 or 
independent instrumentality of the      
,united ,states any information and     
assistance the ,commission determines   
necessary to carry out its functions    
under this ,act4 ,each such department1 
agency1 and independent instrumentality 
may provide such information and        
assistance to the extent permitted by   

law when requested by the chair of the  
,commission4  #h4 ,study and report  7a7
 ,study ,not later than #cjj days after 
the first date on which a quorum of the 
,commission is present1 the ,commission 
shall conclude a study on the issues    
described in section #d7a74  7b7 ,report
 ,not later than #fj days after the date
 by which the ,commission is required to
 conclude the study under subsection    
7a71 the ,commission shall submit to the
 ,president and ,congress the report    
required under section #d7b74  #i4      
,termination ,the ,commission shall     
terminate #ij days after the date on    
which the ,commission submits the report
 described in section #h7;b74  #aj4     
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated such  
sums as are necessary1 not to exceed    
#a1jjj1jjj1 to carry out this ,act1 to  
remain available until expended4