,i  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hjjb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #i1 #bjbb,mr4  
,cawthorn introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,foreign ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to      
establish the ,inter-,agency ,task      
,force on ,energy ,independence to      
examine whether the ,russian ,federation
 funded activities of nongovernmental   
organizations in ,western countries     
which limited the ability of those      
countries to achieve energy independence
 and made them more reliant on energy   
exported from ,russia1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,energy             
,independence ,task ,force ,act4  #b4   
,establishment and purpose of ,task     
,force  7a7 ,establishment ,there is    
established in the executive branch a   
task force to be known as the ,task     
,force on ,energy ,independence         
7referred to in this ,act as the ,task  
,force74  7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of  

the ,task ,force is to examine whether  
the ,russian ,federation or any agent or
 instrumentality of the ,russian        
,federation funded activities of        
nongovernmental organizations in        
,western countries which limited the    
ability of those countries to achieve   
energy independence and made them more  
reliant on energy exported from ,russia4
  #c4 ,composition of ,task ,force  7a7 
,members  7#a7 ,appointment ,subject to 
paragraph 7#c71 the ,task ,force shall  
be composed of #aj members1 of whom #b  
shall be appointed not later than #cj   
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act by each of the following3 7,a7
 ,the ,attorney ,general4  7,b7 ,the    
,secretary of ,energy4  7,c7 ,the       
,secretary of the ,treasury4  7,d7 ,the 
,director of the ,central ,intelligence 
,agency4  7,e7 ,the ,secretary of       
,state4  7#b7 ,qualifications ,members  
of the ,task ,force shall be employees  
of offices of the executive branch who  
have expertise in any of the issues     

described in paragraphs 7#a7 through    
7#g7 of section #d4  7#c7 ,status as    
detailees ,an individual serving as a   
member of the ,task ,force shall be     
detailed1 without reimbursement1 by the 
office in which the individual serves as
 an employee1 without interruption or   
loss of civil service status or         
privilege1 and the individual's         
appointment shall be subject to the     
approval of the head of the office in   
which the individual serves as an       
employee4  7#d7 ,chair1 vice chair1 and 
meetings ,not later than #cj days after 
the date on which a simple majority of  
the members of the ,task ,force are     
appointed under paragraph 7#a71 such    
members shall meet to elect a chair and 
vice chair from among such members and  
shall determine a schedule of ,task     
,force meetings4  7#e7 ,no additional   
funds authorized ,amounts used for the  
salaries and expenses1 including        
expenses for official travel1 of an     
individual serving as a member of the   

,task ,force shall be paid out of       
amounts appropriated for salaries and   
expenses of the office in which the     
individual serves as an employee1 and no
 additional amounts are authorized to be
 appropriated for such salaries and     
expenses4  7b7 ,initial meeting ,the    
,task ,force shall meet and begin the   
operations of the ,task ,force not later
 than #cj days after the appointment of 
a simple majority of members of the     
,task ,force4  7c7 ,quorum and vacancy  
7#a7 ,quorum ,a simple majority of the  
members of the ,task ,force shall       
constitute a quorum1 but a lesser number
 of members may hold hearings4  7#b7    
,vacancy ,any vacancy in the ,task      
,force shall not affect its powers and  
shall be filled in the same manner in   
which the original appointment was made 
not later than #cj days after the       
vacancy occurs4  #d4 ,duties of ,task   
,force ,the ,task ,force shall determine
 and analyze the following3 7#a7 ,the   
extent of efforts backed by the ,russian

 ,federation or any agent or            
instrumentality of the ,russian         
,federation to financially support      
nongovernmental organizations in        
,western countries that opposed nuclear 
energy and fracking4  7#b7 ,the success 
or failure of these efforts to suppress 
investment by ,western countries in     
diverse energy portfolios4  7#c7 ,the   
extent to which the funding of these    
organizations has increased the reliance
 of ,western countries on energy        
exported from the ,russian ,federation4 
7#d7 ,the assessment of the level of    
interdependence of ,western countries   
with the ,russian ,federation1 and the  
extent to which ,western countries are  
subject to coercion by the ,russian     
,federation1 because ,western countries 
lack a diverse energy portfolio4  7#e7  
,an assessment of the extent to which   
energy independence could affect the    
,american economy and provide insulation
 for ,western countries against ,russian
 intimidation4  7#f7 ,the extent to     

which the structure of energy agreements
 between the ,russian ,federation and   
other energy companies used the         
participation of smaller1 more discreet 
third-party companies to provide the    
,russian ,federation with greater       
control over the agreements1 including  
an assessment of the role of companies  
which were subsidiaries of ,russian     
energy companies or which were          
controlled overtly or covertly by the   
,russian ,federation or instruments of  
the ,russian ,federation4  7#g7 ,an     
assessment of the ,russian ,federation's
 control of and investment in energy    
companies of ,western nations1 including
 companies involved in energy           
distribution1 electric power generation1
 storage of materials1 pipeline         
maintenance1 and similar activities4    
#e4 ,powers of ,task ,force  7a7        
,hearings ,the ,task ,force may hold    
such hearings1 meet and act at such     
times and places1 and receive such      
evidence as may be necessary to carry   

out its duties4  7b7 ,information from  
,federal agencies ,the ,attorney        
,general and the ,secretary of ,energy  
shall work with the heads of offices of 
the ,federal ,government to ensure that 
the ,task ,force has access to such     
information as the ,task ,force         
considers necessary to carry out its    
duties4  7c7 ,assistance from ,federal  
agencies  7#a7 ,general ,services       
,administration ,on request of the chair
 of the ,task ,force1 the ,administrator
 of ,general ,services shall provide to 
the ,task ,force1 on a reimbursable     
basis1 administrative support and other 
assistance necessary for the ,task      
,force to carry out its duties4  7#b7   
,other departments and agencies ,in     
addition to the assistance provided for 
under paragraph 7#a71 departments and   
agencies of the ,united ,states may     
provide to the ,task ,force such        
assistance as they may determine        
advisable and as authorized by law4  7d7
 ,subpoena power  7#a7 ,in general ,the 

,commission may issue subpoenas         
requiring the attendance and testimony  
of witnesses and the production of any  
evidence relating to any matter which   
the ,commission is empowered to         
investigate by section #d4 ,the         
attendance of witnesses and the         
production of evidence may be required  
from any place within the ,united       
,states at any designated place of      
hearing within the ,united ,states4     
7#b7 ,failure to obey a 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  7#d7 ,service of process ,all  
process of any court to which           
application is made under paragraph 7#b7
 may be served in the judicial district 
in which the person required to be      
served resides or may be found4  7e7    
,contracting ,the ,task ,force may enter
 into contracts to enable it to carry   
out its duties4  7f7 ,donations ,the    
,task ,force may accept1 use1 and       
dispose of donations of services or     
property4  7g7 ,postal services ,the    
,task ,force may use the ,united ,states
 mails in the same manner and under the 
same conditions as a department or      
agency of the ,united ,states4  #f4     
,staff of ,task ,force  7a7 ,in general 
,the chair of the ,task ,force1 in      

consultation with the vice chair1 in    
accordance with rules agreed upon by the
 ,task ,force1 may appoint and fix the  
compensation of a staff director and    
such other personnel as may be necessary
 to enable the ,task ,force to carry out
 its functions1 in accordance with the  
provisions of title #e1 ,united ,states 
,code1 except that no rate of pay fixed 
under this subsection may exceed the    
equivalent of that payable for a        
position at level ,v of the ,executive  
,schedule under section #ecaf of title  
#e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7b7 ,staff  
of ,federal agencies ,upon request of   
the chair of the ,task ,force1 the head 
of any executive department1 bureau1    
agency1 board1 commission1 office1      
independent establishment1 or           
instrumentality of the ,federal         
,government may detail1 without         
reimbursement1 any of its personnel to  
the ,task ,force to assist it in        
carrying out its duties under this ,act4
 ,any detail of an employee shall be    

without interruption or loss of civil   
service status or privilege4  7c7       
,consultant services ,the ,task ,force  
is authorized to procure the services of
 experts and consultants in accordance  
with section #caji of title #e1 ,united 
,states ,code1 but at rates not to      
exceed the daily rate paid a person     
occupying a position at level ,,iv of   
the ,executive ,schedule under section  
#ecae of title #e1 ,united ,states      
,code4  #g4 ,federal ,advisory          
,committee ,act applicability ,the      
provisions of the ,federal ,advisory    
,committee ,act shall apply to the ,task
 ,force1 including the staff of the     
,task ,force4  #h4 ,report2 termination 
7a7 ,final report  7#a7 ,in general ,the
 ,task ,force shall1 not later than #a  
year after the date of its first        
meeting1 submit to the individuals      
described in paragraph 7#b7 a final     
report containing specific findings1    
conclusions1 and recommendations        
required under this ,act as have been   

agreed to by a majority of ,task ,force 
members4  7#b7 ,individuals ,the        
individuals described in this paragraph 
are the ,president1 the ,attorney       
,general1 the ,secretary of ,energy1 the
 ,secretary of the ,treasury1 the       
,director of the ,central ,intelligence 
,agency1 the ,speaker of the ,house of  
,representatives1 the minority leader of
 the ,house of ,representatives1 the    
majority leader of the ,senate1 and the 
minority leader of the ,senate4  7#c7   
,classified and unclassified material   
,the report under this subsection shall 
be prepared-- 7,a7 in an unclassified   
version2 and  7,b7 in a version which   
includes a classified annex4  7b7       
,termination  7#a7 ,in general ,the     
,task ,force1 and all the authorities of
 this ,act1 shall terminate on the date 
that is #cj days after the date of on   
which the ,task ,force submits the final
 report required under subsection 7a74  
7#b7 ,records ,not later than the date  
of termination of the ,task ,force under

 paragraph 7#a71 all records and papers 
of the ,task ,force shall be delivered  
to the ,archivist of the ,united ,states
 for deposit in the ,national ,archives4