,i  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hfjd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bi1 #bjbb,mr4 
,cawthorn introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,oversight and ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
establish the ,free ,city ,commission to
 examine the effects of liberal         
,government policy on ,american cities1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,free ,city ,commission ,act4  #b4      
,establishment and purpose of           
,commission  7a7 ,establishment ,there  
is established in the legislative branch
 a commission to be known as the ,free  
,city ,commission 7referred to in this  
,act as the ,commission74  7b7 ,purpose 
,the purpose of the ,commission is to   
study the effects of progressive        
governance on cities within the ,united 
,states over the last #ge years4  #c4   
,composition of ,commission  7a7        
,members  7#a7 ,appointment ,the        
,commission shall be composed of #bj    

members1 to be appointed not later than 
#cj days after the date of enactment of 
this ,act1 of whom-- 7,a7 #e members    
shall be appointed by the majority      
leader of the ,senate2  7,b7 #e members 
shall be appointed by the minority      
leader of the ,senate2  7,c7 #e members 
shall be appointed by the ,speaker of   
the ,house of ,representatives2 and     
7,d7 #e members shall be appointed by   
the minority leader of the ,house of    
,representatives4  7#b7 ,qualifications 
,members appointed under subsection 7a7 
shall consist of individuals with       
expertise in any of the issues described
 in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#aj7 of    
section #f4  7#c7 ,limitation ,an       
individual appointed to the ,commission 
may not be an officer or employee of the
 ,federal ,government4  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   
,commission 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 ,commission meetings4  7b7 
,initial meeting ,the ,commission shall 
meet and begin the operations of the    
,commission not later than #cj days     
after the appointment of a simple       
majority of members of the ,commission4 
7c7 ,quorum and vacancy  7#a7 ,quorum ,a
 simple majority of the members of the  
,commission shall constitute a quorum1  
but a lesser number of members may hold 
hearings4  7#b7 ,vacancy ,any vacancy in
 the ,commission shall not affect its   
powers and shall be filled in the same  
manner in which the original appointment
 was made4  #d4 ,duties of ,commission  
,the ,commission shall1 with respect to 
cities in the ,united ,states during the
 #ge-year period preceding the date of  
enactment of this ,act-- 7#a7 examine   
the causal link between permissive drug 
policies and the increase in drug       
violence and drug usage2  7#b7 examine  
the effects of a lack of educational    

opportunities2  7#c7 evaluate the       
success of law enforcement tactics in   
preventing violence and protecting      
civilians2  7#d7 examine the prevalence 
of abortion in minority communities2    
7#e7 examine the failures of public     
schools in urban environments2  7#f7    
evaluate the success of opportunity     
zones2  7#g7 the link between home      
ownership and community stability2  7#h7
 investigate mental health2  7#i7 study 
signs of civic engagement like voting   
and parental involvement in schools2    
7#aj7 investigate public health markers 
like chronic disease and sexual health2 
7#aa7 rates of religious affiliation1   
participation1 and belief in these      
communities2 and  7#ab7 not later than  
#ah months after the date of enactment  
of this ,act1 submit a report on the    
findings under paragraphs 7#a7 through  
7#aa7 to the individuals described in   
section #f7;b77#b74  #e4 ,powers of     
,commission  7a7 ,hearings ,the         
,commission may hold such hearings1 meet

 and act at such times and places1 and  
receive such evidence as may be         
necessary to carry out the functions of 
the ,commission4  7b7 ,information from 
,federal agencies  7#a7 ,in general ,the
 ,commission may access1 to the extent  
authorized by law1 from any executive   
department1 bureau1 agency1 board1      
commission1 office1 independent         
establishment1 or instrumentality of the
 ,federal ,government such information1 
suggestions1 estimates1 and statistics  
as the ,commission considers necessary  
to carry out this ,act4  7#b7 ,provision
 of information ,on written request of  
the chair of the ,commission1 each      
department1 bureau1 agency1 board1      
commission1 office1 independent         
establishment1 or instrumentality shall1
 to the extent authorized by law1       
provide the requested information to the
 ,commission4  7#c7 ,receipt1 handling1 
storage1 and dissemination ,information 
shall only be received1 handled1 stored1
 and disseminated by members of the     

,commission and its staff consistent    
with all applicable statutes1           
regulations1 and ,executive orders4  7c7
 ,assistance from ,federal agencies     
7#a7 ,general ,services ,administration 
,on request of the chair of the         
,commission1 the ,administrator of      
,general ,services shall provide to the 
,commission1 on a reimbursable basis1   
administrative support and other        
assistance necessary for the ,commission
 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 ,commission such assistance as they 
may determine advisable and as          
authorized by law4  7d7 ,contracting    
,the ,commission may enter into         
contracts to enable the ,commission to  
discharge its duties under this ,act4   
7e7 ,donations ,the ,commission may     
accept1 use1 and dispose of donations of
 services or property4  7f7 ,postal     

services ,the ,commission 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 ,commission  7a7
 ,in general ,the chair of the          
,commission1 in consultation with the   
vice chair1 in accordance with rules    
agreed upon by the ,commission1 may     
appoint and fix the compensation of a   
staff director and such other personnel 
as may be necessary to enable the       
,commission 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 ,commission1 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 ,commission 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 ,commission 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 ,travel expenses ,each      
member of the ,commission shall serve   
without compensation1 but shall receive 
travel expenses1 including per diem in  
lieu of subsistence1 in accordance with 
applicable provisions in the same manner
 as persons employed intermittently in  
the ,government service are allowed     

expenses under section #egjc of title   
#e1 ,united ,states ,code4  #h4 ,federal
 ,advisory ,committee ,act applicability
 ,the provisions of the ,federal        
,advisory ,committee ,act shall apply to
 the ,commission1 including the staff of
 the ,commission4  #i4 ,reports of      
,commission2 termination  7a7 ,other    
reports and information  7#a7 ,reports  
,the ,commission may issue additional   
reports as the ,commission determines   
necessary4  7#b7 ,information ,the      
,commission may hold public hearings to 
collect information and shall make such 
information available for use by the    
public4  7b7 ,final report  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the ,commission shall1 not     
later than #ah months 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
 ,commission members4  7#b7 ,individuals

 ,the individuals described in this     
paragraph are the ,president1 the       
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 the ,attorney ,general1 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  7c7    
,termination  7#a7 ,in general ,the     
,commission1 and all the authorities of 
this ,act1 shall terminate on the date  
that is #b years after the date of      
enactment of this ,act4  7#b7 ,records  
,not later than the date of termination 
of the ,commission under paragraph 7#a71
 all records and papers of the          
,commission shall be delivered to the   
,archivist of the ,united ,states for   
deposit in the ,national ,archives4