  

   
   
      TITLE XXVII-PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT ON VIOLENCE AND NATIONAL COMMISSION ON
      CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL
      
   
   
   
   
   SEC. 270001. PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT.
   
   
   
   Congress calls on the President to convene a national summit on
   violence in America prior to convening the Commission established
   under this title.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270002. ESTABLISHMENT; COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES;
   REPRESENTATION.
   
   
   
   (a) Establishment and Appointment of Members .-There is established a
   commission to be known as the "National Commission on Crime Control
   and Prevention". The Commission shall be composed of 28 members
   appointed as follows:
   
   
   
   (1) 10 persons by the President, not more than 6 of whom shall be of
   the same major political party.
   
   
   
   (2) 9 persons by the President pro tempore of the Senate, 5 of whom
   shall be appointed on the recommendation of the Majority Leader of the
   Senate and the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the
   Senate, and 4 of whom shall be appointed on the recommendation of the
   Minority Leader of the Senate and the ranking minority member of the
   Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
   
   
   
   (3) 9 persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of
   Representatives, in consultation with the chairman of the Committee on
   the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and 4 of whom shall be
   appointed on the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the House of
   Representatives, in consultation with the ranking member of the
   Committee on the Judiciary.
   
   
   
   (b) Committees and Task Forces .-The Commission shall establish
   committees or task forces from among its members for the examination
   of specific subject areas and the carrying out of other functions or
   responsibilities of the Commission, including committees or task
   forces for the examination of the subject areas of crime and violence
   generally, the causes of the demand for drugs, violence in schools,
   and violence against women, as described in subsections (b) through
   (e) of section 270004.
   
   
   
   (c) Representation .-(1) At least 1 member of the Commission appointed
   by the President, at least 2 members of the Commission appointed by
   the President pro tempore of the Senate, and at least 2 members of the
   Commission appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
   shall be persons well- qualified to participate in the Commission's
   examination of the subject area of crime and violence generally, with
   education, training, expertise, or experience in such areas as law
   enforcement, law, sociology, psychology, social work, and ethnography
   and urban poverty (including health care, housing, education, and
   employment).
   
   
   
   (2) At least 1 member of the Commission appointed by the President, at
   least 2 members of the Commission appointed by the President pro
   tempore of the Senate, and at least 2 members of the Commission
   appointed by the Speaker of the
   
   
   
   House of Representatives shall be persons well-qualified to
   participate in the Commission's examination of the subject area of the
   causes of the demand for drugs, with education, training, expertise,
   or experience in such areas as addiction, biomedicine, sociology,
   psychology, law, and ethnography and urban poverty (including health
   care, housing, education, and employment).
   
   
   
   (3) At least 1 member of the Commission appointed by the President, at
   least 2 members of the Commission appointed by the President pro
   tempore of the Senate, and at least 2 members of the Commission
   appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be
   persons well-qualified to participate in the Commission's examination
   of the subject area of violence in schools, with education, training,
   expertise, or experience in such areas as law nforcement, education,
   school governance policy and teaching, law, sociology, psychology, and
   ethnography and urban poverty (including health care, housing,
   education, and employment).
   
   
   
   (4) At least 1 member of the Commission appointed by the President, at
   least 2 members of the Commission appointed by the President pro
   tempore of the Senate, and at least 2 members of the Commission
   appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be
   persons well-qualified to participate in the Commission's examination
   of the subject area of violence against women, as survivors of
   violence, or as persons with education, training, expertise, or
   experience in such areas as law enforcement, law, judicial
   administration, prosecution, defense, victim services or advocacy in
   sexual assault or domestic violence cases (including medical services
   and counseling), and protection of victims' rights.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270003. PURPOSES.
   
   
   
   The purposes of the Commission are as follows:
   
   
   
   (1) To develop a comprehensive proposal for preventing and controlling
   crime and violence in the United States, including cost estimates for
   implementing any recommendations made by the Commission.
   
   
   
   (2) To bring attention to successful models and programs in crime
   prevention and crime control.
   
   
   
   (3) To reach out beyond the traditional criminal justice community for
   ideas for controlling and preventing crime.
   
   
   
   (4) To recommend improvements in the coordination of local, State,
   Federal, and international crime control and prevention efforts,
   including efforts relating to crime near international borders.
   
   
   
   (5) To make a comprehensive study of the economic and social factors
   leading to or contributing to crime and violence, including the causes
   of illicit drug use and other substance abuse, and to develop specific
   proposals for legislative and administrative actions to reduce crime
   and violence and the factors that contribute to it.
   
   
   
   (6) To recommend means of utilizing criminal justice resources as
   effectively as possible, including targeting finite correctional
   facility space to the most serious and violent offenders, and
   considering increased use of intermediate sanctions for offenders who
   can be dealt with adequately by such means.
   
   
   
   (7) To examine distinctive crime problems and the impact of crime on
   members of minority groups, Indians living on reservations, and other
   groups defined by race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, or other
   characteristics, and to recommend specific responses to the
   distinctive crime problems of such groups.
   
   
   
   (8) To examine the problem of sexual assaults, domestic violence, and
   other criminal and unlawful acts that particularly affect women, and
   to recommend Federal, State, and local strategies for more effectively
   preventing and punishing such crimes and acts.
   
   
   
   (9) To examine the treatment of victims in Federal, State, and local
   criminal justice systems, and to develop recommendations to enhance
   and protect the rights of victims.
   
   
   
   (10) To examine the ability of Federal, State, and local criminal
   justice systems to administer criminal law and criminal sanctions
   impartially without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity,
   religion, gender, or other legally proscribed grounds, and to make
   recommendations for correcting any deficiencies in the impartial
   administration of justice on these grounds.
   
   
   
   (11) To examine the nature, scope, causes, and complexities of
   violence in schools and to recommend a comprehensive response to that
   problem.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270004. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSION.
   
   
   
   (a) In General .-The responsibilities of the Commission shall include
   such study and consultation as may be necessary or appropriate to
   carry out the purposes set forth in section 270003, including the
   specific measures described in subsections (b) through (e) in relation
   to the subject areas addressed in those subsections.
   
   
   
   (b) Crime and Violence Generally .-In addressing the subject of crime
   and violence generally, the activities of the Commission shall include
   the following:
   
   
   
   (1) Reviewing the effectiveness of traditional criminal justice
   approaches in preventing and controlling crime and violence.
   
   
   
   (2) Examining the impact that changes in Federal and State law have
   had in controlling crime and violence.
   
   
   
   (3) Examining the impact of changes in Federal immigration laws and
   policies and increased development and growth along United States
   international borders on crime and violence in the United States,
   particularly among the Nation's youth.
   
   
   
   (4) Examining the problem of youth gangs and providing recommendations
   as to how to reduce youth involvement in violent crime.
   
   
   
   (5) Examining the extent to which the use of dangerous weapons in the
   commission of crime has contributed to violence and murder in the
   United States.
   
   
   
   (6) Convening field hearings in various regions of the country to
   receive testimony from a cross section of criminal justice
   professionals, business leaders, elected officials, medical doctors,
   and other persons who wish to
   
   
   
   participate.
   
   
   
   (7) Reviewing all segments of the Nation's criminal justice systems,
   including the law enforcement, prosecution, defense, judicial, and
   corrections components in developing the crime control and prevention
   proposal.
   
   
   
   (c) Causes of the Demand for Drugs .-In addressing the subject of the
   causes of the demand for drugs, the activities of the Commission shall
   include the following:
   
   
   
   (1) Examining the root causes of illicit drug use and abuse in the
   United States, including by compiling existing research regarding
   those root causes, and including consideration of the following
   factors:
   
   
   
   (A) The characteristics of potential illicit drug users and abusers or
   drug traffickers, including age and social, economic, and educational
   backgrounds.
   
   
   
   (B) Environmental factors that contribute to illicit drug use and
   abuse, including the correlation between unemployment, poverty, and
   homelessness and drug experimentation and abuse.
   
   
   
   (C) The effects of substance use and abuse by a relative or friend in
   contributing to the likelihood and desire of an individual to
   experiment with illicit drugs.
   
   
   
   (D) Aspects of, and changes in cultural values, attitudes and
   traditions that contribute to illicit drug use and abuse.
   
   
   
   (E) The physiological and psychological factors that contribute to the
   desire for illicit drugs.
   
   
   
   (2) Evaluating Federal, State, and local laws and policies on the
   prevention of drug abuse, control of unlawful production, distribution
   and use of controlled substances, and the efficacy of sentencing
   policies with regard to those laws.
   
   
   
   (3) Analyzing the allocation of resources among interdiction of
   controlled substances entering the United States, enforcement of
   Federal laws relating to the unlawful production, distribution, and
   use of controlled substances, education with regard to and the
   prevention of the unlawful use of controlled substances, and treatment
   and rehabilitation of drug abusers.
   
   
   
   (4) Analyzing current treatment and rehabilitation methods and making
   recommendations for improvements.
   
   
   
   (5) Identifying any existing gaps in drug abuse policy that result
   from the lack of attention to the root causes of drug abuse. [*H8852]
   
   
   
   (6) Assessing the needs of government at all levels for resources and
   policies for reducing the overall desire of individuals to experiment
   with and abuse illicit drugs.
   
   
   
   (7) Making recommendations regarding necessary improvements in
   policies for reducing the use of illicit drugs in the United States.
   
   
   
   (d) Violence in Schools .-In addressing the subject of violence in
   schools, the activities of the Commission shall include the following:
   
   
   
   
   (1) Defining the causes of violence in schools.
   
   
   
   (2) Defining the scope of the national problem of violence in schools.
   
   
   
   
   (3) Providing statistics and data on the problem of violence in
   schools on a State-by-State basis.
   
   
   
   (4) Investigating the problem of youth gangs and their relation to
   violence in schools and providing recommendations on how to reduce
   youth involvement in violent crime in schools.
   
   
   
   (5) Examining the extent to which dangerous weapons have contributed
   to violence and murder in schools.
   
   
   
   (6) Exploring the extent to which the school environment has
   contributed to violence in schools.
   
   
   
   (7) Reviewing the effectiveness of current approaches in preventing
   violence in schools.
   
   
   
   (e) Violence Against Women .-In addressing the subject of sexual
   assault, domestic violence, and other criminal and unlawful acts that
   particularly affect women, the activities of the Commission shall
   include the following:
   
   
   
   (1) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding,
   current law enforcement efforts at the Federal, State, and local
   levels to reduce the incidence of such crimes and acts, and to punish
   those responsible for such crimes and acts.
   
   
   
   (2) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding,
   the responsiveness of prosecutors and courts to such crimes and acts.
   
   
   
   (3) Evaluating the adequacy of rules of evidence, practice, and
   procedure to ensure the effective prosecution and conviction of
   perpetrators of such crimes and acts and to protect victims of such
   crimes and acts from abuse in legal proceedings, making
   recommendations, where necessary, to improve those rules.
   
   
   
   (4) Evaluating the adequacy of pretrial release, sentencing,
   incarceration, and post-conviction release in relation to such crimes
   and acts.
   
   
   
   (5) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding,
   the adequacy of Federal and State laws on sexual assault and the need
   for a more uniform statutory response to sex offenses, including
   sexual assaults and other sex offenses committed by offenders who are
   known or related by blood or marriage to the victim.
   
   
   
   (6) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding,
   the adequacy of Federal and State laws on domestic violence and the
   need for a more uniform statutory response to domestic violence.
   
   
   
   (7) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding,
   the adequacy of current education, prevention, and protective services
   for victims
   
   
   
   of such crimes and acts.
   
   
   
   (8) Assessing the issuance, formulation, and enforcement of protective
   orders, whether or not related to a criminal proceeding, and making
   recommendations for their more effective use in domestic violence and
   stalking cases.
   
   
   
   (9) Assessing the problem of stalking and recommending effective means
   of response to the problem.
   
   
   
   (10) Evaluating the adequacy of, and making recommendations regarding,
   programs for public awareness and public dissemination of information
   to prevent such crimes and acts.
   
   
   
   (11) Evaluating the treatment of victims of such crimes and acts in
   Federal, State, and local criminal justice systems, and making
   recommendations designed to improve such treatment.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270005. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.
   
   
   
   (a) Chair .-The President shall designate a member of the Commission
   to chair the Commission.
   
   
   
   (b) No Additional Pay or Benefits; Per Diem .-Members of the
   Commission shall receive no pay or benefits by reason of their service
   on the Commission, but shall receive travel expenses, including per
   diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of
   agencies under sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
   
   
   
   (c) Vacancies .-Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled in the
   same manner as initial appointments.
   
   
   
   (d) Meetings Open to the Public .-The Commission shall be considered
   to be an agency for the purposes of section 552b of title 5, United
   States Code, relating to the requirement that meetings of Federal
   agencies be open to the public.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270006. STAFF AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
   
   
   
   (a) Director .-With the approval of the Commission, the chairperson
   shall appoint a staff director for the Commission.
   
   
   
   (b) Staff .-With the approval of the Commission, the staff director
   may appoint and fix the compensation of staff personnel for the
   Commission.
   
   
   
   (c) Civil Service Laws .-The staff of the Commission shall be
   appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States
   Code, governing appointments in the competitive service. Staff
   compensation may be set without regard to the provisions of chapter 51
   and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to
   classification and General Schedule pay rates, but in no event shall
   any such personnel be compensated at a rate greater than the rate of
   basic pay for level ES-4 of the Senior Executive Service Schedule
   under section 5382 of that title. The staff director shall be paid at
   a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay for level V of the
   Executive Schedule.
   
   
   
   (d) Consultants.- With the approval of the Commission, the staff
   director may procure temporary and intermittent services under section
   3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
   
   
   
   (e) Staff of Federal Agencies .-Upon the request of the Commission,
   the head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis,
   personnel of that agency to the Commission to assist in carrying out
   its duties.
   
   
   
   (f) Physical Facilities .-The Administrator of the General Service
   Administration shall provide suitable office space for the operation
   of the Commission. The facilities shall serve as the headquarters of
   the Commission and shall include all necessary equipment and
   incidentals required for proper functioning.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270007. POWERS.
   
   
   
   (a) Hearings .-For the purposes of carrying out this title, the
   Commission may conduct such hearings, sit and act at such times and
   places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence, as the
   Commission considers appropriate. The Commission may administer oaths
   before the Commission.
   
   
   
   (b) Delegation .-Any committee, task force, member, or agent, of the
   Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action that
   the Commission is authorized to take under this title.
   
   
   
   (c) Access to Information .-The Commission may request directly from
   any Federal agency or entity in the executive or legislative branch
   such information as is needed to carry out its functions.
   
   
   
   (d) Mail .-The Commission may use the United States mails in the same
   manner and under the same conditions as other Federal agencies.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270008. REPORT; TERMINATION.
   
   
   
   Not later than 2 years after the date on which the Commission is fully
   constituted under section 270001, the Commission shall submit a
   detailed report to the Congress and the President containing its
   findings and recommendations. The Commission shall terminate 30 days
   after the submission of its report.
   
   
   
   SEC. 270009. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
   
   
   
   There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title-
   
   
   
   (1) $ 1,000,000 for fiscal year 1996.

