Commission on Affordable Health Care Act of 2008 - Establishes in the legislative branch the Commission on Affordable Health Care to: (1) conduct a comprehensive study of potential models for a health care system to provide affordable and quality health care to all U.S. citizens; and (2) make recommendations for implementing such a system. Requires the Commission to report to Congress on the study and include a legislative proposal that provides for a health care system based on the recommendations of the Commission. Provides for expedited congressional consideration of such a proposal.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 6319 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6319
To establish the Commission on Affordable Health Care to study and
provide recommendations for establishing a health care system to
provide affordable health care to all citizens of the United States and
for the roles of certain health care entities in providing such
services under such system, and to provide for expedited Congressional
consideration of such recommendations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 19, 2008
Mr. Hill introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on
Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Commission on Affordable Health Care to study and
provide recommendations for establishing a health care system to
provide affordable health care to all citizens of the United States and
for the roles of certain health care entities in providing such
services under such system, and to provide for expedited Congressional
consideration of such recommendations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Commission on Affordable Health Care
Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE.
(a) Establishment of Commission.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established in the legislative
branch a commission to be known as the ``Commission on
Affordable Health Care'' (in this section referred to as the
``Commission'').
(2) Duties.--The Commission shall conduct a comprehensive
study of potential models for a health care system to provide
affordable (as determined by the Commission) and quality health
care to all citizens of the United States and based on such
study shall make recommendations for implementing such a
system, including recommendations for the role of and
relationships between the Federal government, State
governments, health care providers, and other appropriate
health care industry entities in providing such health care
under such a system.
(3) Applicability of certain administrative laws.--
(A) FOIA.--The provisions of section 552 of title
5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the
``Freedom of Information Act''), shall apply to the
activities of the Commission under this section.
(B) Federal records act.--The provisions of title
44, United States Code, shall apply to the records,
documents, and other papers of the Commission under
this section.
(b) Structure and Membership of the Commission.--
(1) Number and appointment.--The Commission shall be
composed of not more than 19 members and shall include at least
the following:
(A) The Chairman of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives.
(B) The Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means
of the House of Representatives.
(C) The Chairman of the Committee on Finance of the
Senate.
(D) The Chairman of the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate.
(E) One representative for each of the following
interested entities:
(i) Patient advocates.
(ii) Hospitals.
(iii) Physicians.
(iv) Medical devices.
(v) Pharmaceutical companies.
(vi) Nurses.
(vii) The National Governors Association.
(viii) The Department of Health and Human
Services.
(ix) The White House.
(x) Labor unions.
(xi) The Chamber of Commerce.
(xii) Any other appropriate interested
entity identified by the co-chairmen of the
Commission.
(2) Co-chairmen of the commission.--The co-chairmen of the
Commission shall include only each chairman described in each
of subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1).
(3) Continuation of membership.--If a member was appointed
to the Commission as a Member of Congress and the member ceases
to be a Member of Congress, or was appointed to the Commission
because the member was not an officer or employee of any
government and later becomes an officer or employee of a
government, that member may continue as a member for not longer
than the 60-day period beginning on the date that member ceases
to be a Member of Congress, or becomes such an officer or
employee, as the case may be.
(4) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not
affect its powers, and shall be filled in the same manner in
which the original appointment was made.
(5) Basic pay.--
(A) Rates of pay.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), members shall serve without pay.
(B) Travel expenses.--Each member shall receive
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United
States Code.
(6) Quorum.--Seven members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum.
(c) Meetings.--
(1) Initial meeting of co-chairmen of commission.--Not
later than the date that is 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the co-chairmen of the Commission shall
initially meet to--
(A) identify any appropriate interested party to be
included under subsection (b)(1)(E)(ix); and
(B) establish appropriate rules and procedures for
the Commission, including a rule requiring that each
member of the Commission who represents an entity
described in subsection (b)(1)(E) prepare for the
Commission a written proposal that describes the
proposed role of the entity involved in a health system
to ensure the provision of affordable health care under
such system to all citizens of the United States.
(2) General meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the
call of a majority of the co-chairmen of the Commission.
(d) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Commission may appoint any employee
pursuant to section 3161(b) of title 5, United States Code. The
rate of basic pay for such an employee shall be established
pursuant to section 3161(d)(1) of that title.
(2) Experts and consultants.--The Commission may procure
temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not
to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate of
basic pay for GS-3 of the General Schedule.
(3) Staff of federal agencies.--Upon request of the
Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency may
detail any of the personnel of that department or agency to the
Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this
section.
(e) Powers of the Commission.--
(1) Hearings and session.--The Commission may, for the
purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings, sit and
act at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence
as the Commission considers appropriate.
(2) Powers of members and agents.--Any member or agent of
the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any
action which the Commission is authorized to take by this
section.
(3) Obtaining official data.--The Commission may secure
directly from any department or agency of the United States
information necessary to enable it to carry out this section.
Upon request of the Commission, the head of that department or
agency shall furnish that information to the Commission.
(4) Gifts, bequests, and devises.--The Commission may
accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of
services or property, both real and personal, for the purpose
of aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission. Gifts,
bequests, or devises of money and proceeds from sales of other
property received as gifts, bequests, or devises shall be
deposited in the Treasury and shall be available for
disbursement upon order of the Commission.
(5) 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 States.
(6) Administrative support services.--Upon the request of
the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall
provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the
administrative support services necessary for the Commission to
carry out its responsibilities under this section.
(f) Report; Legislative Proposal.--Not later than two years after
the date of the initial meeting of the co-chairmen of the Commission
described in subsection (c)(1), the Commission shall submit to Congress
a report on the study described in subsection (a)(2) that contains--
(1) a detailed statement of the findings, conclusions, and
recommendations of the Commission, including such
recommendations described in such paragraph; and
(2) a legislative proposal that provides for a health care
system based on the recommendations of the Commission.
(g) Termination.--The Commission, and all the authorities of this
Act, shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the report is
submitted under subsection (f).
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
SEC. 3. EXPEDITED CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL
FOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
(a) Introduction and Expedited Consideration in the House of
Representatives.--
(1) Introduction in house of representatives.--The
legislative proposal submitted pursuant to section 2(f)(2)
shall be in the form of a joint resolution (in this subsection
referred to as the ``resolution''). Such resolution shall be
introduced in the House of Representatives by the Speaker
immediately upon receipt of the language and shall be referred
non-sequentially to the appropriate committee (or committees)
of the House of Representatives. If the resolution is not
introduced in accordance with the preceding sentence, the
resolution may be introduced by any member of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Committee consideration.--Not later than 15 calendar
days after the introduction of the resolution described in
paragraph (1), each committee of the House of Representatives
to which the resolution was referred shall report the
resolution. The report may include, at the committee's
discretion, a recommendation for action by the House. If a
committee has not reported such resolution (or an identical
resolution) at the end of 15 calendar days after its
introduction or at the end of the first day after there has
been reported to the House a resolution, whichever is earlier,
such committee shall be deemed to be discharged from further
consideration of such resolution and such resolution shall be
placed on the appropriate calendar of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Expedited procedure in house.--Not later than 5
legislative days after the date on which all committees have
been discharged from consideration of a resolution, the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, or the Speaker's designee,
shall move to proceed to the consideration of the resolution.
It shall also be in order for any member of the House of
Representatives to move to proceed to the consideration of the
resolution at any time after the conclusion of such 5-day
period. All points of order against the resolution (and against
consideration of the resolution) are waived. A motion to
proceed to the consideration of the resolution is highly
privileged in the House of Representatives and is not
debatable. The motion is not subject to amendment, to a motion
to postpone consideration of the resolution, or to a motion to
proceed to the consideration of other business. A motion to
reconsider the vote by which the motion to proceed is agreed to
or not agreed to shall not be in order. If the motion to
proceed is agreed to, the House of Representatives shall
immediately proceed to consideration of the resolution without
intervening motion, order, or other business, and the
resolution shall remain the unfinished business of the House of
Representatives until disposed of. A motion to recommit the
resolution shall not be in order. Upon its passage in the
House, the clerk of the House shall provide for its immediate
transmittal to the Senate.
(b) Expedited Consideration in the Senate.--
(1) Referral to committee.--If the resolution is agreed to
by the House of Representatives, upon its receipt in the Senate
the Majority Leader of the Senate, or the Leader's designee,
the resolution shall be referred to the appropriate committee
(or committees) of the Senate.
(2) Committee consideration.--Not later than 15 calendar
days after the referral of the resolution under paragraph (1),
each committee of the Senate to which the resolution was
referred shall report the resolution. The report may include,
at each such committee's discretion, a recommendation for
action by the Senate. If a committee has not reported such
resolution (or an identical resolution) at the end of 15
calendar days after its referral or at the end of the first day
after there has been reported to the Senate a resolution,
whichever is earlier, such committee shall be deemed to be
discharged from further consideration of such resolution and
such resolution shall be placed on the appropriate calendar of
the Senate.
(3) Expedited floor consideration.--Not later than 5
legislative days after the date on which all committees have
been discharged from consideration of a resolution, the
Majority Leader of the Senate, or the Majority Leader's
designee, shall move to proceed to the consideration of the
resolution. It shall also be in order for any member of the
Senate to move to proceed to the consideration of the
resolution at any time after the conclusion of such 5-day
period. All points of order against the resolution (and against
consideration of the resolution) are waived. A motion to
proceed to the consideration of the resolution in the Senate is
privileged and is not debatable. The motion is not subject to
amendment, to a motion to postpone consideration of the
resolution, or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of
other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the
motion to proceed is agreed to or not agreed to shall not be in
order. If the motion to proceed is agreed to, the Senate shall
immediately proceed to consideration of the resolution without
intervening motion, order, or other business, and the
resolution shall remain the unfinished business of the Senate
until disposed of.
(c) Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives.--This section
is enacted by Congress--
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate
and House of Representatives, respectively, and is deemed to be
part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable
only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that House
in the case of a resolution under this subsection, and it
supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is
inconsistent with such rules; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of
either House to change the rules (so far as they relate to the
procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and
to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that
House.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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