(b) Membership
(1) The Commission shall consist of
(A) 12 members to be appointed by the President,
(B) 12 members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
(C) 12 members to be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
(2) The President, the Speaker, and the President pro tempore shall each appoint as members of the Commission
(A) 4 individuals who
(i) are representatives of organizations providing services to children,
(ii) are involved in activities on behalf of children, or
(iii) have engaged in academic research with respect to the problems and needs of children,
(B) 4 individuals who are elected or appointed public officials (at the Federal, State, or local level) involved in issues and programs relating to children, and
(C) 4 individuals who are parents or representatives of parents or parents organizations.
(3) The appointments made pursuant to subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1) shall be made in consultation with the chairmen of committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, having jurisdiction over relevant Federal programs.
(c) Duties and functions of Commission; public hearings in different geographical areas; broad spectrum of witnesses and testimony
(1) It shall be the duty and function of the Commission to serve as a forum on behalf of the children of the Nation and to conduct the studies and issue the report required by subsection (d) of this section.
(2) The Commission (and any committees that it may form) shall conduct public hearings in different geographic areas of the country, both urban and rural, in order to receive the views of a broad spectrum of the public on the status of the Nations children and on ways to safeguard and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of all of the children of the Nation, including those with physical or mental disabilities, and others whose circumstances deny them a full share of the opportunities that parents of the Nation may rightfully expect for their children.
(3) The Commission shall receive testimony from individuals, and from representatives of public and private organizations and institutions with an interest in the welfare of children, including educators, health care professionals, religious leaders, providers of social services, representatives of organizations with children as members, elected and appointed public officials, and from parents and children speaking in their own behalf.
(d) Interim and final report to President and Congress; recommendations The Commission shall submit to the President, and to the Committees on Finance and Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, an interim report no later than March 31, 1990, and a final report no later than March 31, 1991, setting forth recommendations with respect to the following subjects:
(1) Questions relating to the health of children that the Commission shall address include
(A) how to reduce infant mortality,
(B) how to reduce the number of low-birth-weight babies,
(C) how to reduce the number of children with chronic illnesses and disabilities,
(D) how to improve the nutrition of children,
(E) how to promote the physical fitness of children,
(F) how to ensure that pregnant women receive adequate prenatal care,
(G) how to ensure that all children have access to both preventive and acute care health services, and
(H) how to improve the quality and availability of health care for children.
(2) Questions relating to social and support services for children and their parents that the Commission shall address include
(A) how to prevent and treat child neglect and abuse,
(B) how to provide help to parents who seek assistance in meeting the problems of their children,
(C) how to provide counseling services for children,
(D) how to strengthen the family unit,
(E) how children can be assured of adequate care while their parents are working or participating in education or training programs,
(F) how to improve foster care and adoption services,
(G) how to reduce drug and alcohol abuse by children and youths, and
(H) how to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy.
(3) Questions relating to education that the Commission shall address include
(A) how to encourage academic excellence for all children at all levels of education,
(B) how to use preschool experiences to enhance educational achievement,
(C) how to improve the qualifications of teachers,
(D) how schools can better prepare the Nations youth to compete in the labor market,
(E) how parents and schools can work together to help children achieve success at each step of the academic ladder,
(F) how to encourage teenagers to complete high
school and remain in
school to fulfill their academic potential,
(G) how to address the problems of drug and alcohol abuse by young people,
(H) how schools might lend support to efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy, and
(I) how schools might better meet the special needs of children who have physical or mental handicaps.
(4) Questions relating to income security that the Commission shall address include
(A) how to reduce poverty among children,
(B) how to ensure that parents support their children to the fullest extent possible through improved child support collection services, including services on behalf of children whose parents are unmarried, and
(C) how to ensure that cash assistance to needy children is adequate.
(5) Questions relating to tax policy that the Commission shall address include
(A) how to assure the equitable tax treatment of families with children,
(B) the effect of existing tax provisions, including the dependent care tax credit, the earned income tax credit, and the targeted jobs tax credit, on children living in poverty,
(C) whether the dependent care tax credit should be refundable and the effect of such a policy,
(D) whether the earned income tax credit should be adjusted for family size and the effect of such a policy, and
(E) whether there are other tax-related policies which would reduce poverty among children.
(6) In addition to addressing the questions specified in paragraphs (1) through (5), the Commission shall
(A) seek to identify ways in which public and private organizations and institutions can work together at the community level to identify deficiencies in existing services for families and children and to develop recommendations to ensure that the needs of families and children are met, using all available resources, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner, and
(B) assess the existing capacities of agencies to collect and analyze data on the status of children and on relevant programs, identify gaps in the data collection system, and recommend ways to improve the collection of data and the coordination among agencies in the collection and utilization of data.
The reports required by this subsection shall be based upon the testimony received in the hearings conducted pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, and upon other data and findings developed by the Commission.
(e) Time of appointment of members; vacancies; election of Chairman; quorum; calling of meetings; number of meetings; voting; compensation and expenses
(1)
(A) Members of the Commission shall first be appointed not later than 60 days after December 22, 1987, for terms ending on March 31, 1991.
(B) A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the vacant position was first filled.
(2) The Commission shall elect one of its members to serve as Chairman of the Commission. The Chairman shall be a nonvoting member of the Commission.
(3) A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(4)
(A) The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairman, or at the call of a majority of the members of the Commission.
(B) The Commission shall meet not less than 4 times during the period beginning with December 22, 1987, and ending with March 31, 1991.
(5) Decisions of the Commission shall be according to the vote of a simple majority of those present and voting at a properly called meeting.
(6) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the Commission.
(k) Donations accepted and deposited in Treasury in separate fund; expenditures; gift or bequest to or for use of United States
(1) The Commission is authorized to accept
donations of money, property, or personal services. Funds received from
donations shall be deposited in the Treasury in a separate fund created for this purpose. Funds appropriated for the Commission and donated funds may be expended for such purposes as official reception and representation expenses, public surveys, public service announcements, preparation of special papers, analyses, and documentaries, and for such other purposes as determined by the Commission to be in furtherance of its mission to review national issues affecting children.
(2) For purposes of Federal income, estate, and gift taxation, money and other property accepted under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be considered as a gift or bequest to or for the use of the United States.
(3) Expenditure of appropriated and donated funds shall be subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted by the Commission and shall not be subject to Federal procurement requirements.
