§7993. Commission on application of payment limitations
(a) Establishment
There is established a commission to be known as the "Commission on the Application of Payment Limitations for Agriculture" (referred to in this section as the "Commission").
(b) Duties
The Commission shall conduct a study on the potential impacts of further payment limitations on the receipt of direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, and marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments on-
(1) farm income;
(2) land values;
(3) rural communities;
(4) agribusiness infrastructure;
(5) planting decisions of producers affected; and
(6) supply and prices of covered commodities, loan commodities, specialty crops (including fruits and vegetables), and other agricultural commodities.
(c) Membership
(1) Composition
The Commission shall be composed of 10 members as follows:
(A) 3 members appointed by the Secretary.
(B) 3 members appointed by the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
(C) 3 members appointed by the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives.
(D) The Chief Economist of the Department of Agriculture.
(2) Federal Government employment
The membership of the Commission may include 1 or more employees of the Department of Agriculture or other Federal agencies.
(3) Date of appointments
The appointment of a member of the Commission shall be made not later than 60 days after May 13, 2002.
(4) Term; vacancies
(A) Term
A member shall be appointed for the life of the Commission.
(B) Vacancies
A vacancy on the Commission-
(i) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; and
(ii) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.
(5) Initial meeting
Not later than 30 days after the date on which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall hold the initial meeting of the Commission.
(d) Quorum
A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
(e) Chairperson
The Secretary shall appoint 1 of the members of the Commission to serve as Chairperson of the Commission.
(f) Report
Not later than 1 year after May 13, 2002, the Commission shall submit to the President, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report containing the results of the study required by subsection (b) of this section, including such recommendations as the Commission considers appropriate.
(g) Hearings
The Commission may hold such hearings, meet and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission considers advisable to carry out this section.
(h) Information from Federal agencies
The Commission may secure directly from a Federal agency such information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out this section. On request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of the agency shall provide the information to the Commission.
(i) Postal services
The Commission may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other agencies of the Federal Government.
(j) Assistance from Secretary
The Secretary may provide to the Commission appropriate office space and such reasonable administrative and support services as the Commission may request.
(k) Compensation of members
(1) Non-Federal employees
A member of the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5 for each day (including travel time) during which the member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Commission.
(2) Federal employees
A member of the Commission who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall serve without compensation in addition to the compensation received for the services of the member as an officer or employee of the Federal Government.
(3) Travel expenses
A member of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away from the home or regular place of business of the member in the performance of the duties of the Commission.
(l) Federal Advisory Committee Act
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Commission or any proceeding of the Commission.
(
References in Text
The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in (l), is