111TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1887
To establish a Presidential Commission on Women, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ms. SPEIER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Presidential Commis

5 sion on Women Act of 2009’’.
6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
7 There is established a commission to be known as the
8 ‘‘Presidential Commission on Women’’ (hereinafter in this
9 Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).

2

1 SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND POLICY.
2 Congress makes the following findings and statement
3 of policy:
4 (1) It is the role of Government to examine the
5 circumstances that contribute to discrimination, in

6 equality, and economic hardship faced by women
7 throughout the country.
8 (2) It is the role of Government to establish ini9
tiatives and programs that promote equality for
10 women, and protect against discrimination of
11 women, in all areas of public and private life.
12 (3) Women in our country continue to face in

13 equalities and discrimination in many areas of public
14 and private life, including but not limited to these
15 examples:

16 (A) The United States ranks 71st in the
17 world in the number of women in elected office.
18 In 2009, women make up 17 percent of Con

19 gress and 24 percent of state legislative office

20 holders. Women of color make up 4 percent of
21 Congress and 2 percent of state legislative of

22 fice-holders.
23 (B) Women earn 77 cents on the dollar
24 compared to men. African American women
25 earn 69 cents on the dollar compared to men.
26 Latinas earn 59 cents compared to men.

3

1 (C) Of workers earning minimum wage, 68
2 percent are women. Of workers earning less
3 than the minimum wage, 69 percent are
4 women. Nineteen percent of women, as com

5 pared to 10 percent of men, have annual family
6 incomes of less than $19,000. Of Fortune 500
7 CEOs, 2 percent are women.
8 (D) With only 76 percent of women in the
9 labor force, the United States ranks sixth from
10 the bottom among industrialized nations.
11 Among college-educated women, the United
12 States ranks last among industrialized nations.
13 (E) While 57 percent of men are employed
14 full-time, only 38 percent of women are em

15 ployed full-time. Eight out of ten single-parent
16 families are headed by women; 28 percent of
17 people living in female-headed households are
18 living below the poverty line.
19 (F) There is a continuing decline in moth

20 ers’ employment largely due to a lack of sup

21 port for working parents, such as sufficient
22 paid time off, subsidized child care, or flexible
23 working arrangements. There is also discrimi

24 nation in the labor market specifically against
25 mothers as well as weakness on the demand

4

1 side of the labor market in areas that have tra

2 ditionally employed large numbers of women.
3 (G) One in every four women will experi

4 ence domestic violence in her lifetime. Eighty

5 five percent of domestic violence victims are
6 women. The cost of intimate partner violence
7 exceeds $5.8 billion each year, $4.1 billion of
8 which is for direct medical and mental health
9 services.
10 (H) Eighteen percent of women in the
11 United States do not have health insurance; 36
12 percent of American-Indian/Native Alaskan
13 women are uninsured; 38 percent of Hispanic
14 women do not have health insurance.
15 (I) Women of color are disproportionately
16 affected by the inequalities women face.
17 (J) Gender bias and discrimination remain
18 pervasive in almost all aspects of our culture,
19 including but not limited to the media, family
20 life, the workplace, sports, education, health
21 care, the military, entertainment, and financial
22 matters.
23 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
24 (a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Commission shall hold
25 meetings and hearings to—

1 (1) review the status of women nationwide, and
2 the progress made since the establishment of the
3 President’s Commission on the Status of Women in
4 1961;
5 (2) review the role of the Federal Government
6 in aid to, and the promotion of women; and
7 (3) review data collection procedures with re

8 gard to women Federal initiatives and procurement,
9 with a view toward recommending improvements.
10 (b) CONFERENCE.—The Commission shall, in coordi

11nation with the White House Council on Women and
12 Girls, hold a conference (hereinafter in this Act referred
13 to as the Conference) to assist in the review required by
14 subsection (a).
15 (c) RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRED.—Based on the
16 review required by subsection (a), the Commission shall
17 make recommendations to the President and Congress and
18 conduct oversight of implementation.
19 SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.
20 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be com

21 posed of 15 members appointed as follows:
22 (1) Four members appointed by the President.
23 (2) Three members appointed by the Speaker of
24 the House of Representatives and two members ap

25 pointed by the minority leader.

6

1 (3) Three members appointed by the majority
2 leader of the Senate and two members appointed by
3 the minority leader.
4 (4) The director of the White House Council on
5 Women and Girls, who shall serve ex officio.
6 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.—Appointments under sub

7 section paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a) shall
8 be made from individuals who are specially qualified to
9 serve on the Commission by virtue of their education,
10 training, or experience, and who are not officers or em

11 ployees of the Government or Members of Congress.
12 (c) REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT OF YOUNG
13 WOMEN.—Of the individuals appointed by President
14 under paragraph (1), the Speaker of the House of Rep

15 resentatives under paragraph (2), and the majority leader
16 of the Senate under paragraph (3) of subsection (a), at
17 least one member appointed under each paragraph shall
18 be a young woman between the ages of 18–24.
19 (d) GEOGRAPHICAL BALANCE.—In making the ap

20 pointments under subsection (a), the appointing authori

21 ties should give consideration to achieving a geographical
22 balance.
23 (e) TERM.—Members shall be appointed for 5 years
24 of the Commission, except that, if any member of the
25 Commission becomes an officer or employee of the Federal

7

1 Government or a Member of Congress, such individual
2 may continue as a member of the Commission for not
3 longer than the 30-day period beginning on the date such
4 individual becomes such an officer or employee or Member
5 of Congress.
6 (f) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall
7 be filled in the manner in which the original appointment
8 was made.
9 (g) PAY.—Members of the Commission shall serve
10 without pay, except members of the Commission shall be
11 entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and
12 other necessary expenses incurred by them in carrying out
13 the functions of the Commission, in the same manner as
14 persons employed intermittently in the Federal Govern

15 ment are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5,
16 United States Code.
17 (h) QUORUM.—Eight members of the Commission
18 shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold
19 hearings.
20 (i) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The
21 Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Commission
22 shall be designated by the President. The term of office
23 of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be 5 years
24 of the Commission.

8

1 (j) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet not less
2 than 4 times nor more than 6 times each year. Meetings
3 shall be at the call of a majority of its members.
4 SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF THE COMMISSION.
5 (a) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.—(1) The Commission
6 shall have a Director who shall be appointed by the Com

7 mission. The Commission, with the recommendation of the
8 Director, may appoint and fix the pay of 4 additional per

9 sonnel.
10 (2) The Director and staff of the Commission may
11 be appointed without regard to section 5311(b) of title 5,
12 United States Code, and without regard to the provisions
13 of such title governing appointments in the competitive
14 service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions
15 of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such
16 title relating to classification and General Schedule pay
17 rates, except that no individual so appointed may receive
18 pay in excess of the annual rate of basic pay payable for
19 GS-18 of the General Schedule.
20 (b) SERVICES.—The Commission may procure tem

21 porary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of
22 title 5 of the Unites States Code, but at rates for individ

23 uals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum
24 annual rate of basic pay payable for GS-18 of the General
25 Schedule.

9

1 (c) DETAILS.—Upon request of the Commission, the
2 head of any department or agency may detail, on a reim

3 bursable basis, any of the personnel of such agency to the
4 Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out its
5 duties under this Act.
6 SEC. 7. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may, for the
8 purpose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit
9 and act at such times and places, take such testimony,
10 and receive such evidence, as the Commission considers
11 appropriate.
12 (b) DELEGATION.—Any member or agent of the
13 Commission may, if so authorized by the Commission,
14 take any action which the Commission is authorized to
15 take by this section.
16 (c) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—The Commission
17 may secure directly from any department or agency of the
18 United States information necessary to enable it to carry
19 out this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Com

20 mission, the head of such department or agency shall fur

21 nish such information to the Commission.
22 (d) USE OF MAILS.—The Commission may use the
23 United States mails in the same manner and under the
24 same conditions as other departments and agencies of the
25 United States.

10

1 (e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Administrator
2 of General Services shall provide to the Commission on
3 a reimbursable basis such administrative support services
4 as the Commission may request.
5 SEC. 8. CONFERENCE AND CONFERENCE DELEGATES.
6 The Commission in coordination with the White
7 House Council on Women and Girls shall convene a con

8 ference of delegates invited by the Commission, who shall
9 be fairly balanced and diverse in terms of geography and
10 ethnicity without regard to political affiliation or past par

11 tisan activity, who shall include—
12 (1) the directors of commissions for women of
13 the States and local levels of government;
14 (2) elected officials of State and local govern

15 ments;
16 (3) advocates for women at colleges and univer

17 sities; and
18 (4) representatives of nonprofit organizations
19 and community-based organizations.
20 SEC. 9. CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION.
21 (a) ADMINISTRATION.—In conducting and planning
22 the Conference, the Commission and the  White House
23 Council on Women and Girls shall—

11

1 (1) request the cooperation and assistance of
2 the heads of such other Federal entities as may be
3 appropriate, including the detailing of personnel;
4 (2) prepare and make available appropriate
5 background materials for the use of delegates to the
6 Conference;
7 (3) employ such personnel, in addition to those
8 appointed under section 6 and without regard to
9 provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing
10 appointments in the competitive service, and without
11 regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter
12 53 of such title, relating to classification and Gen

13 eral Schedule pay rates;
14 (4) ensure that the proposed agenda for the
15 Conference is—
16 (A) published in the Federal Register not
17 less than 180 days before the Conference is
18 convened; and
19 (B) made available for public comment for
20 a period of not less than 60 days;
21 (5) ensure that the final agenda for the Con

22 ference, prepared after the Commission and the
23 White House Council on Women and Girls takes
24 into consideration comments received under para

25 graph (4), is published in the Federal Register, and

12

1 transmitted to the chief executive officers of the
2 States, not later than 30 days after the close of the
3 public comment period required by that paragraph;
4 (6) ensure that the personnel employed are fair

5 ly balanced in terms of their points of view with re

6 spect to women and are appointed without regard to
7 political affiliation or past partisan activity;
8 (7) the recommendations of the Conference are
9 not inappropriately influenced by any public official
10 or special interest, but instead are the result of the
11 independent and collective judgment of the delegates
12 of the Conference; and
13 (8) ensure that before the Conference is con

14 vened—
15 (A) current and adequate statistical data
16 (including decennial census data) and other in
17 formation on the well-being of Women in the
18 United States; and
19 (B) such information as may be necessary
20 to evaluate Federal programs and policies relat

21 ing to Women; which the Commission may ob

22 tain by making grants to or entering into agree

23 ments with, public agencies or nonprofit organi

24 zations, are readily available in advance of the
25 Conference to the delegates.

13

1 SEC. 10. REPORTS.
2 The Commission shall transmit to the President and
3 to Congress a first report no later than 2 years after the
4 date of the Commission’s first meeting. That report shall
5 include a statement of the Commission’s objectives and
6 goals for the remainder of the Commission’s work. There

7 after the Commission shall report annually. Each of those
8 annual reports shall contain a statement of any findings
9 and conclusions of the Commission, together with its rec

10 ommendations for such legislation and administrative ac

11 tions as it considers appropriate.
12 SEC. 11. DEFINITION.
13 In this Act, the term ‘‘State’’ means any of the sev

14 eral States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth
15 of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United
16 States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the
17 Northern Mariana Islands.
18 SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
19 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro

20 priated $2,000,000.00 to carry out this Act in each of fis

21 cal years 2011 through 2015.
22 (b) LIMITATION ON APPROPRIATIONS.—Authority
23 provided in this Act to make expenditures or to enter into
24 contracts under which the United States is obligated to
25 make outlays shall be effective only to the extent that

14

1 amounts are provided, and only to the extent of the
2 amounts provided, in advance in appropriations Acts.