article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee Act''. SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES PROTECTION AND RESTORATION COMMITTEE. (a) Establishment.--There is established a committee to be known as the ``Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee'' (hereinafter referred to in this section as the ``Committee''). (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Committee is to conduct a study and report on programs established and carried out to achieve restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors of Great Lakes States and to make recommendations for prioritization of such goals, legislation and funding to achieve such goals, and improvement of coordination among programs and governments with respect to such goals. (c) Study and Report.-- (1) Study.--The Committee shall conduct a study, based on restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors of Great Lakes States, to identify the best methods by which to protect and restore the Great Lakes. The study shall include-- (A) an analysis of Federal and State funding for the 10-year period ending on the date of the enactment of this Act for programs established and carried out to achieve the restoration goals, including an assessment of the success of the programs; and (B) an analysis of the expected accomplishments of such programs for the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act based on existing funding levels for the programs. (2) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the initial meeting of the Committee under subsection (e)(1), the Committee shall submit to the President, Congress, and the Governor of each Great Lakes State, and make available to the national Government of Canada and the Premiers of the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, a report that includes-- (A) the results of the study, including a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the Committee; (B) recommendations for the prioritization of the restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors of the Great Lakes States; (C) specific benchmarks for the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act to measure the achievement of such restoration goals; (D) recommendations for proposed Federal and State legislation for obtaining additional authority and funding as necessary to achieve such restoration goals; (E) recommendations for methods to improve coordination among existing Federal, State, local, and non-governmental programs established to achieve the restoration goals prepared by the Governors of the Great Lakes States; and (F) recommendations for methods to improve coordination between Federal, State, and local programs in the United States and the national Government of Canada and the Governments of the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec with respect to environmental protection and restoration activities in the Great Lakes. (d) Membership.-- (1) Voting members.--The Committee shall be composed of 25 voting members, of whom-- (A) 8 members shall be the Governors of the Great Lakes States (or designees of the Governors); (B) 13 members shall be appointed by the President, of whom-- (i) 1 member shall be a representative of the Department of the Interior; (ii) 1 member shall be a representative of the Corps of Engineers; (iii) 1 member shall be a representative of the Great Lakes National Program Office of the Environmental Protection Agency; (iv) 1 member shall be a representative of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (v) 1 member shall be a representative of the Department of Agriculture; and (vi) 8 members shall be chief executives of cities, counties, or municipalities in the Great Lakes Region, of whom 1 member shall be from each Great Lakes State; (C) 1 member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (D) 1 member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (E) 1 member shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate; and (F) 1 member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate. (2) Nonvoting members.--The Committee shall include 10 nonvoting members appointed by the President, of whom-- (A) 2 members shall be representatives of the environmental community; (B) 2 members shall be representatives of industry; (C) 2 members shall be representatives of the scientific community with expertise on the environmental conditions of the Great Lakes; (D) 2 members shall be representatives of Indian tribes located in the Great Lakes Region; (E) 1 member shall be a United States Commissioner of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission appointed under section 3(a)(1) of the Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 932(a)(1)); and (F) 1 member shall be the Chair of the United States Section of the International Joint Commission established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. (3) Nonvoting observers.--The Committee may include nonvoting observers, including-- (A) the Premiers of the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec; (B) a representative of the national Government of Canada; and (C) a representative of the Department of State. (4) Date of appointment.--The appointment of each member of the Committee shall be made not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (5) Term.--A member shall be appointed for the life of the Committee. (6) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Committee-- (A) shall not affect the powers of the Committee; and (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. (7) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--The Committee shall select a Chairperson from among the members of the Committee described in paragraph (1)(A) and a Vice Chairperson from among the members of the Committee appointed under clauses (i) through (v) of paragraph (1)(B). (8) Compensation.--Members of the Committee shall serve without pay. (9) Travel expenses.--A member of the Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code. (e) Meetings.-- (1) Initial.--Not later than 30 days after the date on which all members of the Committee have been appointed, the Committee shall hold the initial meeting of the Committee. (2) Subsequent.--The Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairperson. (3) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members of the Committee described in subsection (d)(1) shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings. (f) Powers.-- (1) Hearings.--The Committee may hold hearings, meet and act, take testimony, and receive evidence as the Committee considers advisable to carry out this Act. (2) Information from federal agencies.-- (A) In general.--The Committee may secure directly from a Federal agency such information as the Committee considers necessary to carry out this Act. (B) Provision of information.--On request of the Chairperson of the Committee, the head of the agency shall provide the information to the Committee. (3) Postal services.--The Committee may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other agencies of the Federal Government. (4) Gifts.--The Committee may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. (g) Staff.-- (1) Appointment.-- (A) Executive director.--The Committee may appoint and terminate an executive director. (B) Other staff.--The Chairperson of the Committee may appoint and terminate such other additional personnel as are necessary to enable the Committee to perform the duties of the Committee. (2) Compensation.-- (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Chairperson of the Committee may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates. (B) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel shall not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code. (3) Detail of federal government employees.-- (A) In general.--An employee of the Federal Government may be detailed to the Committee without reimbursement. (B) Civil service status.--The detail of the employee shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. (4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.-- The Chairperson of the Committee may procure temporary and intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title. (h) Termination.--The Committee shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the Committee submits the report of the Committee under subsection (c)(2). (i) Definitions.--In this Act: (1) Great lakes.--The term ``Great Lakes'' means Lake Erie, Lake Huron (including Lake Saint Clair), Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, and the connecting channels of those lakes, including the Saint Mary's River, the Saint Clair River, the Detroit River, and the Saint Lawrence River to the Canadian border. (2) Great lakes state.--The term ``Great Lakes State'' means each of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. (3) Great lakes region.--The term ``Great Lakes region'' means the region comprised of the Great Lakes States. (4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). (j) Authorization of Appropriations.-- (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005. (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until the date of termination of the Committee under subsection (h).
summary: Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee Act - Establishes the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee to: (1) study and report to the President, the Congress, and the Governor of each Great Lakes State on programs established and carried out to achieve restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors of Great Lakes States; and (2) make recommendations for prioritization of such goals, legislation, and funding to achieve them, and improvement of coordination among programs and governments with respect to them.