text: 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).
target: 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.
feat_title: To establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee.