text: SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP.
  
      (a) Establishment.--There is established in the legislative branch 
  the Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group (in this Act referred to as the 
  ``Group'').
      (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, to the 
  maximum extent practicable, the Group should be modeled on the Iraq 
  Study Group.
  
  SEC. 2. COMPOSITION OF GROUP.
  
      (a) Members.--The Group shall be composed of 10 members, of whom--
              (1) 1 member shall be appointed by the President, who shall 
          serve as a co-chair of the Group;
              (2) 1 member shall be appointed by the leader of the Senate 
          (majority or minority leader, as the case may be) of the 
          Republican Party, in consultation with the leader of the House 
          of Representatives (majority or minority leader, as the case 
          may be) of the Republican Party, who shall serve as a co-chair 
          of the Group;
              (3) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
          the Senate leadership of the Democratic Party;
              (4) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
          the leadership of the House of Representatives of the 
          Republican Party;
              (5) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
          the Senate leadership of the Republican Party; and
              (6) 2 members shall be appointed by the senior member of 
          the leadership of the House of Representatives of the 
          Democratic Party.
      (b) Qualifications; Other Membership Requirements.--
              (1) Political party affiliation.--Not more than 5 members 
          of the Group shall be from the same political party. An 
          individual appointed to the Group may not be a full-time 
          officer or employee of the Federal Government.
              (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
          individuals appointed to the Group should be prominent United 
          States citizens, with national recognition and significant 
          depth of experience in such professions as diplomacy, the armed 
          services, governmental service, law, intelligence gathering, 
          and foreign affairs.
      (c) Deadline for Appointment.--All members of the Group shall be 
  appointed not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of 
  this Act.
      (d) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Group shall not affect its 
  powers, but shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 
  appointment was made.
      (e) Compensation.--
              (1) Prohibition on basic pay.--Members of the Group shall 
          serve without pay in connection with their service for the 
          Group.
              (2) Travel expenses.--While away from their homes or 
          regular places of business in the performance of services for 
          the Group, members of the Group shall be allowed travel 
          expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the 
          same manner as persons employed intermittently in the 
          Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b) 
          of title 5, United States Code.
      (f) Initial Meeting.--The Group shall meet and begin the operations 
  of the Group as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of 
  this Act.
      (g) Quorum.--After its initial meeting, the Group shall meet upon 
  the call of the co-chairs of the Group or a majority of the members of 
  the Group. Six members of the Group shall constitute a quorum.
  
  SEC. 3. DUTIES.
  
      (a) In General.--The Group shall conduct a forward-looking, 
  independent assessment of the current and prospective situation on the 
  ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan, its impact on the surrounding 
  region, and its consequences for United States interests. The Group 
  shall examine four broad topic areas to include the strategic 
  environment in and around Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as 
  security, political, and economic and reconstruction developments in 
  those two countries.
      (b) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Group shall submit to the President and 
  Congress a report on the assessment conducted under this subsection, 
  including relevant policy recommendations relating thereto.
  
  SEC. 4. POWERS OF GROUP.
  
      (a) Rules of Procedure.--The Group may establish rules for the 
  conduct of the Group's business, if such rules are not inconsistent 
  with this Act or other applicable law.
      (b) Hearings and Evidence.--The Group or, on the authority of the 
  Group, any subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the purpose of 
  carrying out this Act--
              (1) hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and 
          places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence; and
              (2) require the attendance and testimony of such witnesses 
          and the production of such books, records, correspondence, 
          memoranda, papers, and documents, as the Group or such 
          designated subcommittee or designated member may determine 
          advisable.
      (c) Contracting.--The Group may, to such extent and in such amounts 
  as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into contracts to enable 
  the Group to discharge its duties under this Act.
      (d) Information From Federal Agencies.--
              (1) In general.--The Group is authorized to secure directly 
          from any executive department, bureau, agency, board, 
          commission, office, independent establishment, or 
          instrumentality of the Government, information, suggestions, 
          estimates, and statistics for the purposes of this Act. Each 
          department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, 
          independent establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the 
          extent authorized by law, furnish such information, 
          suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Group, 
          upon request made by the co-chairs, the chairman of any 
          subcommittee created by a majority of the Group, or any member 
          designated by a majority of the Group.
              (2) Receipt, handling, storage, and dissemination.--
          Information shall only be received, handled, stored, and 
          disseminated by members of the Group and its staff consistent 
          with all applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive 
          orders.
      (e) Assistance From Federal Agencies.--
              (1) General services administration.--The Administrator of 
          General Services shall provide to the Group on a reimbursable 
          basis administrative support and other services for the 
          performance of the Group's duties.
              (2) Other departments and agencies.--In addition to the 
          assistance prescribed in paragraph (1), departments and 
          agencies of the United States may provide to the Group such 
          services, funds, facilities, and other support services as they 
          may determine advisable and as may be authorized by law.
      (f) Gifts.--The Group may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or 
  donations of services or property for the purpose of facilitating the 
  work of the Group.
      (g) Postal Services.--The Group may use the United States mails in 
  the same manner and under the same conditions as departments and 
  agencies of the United States.
  
  SEC. 5. STAFF OF GROUP.
  
      (a) Appointment and Compensation.--The co-chairs, in accordance 
  with rules agreed upon by the Group, may appoint and fix the 
  compensation of a staff director and such other personnel as may be 
  necessary to enable the Group to carry out its duties, without regard 
  to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
  appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the 
  provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title 
  relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that 
  no rate of pay fixed under this subsection may exceed the equivalent of 
  that payable for a position at level V of the Executive Schedule under 
  section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
      (b) Prohibition on Personnel as Federal Employees.--The positions 
  of staff director and other personnel of the Group described in 
  subsection (a) may not be filled by individuals who are Federal 
  Government employees.
      (c) Expert and Consultant Services.--The Group is authorized to 
  procure the services of experts and consultants in accordance with 
  section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed 
  the daily rate paid a person occupying a position at level IV of the 
  Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.
      (d) Volunteer Services.--Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, 
  United States Code, the Group may accept and use voluntary and 
  uncompensated services as the Group determines necessary.
  
  SEC. 6. TERMINATION.
  
      (a) In General.--The Group, and all the authorities of this Act, 
  shall terminate 60 days after the date on which the report is submitted 
  under section 3(b).
      (b) Administrative Activities Before Termination.--The Group may 
  use the 60-day period referred to in paragraph (1) for the purpose of 
  concluding its activities, including providing testimony to committees 
  of Congress concerning its report and disseminating the report.
  
  SEC. 7. FUNDING.
  
      (a) Transfer of Funds From Bureau of South and Central Asian 
  Affairs.--Of the amounts made available under the heading 
  ``Administration of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' 
  for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs for fiscal year 2011, 
  $1,000,000 shall be available for transfer to the Group for purposes of 
  carrying out this Act.
      (b) Prohibition on Additional Funds.--No additional funds are 
  authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.
target: Establishes in the legislative branch the Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group which shall conduct an independent assessment of the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, its impact on the surrounding region, and its consequences for U.S. interests. 
  
  Expresses the sense of Congress that the Group should be modeled on the Iraq Study Group.
  
  Terminates the Group 60 days after it submits the report to the President and Congress required by this Act.
feat_title: To establish the Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group.