18 1 (3) Members shall be chosen on the basis of their 2 maturity, experience, integrity, impartiality, and good judg 3 ment and shall be chosen from among individuals who, at the 4 time of their appointment, are not elected or appointed offi 5 cers or employees in the executive, legislative, or judicial 6 branch of the Government of the United States. 7 (4) Members of the Commission shall receive per diem 8 at the maximum daily rate for GS-18 of the General Sched9 ule under section 5332 (a) of title 5, United States Code, 10 when they are engaged in the performance of their duties 11 as members of the Commission and shall be entitled to 12 reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and other necessary 13 expenses incurred by them in carrying out the duties of the 14 Commission. 15 (5) The Commission shall elect a Chairman and a Vice 16 Chairman from among its members for a term of one year. 17 No member may serve as Chairman for more than one term. 18 The Chairman and the Vice Chairman shall not be affiliated 19 with the same political party. The Vice Chairman shall act 20 as Chairman in the absence or disability of the Chairman, 21 or in the event of a vacancy in such Office. 222 22 23 (b) All decisions of the Commission with respect to the exercise of its duties and powers under the provisions of this 24 Act shall be made by a majority vote of the members of the 25 Commission. A member of the Commission may not delegate 19 1 to any person his vote or any decisionmaking authority or 2 duty invested in the Commission by the provisions of this 3 Act. 4 (c) The Commission shall meet at least once each 5 month and also at the call of any member, with the approval 6 of the Chairman or Vice Chairman. 7 (d) The Commission shall prepare written rules for the 8 conduct of its activities, shall have an official seal which shall 9 be judicially noticed, and shall have its principal office in or 10 near the District of Columbia (but it may meet or exercise 11 any of its powers anywhere in the United States). 12 (e) (1) The Commission shall have a staff director who 13 shall be appointed by the Commission. The staff director 14 shall be paid at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay in 15 effect for GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 16 (a) of title 5, United States Code. With the approval of the 17 Commission, the staff director may appoint and fix the pay of 18 such additional personnel as he considers desirable. 19 (2) With the approval of the Commission, the staff 20 director may procure temporary and intermittent services to 21 the same extent as is authorized by section 3109 (b) of title 22 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not to ex23 ceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in 24 effect for grade GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 25 5332 (a) of title 5, United States Code. 20 1. (3) In carrying out its responsibilities under this title, 2 the Commission shall, to the fullest extent practicable, avail 3 itself of the assistance, including personnel and facilities, or 4 other agencies and departments of the United States Govern5 ment. The heads of such agencies and departments may make 6 available to the Commission such personnel, facilities, and 7 other assistance, with or without reimbursement, as the Com8 mission may request. POWERS SEC. 302. (a) The Commission has the power (1) to require, by special or general order, any person to submit in writing such reports and answers to questions as the Commission may prescribe; and such submission shall be made within a reasonable period of time and under oath or otherwise as the Commission may determine; (2) to administer oaths or affirmations; (3) to require by subpena, signed by the Chairman or the Vice Chairman, the attendance and testi mony of witnesses and the production of all documentary evidence relating to the execution of its duties; (4) in any proceeding or investigation, to order testimony to be taken by deposition before any person who is designated by the Commission and has the power to administer oaths and, in such instances, to compel 21 1 testimony and the production of evidence in the same 7 8 co 9 10 11 121 manner as authorized under paragraph (3) of this subsection; (5) to pay witnesses the same fees and mileage as are paid in like circumstances in the courts of the United States; (6) to render advisory opinions as provided in section 304 of this title; and (7) to conduct investigations and hearings expeditiously, and to report apparent violations to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. (b) Any United States district court within the juris13 diction of which any inquiry is carried on may, upon peti14 tion by the Commission in the case of a refusal to obey a 15 subpena or order of the Commission issued under subsection 16 (a) of this section, issue an order requiring compliance 17 therewith. Any failure to obey the order of the court may 18 be punished by the court as a contempt thereof. 19 (c) No person shall be subject to civil liability to any 20 person (other than the Commission or the United States) 21 for disclosing information at the request of the Commission. (d) Whenever the Commission submits any budget es23 timate or request to the President of the United States or 24 the Office of Management and Budget, it shall concurrently 25 transmit a copy of such estimate or request to the Congress. 22 22 1 2 DUTIES SEC. 303. (a) It shall be the duty of the Commission 3 to investigate and report with respect to violations of titles 4 I and II of this Act. 5 (b) (1) Any person who believes a violation of title 6 I or II of this Act has occurred may file a complaint with the 7 Commission. 8 (2) The Commission upon receiving any complaint 9 under paragraph (1), or if it has reason to believe that any 10 person has committed a violation of any such provision, shall 11 notify the person involved of such apparent violation and 12 shall 13 14 15 16 17 (A) report such apparent violation to the Attorney General; or tion. (B) make an investigation of such apparent viola (3) Any investigation under paragraph (3) (B) shall 18 be conducted expeditiously. (4) The Commission shall, at the request of any person 20 who receives notice of an apparent violation under para 21 graph (2), conduct a hearing with respect to such apparent 22 violation. 23 (5) If the Commission determines, after investigation 24 and after affording due notice and an opportunity for a 25 hearing, that there is reason to believe that any person has |