second, Public Law 89-68; both were approved on July 7, 1965. A fifth Justice Department proposal enacted pursuant to recommendation of the subcommittee was Senate Joint Resolution 102 which authorized the appropriation of $12 million for the expenses of two Presidential Commissions, i.e., the Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration and the District of Columbia Commission on Crime and Law Enforcement. This resolution was approved on September 21, 1965, and became Public Law 89-196. In the second session, after hearing, the subcommittee recommended an amendment to the Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1965, which extended the life of that measure and authorized additional appropriations. The measure became Public Law 89-798 on November 8, 1966. Also in the second session, the subcommittee recommended for enactment H.R. 15766, a bill to establish a National Commission on Reform of Federal Criminal Laws, which would make a full and complete review and study of the statutory and case law constituting the Federal system of criminal justice and would make recommendations for revision, reform, and recodification. The 12-member Commission would comprise three Senators appointed by the President of the Senate, three Representatives appointed by the Speaker, three Federal judges appointed by the Chief Justice, and three other members appointed by the President. This bill became Public Law 89-801. A further criminal law measure processed by the subcommitee was H.R. 9867, proposed by the Department of Commerce, to prohibit commercial use of the interstate route marker. This bill passed the House on September 7, 1965, and was pending in the Senate when the 89th Congress adjourned. INTERSTATE COMPACTS During the 89th Congress, six measures granting the consent of Congress to interstate compacts, as required by article I, section 10, of the Constitution of the United States, were recommended for enactment by the subcommittee and became law. The first of these, S. 307, grants the consent of Congress to the action of specified States and the District of Columbia in entering into (1) a compact relating to State taxation of motor fuels consumed by interstate buses, and (2) an agreement relating to bus taxation proration and reciprocity. It was approved on April 14, 1965, as Public Law 89-11. The second, H.R. 10369, which became Public Law 89-312, extended the consent of Congress to the action of three additional States in entering into the bus taxation proration and reciprocity agreement involved in Public Law 89-11. A third measure, H.R. 13935, consented to the entry of Massachusetts into the same agreement. It became Public Law 89-727 on November 2, 1966. Also processed by the subcommittee were S. 3051, granting the consent of Congress to a compact between Missouri and Kansas creating the Kansas City Area Transportation District and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (Public Law 89-599, Sept. 21, 1966), and S. 3249, consenting to an interstate compact defining the boundary between the States of Arizona and California (Public Law 89-531, Aug. 11, 1966). Finally, the subcommittee, after 3 days of hearings, recommended enactment of House Joint Resolution 1163, requested by the President, to grant the consent of Congress for the States of Virginia and Maryland and the District of Columbia to amend the Washington metropolitan area transit regulation compact to establish an organization empowered to provide transit facilities in the National Capital region and to enact the amendment for the District of Columbia. This measure was enacted as S. 3488 and became Public Law 89–774. MISCELLANEOUS The 1st session of the 89th Congress saw enactment of a significant piece of legislation in the Federal administrative procedure area in S. 1758 which, as amended by the committee, became Public Law 89-332 on November 8, 1965. This measure provides for the right of persons to be represented in matters before Federal agencies by attorneys of their choice (and in matters before the Internal Revenue Service by certified public accountants of their choice). As amended on recommendation of the committee, the measure does not affect practice before the Patent Office in patent matters, which continues to be covered by existing law authorizing the Commissioner to prescribe regulations governing representation. The subcommittee also processed H.R. 3995, a bill to transfer certain functions of the Treasury Department which are no longer deemed appropriate for that Department, involving the handling and disposition of property acquired in the collection of debts due the United States and certain wrecked, abandoned, or derelict property, as well as procedures applicable to attachment of Federal property and sale on execution of prospects of debtors of the United States. This measure became Public Law 89-30 on June 2, 1965. In the second session, after 2 days of hearings, the subcommittee recommended for enactment with amendments S. 693, to amend the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended. The measure became Public Law 89-486 on July 4, 1966. Summary of bills referred and disposition SUBCOMMITTEE No. 4: GENERAL JURISDICTION OVER JUDICIARY BILLS AS ASSIGNED SPECIAL JURISDICTION OVER BANKRUPTCY AND RE ORGANIZATION In addition to its special jurisdiction in the area of bankruptcy and reorganization, the subcommittee processes other legislation as assigned, including legislation involving criminal law, Federal incorporation of private organizations, and holidays and commemorations. During the 89th Congress a total of 549 bills was referred to Subcommittee No. 4. A summary of the principal subcommittee activities, dealing first with general legislation, is as follows: Criminal law GENERAL LEGISLATION A measure of manifest national significance and affecting the criminal law was processed by the subcommittee and became law. After hearings, the subcommittee favorably reported H.R. 6097, a bill which provides penalties for the assassination of the President or the Vice President of the United States. By making certain acts endangering the life and safety of the President and Vice President of the United States, or their immediate successors, Federal crimes, the bill would authorize Federal investigative and prosecutive jurisdiction and thereby facilitate apprehension of the lawbreakers. Upon approval, the bill became Public Law 89-141. The subcommittee, after hearings, also favorably reported S. 3433, a bill which makes it a criminal offense to steal, embezzle, or otherwise unlawfully take property from a pipeline. The bill became Public Law 89-654. In addition the subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 15905, a bill to permit the compelling of testimony with respect to certain crimes, and the granting of immunity in connection therewith. Federal charters Several bills designed to confer Federal charters to private organizations were referred to the subcommittee. Two measures that amended existing charters were favorably acted upon by the subcommittee. One bill, H.R. 9877, amends the charter of the American Hospital of Paris and removes certain limitations on the hospital's power to own property. Upon approval, the bill became Public Law 89-231. The second bill, H.R. 13284, amends the charter of AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II) to enlarge the membership eligibility period in the organization. The bill became Public Law 89-576. In addition, the subcommittee held hearings on H.R. 4470, H.R. 5987, and S. 1154, legislation to incorporate the American Academy of Actuaries (serial No. 19). The matter of the Congress granting Federal charters to private organizations has been the subject of a joint study by the Department of Justice and the Bureau of the Budget. The study was requested by the President in a veto message (H. Doc. 292) on a charter bill that was processed by another House committee during the 1st session of the 89th Congress. The results of the study, including proposed standards to govern future Federal incorporations, will be before the subcommittee for its consideration in the coming Congress. With the cooperation of the Comptroller General of the United States the subcommittee processed and referred to the General Accounting Office for its review the annual audit reports to the Congress of approximately 66 federally chartered organizations. Holidays and commemorations The subcommittee had referred to it a large number of bills relating to holidays and commemorations. Seventeen of these were enacted into law. Among these were Senate Joint Resolution 56 commemorating the birth of James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian Institution; Senate Joint Resolution 53 establishing a tercentenary commission to honor the advent of Father Marquette in North America; and House Joint Resolution 903 establishing the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. In addition, the subcommittee voted its approval to H.R. 15699, a bill establishing a Commission on National Observances and Holidays, whose duty would be to recommend to the President those observances it finds to be of national significance warranting Federal recognition. The bill passed the House on October 3, 1966, but Congress adjourned before final action in the Senate. Miscellaneous The subcommittee approved H.R. 9545, a bill that provides for the acquisition and preservation by the United States of certain items of evidence pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This legislation carries forward a recommendation made by the Presi dent's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. This measure became Public Law 89-318. H.R. 12232, making slip laws and the Treaties and Other International Act Series (TIAS) competent legal evidence, was favorably reported by the subcommittee and became law on June 27, 1966, as Public Law 89-497. BANKRUPTCY AND REORGANIZATION In the exercise of its special jurisdiction over bankruptcy and reorganization, the subcommittee considered several measures; seven of these were favorably reported by the subcommittee, four of which became law. These four include H.R. 136, H.R. 3438, H.R. 5497, and S. 1924. H.R. 136 is a complex piece of legislation directed at clarifying the status of liens in bankruptcy and clearly defining the powers of the trustee. A predecessor bill, H.R. 7242, passed both Houses in the 86th Congress but was not approved by the President. Similar measures passed the House in the 87th and 88th Congresses. H.R. 3438 places a 3-year limitation on the priority and nondischargeability of taxes. Here, too, it is identical to legislation which passed the House in previous Congresses. Both measures, H.R. 136 and H.R. 3438, were approved on July 5, 1966, as Public Laws 89-495 and 89-496, respectively, and thereby marked an end to arduous legislative efforts by the subcommittee to enact these needed bankruptcy reforms. H.R. 5497 permits two notices in bankruptcy proceedings mailed by the court to be combined so as to authorize one mailing instead of two, thereby effecting an economy in the administration of bankruptcy cases. It is anticipated that this measure should result in savings to the United States estimated at between $150,000 and $200,000 a year. The bill became Public Law 89–166. S. 1924 amends the Bankruptcy Act so as to prohibit a part-time referee from acting as trustee or receiver in any proceeding under the Bankruptcy Act. The bill became Public Law 89-414. The subcommittee also held hearings on several measures to amend the Bankruptcy Act. Three of these bills, H.R. 291, H.R. 293, and H.R. 5646, were favorably reported to the full committee. However, these measures had not been reached for action by the full committee when the Congress adjourned. A statistical summary of the subcommittee activities during the 89th Congress follows: Summary of bills referred and disposition Bills referred to Subcommittee No. 4--- Bills on which hearings were held.. Bills reported favorably to full committee_.. Committee discharged__- Bills reported adversely to full committee__. Bills pending in subcommittee_ Bills reported to House_ Bills passed House (includes 11 discharged) Bills pending in Senate--- Senate bills disposed of.. Bills which became public law-- 27 11 171 340 24 37 26 SUBCOMMITTEE No. 5: GENERAL JURISDICTION OVER JUDICIARY BILLS AS ASSIGNED SPECIAL JURISDICTION OVER ANTITRUST MATTERS This subcommittee exercises jurisdiction over a variety of subjects, including such topics as the Federal judicial system, Federal penal statutes, civil rights, legislative apportionment, antitrust legislation, and all constitutional amendments. During the 89th Congress, this subcommittee had referred to it 453 bills. Hearings were held on 371 of those bills, of which 23 were reported favorably to the full committee, 154 proposals were reported adversely to the full committee, and at the adjournment of the Congress, there were pending in the subcommittee 276 legislative proposals. Twenty-one reports were filed with the House of Representatives; 17 of those proposals became public law, three were pending in the Senate at the adjournment of this Congress. One legislative proposal reported to the House was rejected by the House. Enacted into law were the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-110), after hearings which ran for 13 sessions and deliberation by the subcommittee for a period of 4 days, plus 11 sessions of deliberation by the full committee. This act would suspend State literacy tests and other devices in certain areas where they have been used to deny Negroes the right to vote. The act provides for the appointment of Federal "examiners" by the Civil Service Commission upon a certification of their need by the Attorney General. The act would "automatically" suspend such tests and devices in those State or political subdivisions which (1) maintained such tests on November 1, 1964, and (2) had less than 50 percent of voting-age population registered or voting in the presidential election of 1964 (sec. 4). The appointment of examiners would not be automatic. However, in those areas where the act suspends literacy tests, upon certification by the Attorney General of their need, such examiners would be appointed. Federal registration envisioned under this act would apply State law, except insofar as it was suspended (secs. 7(b) and 9(b)) and would include enrollment of persons eligible to vote in State, local, and Federal elections (sec. 6). The act eliminates any requirement that an applicant for registration by a Federal examiner must first have applied to State election officials. |