Commerce Department Termination and Government Reorganziation Act of 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: General Provisions

Title II: United States Trade Administration

Subtitle A: Establishment

Subtitle B: Officers

Subtitle C: Transfers to the Administration

Subtitle D: Termination Provisions

Subtitle E: Administrative Provisions

Subtitle F: Related Agencies

Subtitle G: Conforming Amendments

Title III: Establishment of National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration as an Independent Agency

Subtitle A: Establishment of Administration

Subtitle B: Streamlining Provisions

Subtitle C: Administrative Provisions

Title IV: Establishment of the Office of Patents, Trademarks,

and Standards

Subtitle A: Establishment

Subtitle B: Administrative Provisions

Subtitle C: Conforming Amendments

Title V: Government 2000 Commission

Title VI: Transitional, Savings, and Conforming Provisions

Title VII: Miscellaneous

Commerce Department Termination and Government Reorganization Act of 1995 - Title I: General Provisions - States congressional findings with regard to abolition of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the consolidation and streamlining of its functions along with other Federal trade functions into a single U.S. Trade Administration (USTA) in order to advance a unified trade policy that vigorously promotes U.S. trade interests.

(Sec. 102) Lists the purposes of this Act as the following: (1) elimination of DOC and restructuring its functions to end duplication and fragmentation in Federal trade-related functions and financing, and the bringing of coherence to the Government's management of its important missions; (2) elimination of unnecessary layers of bureaucracy affecting trade, oceanic and atmospheric, standards, technology, statistics, and intellectual property protection activities of the Government; (3) establishment of streamlined organization structures for performance of statistics, intellectual property, standards, technology, and natural resource functions under DOC; and (4) enhancement of Federal trade-related activities by establishing the U.S. Trade Administration (USTA).

Title II: United States Trade Administration - Subtitle A: Establishment - Replaces DOC with USTA, headed by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) who, as the principal adviser to, and spokesman of, the President on international trade policy, retains his or her currently held ambassador status in all trade negotiations conducted by USTA, along with certain additional trade-related functions, including those transferred under subtitle C.

Subtitle B: Officers - Sets forth provisions related to USTA management positions and related functions, among other things establishing two Deputy USTR positions with ambassador rank, one as permanent representative to the World Trade Organization, the other with overall responsibility for USTR negotiating functions.

Subtitle C: Transfers to the Administration - Outlines specific transfers of Federal trade functions to the new USTA, including those of DOC, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and various specified miscellaneous export promotion related functions.

Subtitle D: Termination Provisions - Terminates DOC, including the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Office of Chief Economist, the Minority Business Development Agency, the National Technical Information Service, the Technology Administration, and the Office of Technology Policy, as well as the Advanced Technology Program and the Manufacturing Extension Programs.

Repeals the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965.

Subtitle E: Administrative Provisions - Sets out USTR-related administrative provisions pertaining to personnel and other miscellaneous administrative matters, including those relating to a working capital fund for administrative expenses.

Subtitle F: Related Agencies - Finalizes Federal trade functions reorganization initiated above, transferring the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Economic Analysis out of DOC to the Department of Labor, along with other miscellaneous and conforming changes to complete the consolidation and streamlining process described above.

Subtitle G: Conforming Amendments - Makes miscellaneous technical and conforming amendments to various specified provisions of Federal law, including those relating to executive schedule positions.

Title III: Establishment of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as an Independent Agency - Subtitle A: Establishment of Administration - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Act of 1995 - Reestablishes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as an independent executive successor entity to DOC's NOAA, the functions of which are transferred to the new NOAA, which shall be headed by an Administrator appointed by the President and subject to Senate confirmation. Outlines other specified administrative components.

Subtitle B: Streamlining Provisions - Reorganizes aeronautical charting functions within the Federal Aviation Administration, and makes other organizational changes limiting the number of NOAA full-time equivalent positions and affecting other aspects of NOAA personnel, while providing at the same time for a review of NOAA's regulations and reporting requirements to determine whether they continue to be necessary, with specified reductions mandated. Provides for a reduction in the NOAA fleet and a laboratory consolidation study for the Congress.

Subtitle C: Administrative Provisions - Sets forth miscellaneous administrative provisions concerning rules and regulations, contracts, and additional personnel and other matters pertaining to the new NOAA, which include facilities at remote locations and the coordination of environmental policy.

Title IV: Establishment of the Office of Patents, Trademarks, and Standards - Subtitle A: Establishment - Provides for consolidation of DOC patent, trademark, and standards functions into a single independent Office of Patents, Trademarks, and Standards (OPTS).

Subtitle B: Administrative Provisions - Sets forth administrative provisions for OPTS.

Subtitle C: Conforming Amendments - Makes certain conforming amendments under appropriate Federal laws.

Title V: Government 2000 Commission - Government 2000 Act - Establishes an independent Government 2000 Commission for developing and recommending a plan for reorganizing and consolidating executive branch operations with the intended goal of establishing a smaller workforce to provide better services to the public. Requires such plan to be submitted to the Congress for consideration in accordance with specified guidelines and implemented as appropriate by the Office of Management and Budget. Authorizes appropriations

Title VI: Transitional, Savings, and Conforming Provisions - Sets forth transitional, savings, additional conforming, and certain other miscellaneous provisions necessitated by enactment of this Act, including procedures for additional function and personnel transfers and for judicial review.

Title VII: Miscellaneous - Sets forth effective date provisions and miscellaneous reporting and other provisions concerned with DOC and the trade functions reorganization, with phased-in funding reductions applicable to the functions transferred or terminated under such reorganization. Provides as well for buy-outs at DOC for employees who voluntarily separate before a certain date. Authorizes appropriations.