The COPA Commission, a congressionally appointed panel, was mandated by the Child Online Protection Act, which was approved by Congress in October 1998. The primary purpose of the Commission is to "identify technological or other methods that will help reduce access by minors to material that is harmful to minors on the Internet."

President Clinton established the Commission on the Celebration of Women in American History to consider how best to acknowledge and celebrate the roles and accomplishments of women in American history. It will hold meetings to consider ideas for such celebration, including a focal point for women's history in Washington, D.C., and the use of technology to connect existing and planned historical sites, museums and libraries. The first meeting of the Commission was held on July 16, 1998, at the Canandaigua County Courthouse, the site where Susan B. Anthony was tried and convicted for voting. The Commission's recommendations were reported to the President on November 15, 2000.

The Special Oversight Board shall provide advice and recommendations based on its review of Department of Defense investigations into possible detections of, and exposures to, chemical or biological weapons agents and environmental and other factors that may have contributed to Gulf War illnesses.

Welcome to the official website of the Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Facility Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century. This Commission was created by Congress to report on the housing and health needs for the next generation of seniors and offer policy and legislative recommendations for enhancing services and increasing the available housing for this rapidly growing segment of our society.

Access America E-Gov E-Zine tells the stories of how federal employees are using information technology to deliver services to the American people and to improve their own productivity. Their work captures the vision of Vice President Al Gore in his book, Access America: Reengineering Through Information Technology.

This website contains the final report of the Web-Based Education Commission covering their study on how the Internet affects teaching, learning, and educational research including positive aspects and potentials as well as barriers and concerns.

The USCNS/21 is charged with thinking comprehensively and creatively about how the United States should provide for its national security in the 21st century.

To present a thorough historical record of the collection and disposition of the assets of Holocaust victims that came into the possession or control of the Government of the United States. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States (PCHA), established by the U.S. Holocaust Assets Commission Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-186), is charged with conducting original research into the fate of assets taken from victims of the Holocaust that came into the possession of the U.S. Federal government; reviewing research done by others regarding assets that came to private collections and non-Federal government organizations (especially state governments and financial institutions); and advising the President on policies that should be adopted to make restitution to the rightful owners of stolen property or their heirs. The primary goal is to develop an historical account of those valuables that came into the hands of the Federal government. Original research is conducted in the areas of art and cultural property, gold, and non-gold financial property by teams of researchers headed by experts Jonathan Petropoulos, Marc Masurovsky and Helen Junz.

Executive Order 13168, dated September 27, 2000 established the President's Commission on Improving Economic Opportunity in Communities Dependent on Tobacco Production While Protecting Public Health (Commission). The purpose of the Commission is to provide advice to the President on changes occurring in the tobacco farming economy and recommend such measures as may be necessary to improve economic opportunity and development in communities that are dependent on tobacco production, and protect consumers, particularly children, from hazards associated with smoking.

On May 2, President Bush announced establishment of a bipartisan, 16-member Commission "to study and report specific recommendations to preserve Social Security for seniors while building wealth for younger Americans." The Commission will provide bipartisan recommendations to the President for modernizing and restoring fiscal soundness to the Social Security System according to the following principles: modernization must not change Social Security benefits for retirees or near retirees; the entire Social Security surplus must be dedicated to Social Security only; Social Security payroll taxes must not be increased; the Government must not invest Social Security funds in the stock market; modernization must preserve Social Security's disability and survivors components; and modernization must include individually controlled, voluntary personal retirement accounts, which will augment the Social Security safety net.

Congress established the Census Monitoring Board to observe and monitor all aspects of the preparation and implementation of the 2000 decennial census. After the completion of the 200 census, many thoughtful parties continue a sincere debate over the implementation of statistical adjustment as a means of increasing the accuracy of the census and for its use in redistricting and the allocation of government funds and services. On March 1, 2001, the Census Bureau's Executive Steering Committee overseeing the post-census evaluation phase, the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation (A.C.E.), recommended against adjusting the count. Reasonable people, including leading statisticians, have reviewed the statistical adjustment methodology and have raised legitimate questions. This report attempts to put that methodology into perspective and add to what will be further debate and discussion on how all of us as shareholders can continue to work together to ensure the most accurate census possible.

The Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) closed on September 29, 1995. During its 23-year history, OTA provided Congressional members and committees with analyses of the scientific and technological issues that were increasingly relevant to public policy and legislative action. The agency's legacy is found in the many items of legislation it influenced and in the channels of communication its staff helped foster between legislative policymakers and members of the scientific, technical, and business communities. The Office's legacy is also found in its hundreds of publications, gathered for the first time in electronic form on the set of 5 CD-ROMs: The OTA Legacy, 1972-1995. This Web site presents the complete contents of the five CD-ROMs with additional enhancements and features that facilitate access and retrieval.

The National Drought Policy Commission was established under the National Drought Policy Act of 1998, P.L.105-199. The Act charged the Commission with conducting a thorough study of drought and its impacts and submitting a report on its findings discussing the feasibility for creating a national drought policy. The NDPC report and accompanying materials is posted on this website and can be downloaded by the public.

Amtrak Reform Council (ARC) is an independent federal commission established under the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 (ARAA), which gave the Council a statutory mandate: (i) to recommend to Amtrak actions that the Corporation can take to improve its operational and financial performance; (ii) to monitor Amtrak's financial performance in the light of both Amtrak's own goals for financial performance, as established in its strategic business plan, and the statutory requirement that Amtrak be free of the need for operating grants after the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the ARAA; and (iii) should the Council find that Amtrak has not achieved or will not achieve either of its financial targets, then it is to forward to the Congress recommendations for a restructured and rationalized national intercity rail passenger system.

Home page for the National Bioethics Advisory Commission.

This is the web site of the Office of Independent Counsel in the investigation and prosecutions involving matters relating to former Secretary of Agriculture, Alphonso Michael Espy. Donald C. Smaltz was appointed Independent Counsel by the Special Division of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on September 9, 1994, to "investigate to the maximum extent authorized by [law]" whether Secretary Espy "committed a violation of any federal criminal law . . . relating in any way to the acceptance of gifts by him from organizations or individuals with business pending before the Department of Agriculture." He was also given jurisdiction to investigate "other allegations or evidence of violations of any federal criminal law by organizations or individuals developed during the course of the investigation of Secretary Espy and connected with or arising out of that investigation." The purpose of this web site is to give the public access to public information that defines and explains the investigation.

The purpose of the Commission is to study the nature, causes, and consequences of the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits.

This website contains information about: (1) Current and historical rates and amounts of improper payments, (2) Why improper payments occur, and (3) What agencies are doing to reduce and recover improper payments (from "About This Site").

A growing number of Americans are using alternative approaches to health promotion and medical treatment. People are looking to health care providers to treat the whole person, not only illness. Because of public interest in and use of unconventional health care, the President established the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. Executive Order 13147 authorizing the Commission was issued on March 7, 2000.

The mission of the Commission is to identify, analyze, and develop recommendations that highlight the importance of housing, improve the housing delivery system, and provide affordable housing for the American people, including recommending possible legislative and regulatory initiatives.

The Commission's objective was to advise the President on the state of the United States Postal Service, prepare a report articulating a vision for the future of the United States Postal Service, and recommend the legislative and administrative steps necessary to enact reform needed to ensure the viability of postal services. Much has changed since the nation last revisited its mail system in 1970, most notably the rise of the Internet as a faster and more affordable communications alternative. Accordingly, the Commission final recommendations aim to tailor the Postal Service to the modern mail needs of the country and focus the institution on "best execution" in all aspects of its operations. The report concluded that a revitalized 21st century Postal Service-one that makes best use of every resource it has and takes full advantage of private-sector partnerships and new technologies-can serve as a prime example of how to enhance the quality and cost effectiveness of operations throughout the Federal government.

On June 13, 2003 the NASA Administrator appointed two vetereran astronauts to lead an external task group in an independent assessment of the agency's "Return to Flight" efforts and to help the nation return the Space Shuttle safely to flight. On August 17th, 2005, the task group completed its work with the delivery of a final report to the NASA Administrator.

President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13230 on October 12, 2001 establishing the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. The purpose of the seventeen member Commission is to work collectively to address the educational issues facing children of Hispanic ancestry living in this country, so that all children have the opportunity to learn, to realize the American dream and to succeed.

For 155 years, the Smithsonian Institution has had as its mission "the increase and diffusion of knowledge." Given the important questions facing the scientific world today, the existing level of institutional financial and physical resources, the strengths of the Institution's people and its collections, how should the Smithsonian set priorities for scientific research in the years ahead and, in general, carry out its historic mission more effectively? 1) How should scientific research be organized to optimize the use of the Institution's human, physical and financial resources? 2) How should the performance of scientific research by individuals and research departments be evaluated? 3) How can the relationship between research and public programming be enhanced? 4) What suggestions, of any type might the Science Commission have to strengthen research at the Smithsonian? 5) What should be the qualifications of those chosen to lead key scientific research units of the Smithsonian? 6) What should be done to enhance public recognition of Smithsonian science?