Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 87.djvu/1025

 87 STAT.]

PUBLIC LAW 93-236-JAN. 2, 1974

993

REPORT

SEC. 204. (a) PREPARATION.—Within 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare a comprehensive report containing his conclusions and recommendations with respect to the o-eographic zones within the region in and between which rail service should be provided and the criteria upon which such conclusions and recommendations are based. The Secretary may use as a basis for the identification of such geographic zones the standard metropolitan statistical areas, groups of such areas, counties, or groups of counties having similar economic characteristics such as mining, manufacturing, or farming. (b) SUBMISSION.—The Secretary shall submit the ref)ort required by subsection (a) of this section to the Office, the Association, the Governor and public utilities commission of each State studied in the report, local governments, consumer organizations, environmental Publication in groups, the public, and the Congress. The Secretary shall further cause Federal Register. a copy of the report to be published in the Federal Kegister. RAIL SERVICES PLAXXIXG OFFICE

SEC. 205. (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established, on the date of enactment of this Act, a new Office in the Commission to be known as the Rail Services Planning Office. The Office shall function continuously pursuant to the provisions of this Act, and shall cease to Termination exist 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. The Office shall date. be administered by a director. (b) DIRECTOR.—The Director of the Office shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Commission with the concurrence of 5 members of the Commission. The Director of the Office shall administer and be r'esponsible for the discharge of the functions and duties of the Office from the date he takes office unless removed for cause by the Commission. He shall be compensated at a rate to be set by the Chairman of the Commission without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 80 Stat. 378. 5 classification, and General Schedule pay rates, but at a rate not in seq. u s e 101 et excess of the maximum rate for GS-18 of the General Schedule under 5 USC 5332 note. section 5332 of such title. (c) POWERS.—The Director of the Office is subject to the direction of, and shall report to, such member of the Commission as the Chairman thereof shall designate. The Chairman may designate himself as that member. Such Director is authorized, with the concurrence of such member or (in case of disagreement) the Chairman of the Commission, to— (1) appoint, fix the compensation, and assign the duties of employees of the Office without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and to procure temporary and intermittent services to the same extent as is authorized under section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed $250 a day for qualified 80 Stat. 416. experts. Each department, agency, and instrumentality of the executive branch of the Federal Government and each independent regulatory agency of the United States is authorized and shall give careful consideration to a request to furnish to the Director of the Office, upon written request, on a reimbursable basis or otherwise, such assistance as the Director deems necessary to carry out the functions and duties of the Office. Such assistance includes transfer of personnel with their consent and without prejudice to their position and rating; and

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