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1 the Commission shall not affect its powers, and three mem2 bors of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.

3 (d) The Commission shall have existence until Decem4 ber 31, 1970, except that if legislation is enacted on or before 5 such date to implement the gerontological research plan, 6 the Commission shall continue in existence and be responsible 7 for carrying out such plan.

9 SEC. 6. (a) There is hereby established within the 10 Commission a Bio-Medical Research Board and a Social and 11 Policy Sciences Board.

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(b) These Boards shall, under the supervision of the 13 Commission, prepare the gerontological research plan.

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(c) Each Board shall consist of not less than five nor more than eight members, a majority of whom are highly 16 recognized scientists and scholars who have been engaged in 17 fundamental, relevant research within the preceding decade. 18 The members of the Boards shall be appointed by the Com19 mission without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 20 States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 21 service.

22 The Commission shall fix the compensation of such 23 members without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 24 subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classi

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1 fication and General Schedule pay rates, but no member 2 of the Boards shall receive compensation in excess of the 3 rate payable for positions in GS-18 of the General Schedule 4 uinder section 5332 of such title.

6 SEC. 7. (a) The Commission is authorized to employ 7 such officers and employees as may be necessary to carry out its functions under this Act.

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(b) The Commission is authorized to obtain services 10 of consultants in accordance with the provisions of section 11 3109 of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals 12 not to exceed $100 per diem.

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POWERS OF COMMISSION

SEC. 8. (a) To carry out this Act, the Commission shall

15 have the authority

(1) to prescribe such rules and regulations as it deems necessary governing the manner of its operations and its organization and personnel;

(2) to obtain from any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States, with the consent of the head thereof, such facilities, services, supplies,

advice and information as the Commission may deter

mine to be required by it to carry out its duties;

(3) to acquire by lease, loan, or gift, and to hold and

dispose of by sale, lease, or loan, real and personal

68-179 O-71-2

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property of all kinds necessary for, or resulting from,

the exercise of authority under this Act;

(4) to enter into contracts or other arrangements, or modifications thereof, with State and local govern

ments, and institutions and individuals in the United

States, to conduct programs the Commission deems nec

essary to carry out the purposes of this Act, and such contracts or other arrangements, or modifications thereof,

may be entered into without legal consideration, without performance or other bonds, and without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (41 U.S.C. 5);

(5) to make advance, progress, and other payments which the Commission deems necessary under this Act without regard to the provisions of section 3648 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (31 U.S.C. 529);

(6) to receive money and other property donated, bequeathed, or devised to the Commission, without condition or restriction other than that it be used for the purposes of the Commission;

(7) to accept and utilize the services of voluntary and uncompensated personnel and reimburse them for

travel expenses, including per diem, as authorized by

section 5703 of title 5, United States Code; and

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(8) to make any other expenditures necessary to

carry out this Act.

AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 9. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated

5 such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions 6 and purposes of this Act.

Senator EAGLETON. We will now receive for the record the statement of the chairman of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, formerly chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, and one of the most knowledgeable men in the country on the problems of the aging, the distinguished Senator from New Jersey, Mr. Williams.

STATEMENT OF HON. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, JR., A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Senator WILLIAMS. Mr. Chairman, before proceeding with my statement, I would like to compliment you for calling early hearings on research on aging proposals and the need for establishing a national nutrition program to meet the special needs of the elderly.

With the White House Conference on Aging only a few months away, these hearings are particularly timely and appropriate. And enactment of legislation in these two important areas-nutrition and research-would be especially helpful în moving toward a national policy on aging.

These hearings also take on an added dimension because the research and nutritional needs of the elderly now receive inadequate attention. This is especially evident in the field of aging research, where our commitment is far behind the documented need.

Many businesses and governmental units spend about 5 percent of their available funds for research. And their investments have been increasing because they recognize the value of fundamental and applied research. During the past 20 years, expenditures for research have increased nearly twice as fast as our gross national product.

But our outlays for research in the field of aging have been woefully inadequate, amounting to about two-tenths of 1 percent of our current investment. Applying the same percentage rate of funding as in other areas, we should be spending about 10 to 25 times as much as we currently do.

Yet, minimal funding is only one facet of the aging research syndrome. Existing organizational patterns in Government have also contributed to the problem. In a very real sense, they are outmoded and not designed to obtain the maximum coordinated effort which is so urgently needed. Grants for aging research, for example, have been conducted through many Federal agencies and within many different units in these departments. This diffusion of responsibility has resulted in duplication of efforts, lack of coordination, and gaps in our overall approach.

But today we have under consideration two different proposals to eliminate the existing fragmented and haphazard approach to aging research. The first measure is a bill which you have authored, Mr. Chairman-a bill to establish a National Institute of Gerontology within the Public Health Service. And the second proposal is legislation which I have sponsored-a bill to create a seven-member Aging Research Commission for the purpose of promoting research into the biological, medical, psychological, social, and economic aspects of aging.

Both bills are similar in that they would provide a Federal focus for aging research. Yet they differ in other respects. In establishing a National Institute of Gerontology, S. 887 would operate within the