economic and political fabric of the Territory, and subsequent exception; and special
arrangements by the Congress and the President have produced a disorganized and
unacceptable patchwork approach by the Federal government toward the Virgin
Islands; and

 WHEREAS it is fundamentally important that no negotiations on political status
 go forward without the advance and continuing input of the people of the Virgin Islands
 through broad public hearings and consultation with organizations representing
 political, civic, labor and business groups, and through discussions with delegates to
 the Fourth Constitutional Convention; Now, Therefore,

 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands:

 Section 1. (a) There is hereby created the Virgin Islands Status Commission
 consisting of 17 members. None shall be employees of the Government of the United
 States. Seven of the members shall be appointed by the Governor, of whom three
 shall be officials of the Government of the Virgin Islands, one of whom may be the
 Governor or his designee, and five shall be citizens of the Virgin Islands not employed
 by the Government. Four of the members shall be members of the Virgin Islands
 Legislature appointed by the President of the Legislature; Provided, however, That at
 least one Senator-member shall not be a member of the majority party. The President
 of the Legislature may, at his discretion, serve as one of five Senators who are
 members. The President shall appoint one member who shall be a citizen of the Virgin
 Islands not employed by the Government. The Lieutenant Governor shall be a member
 of the Commission. The President of the Fourth Constitutional Convention shall be a
 member of the Commission. The Chairman of the Committee on Federal-Territorial
 Relations of the Fourth Constitutional Convention shall be a member of the
 Commission. The Presiding Judge of the Territorial Court shall be a member of the
 Commission and its Chairman. Any member of the Commission appointed by virtue of
 his office shall cease to be a member of the Commission upon his failure to hold that
 office; provided, however, that such person may subsequently serve as a non-
 governmental appointee if a vacancy exists to which he or she may be appointed. No
 person shall continue as a member of the Commission who has failed to attend three
 consecutive meetings of the Commission.

 (b) Within ten days after the date of enactment of this act, the Chairman of the
Commission shall call together the members of the Commission to adopt rules
governing its proceedings. A quorum of nine members is required for the transaction of
all business.

 (c) Members of the Commission who are not officials or employees of the
Government of the Virgin Islands shall be compensated $30 per day for each day or
part thereof spent in the work of the Commission. All members of the Commission shall
be reimbursed for actual reasonable subsistence and travel expenses as determined
by the Commission when the work of the Commission requires them to travel away
from the island of their residence.