The Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations will analyze input from a variety of sources and after careful deliberation will issue a report to Senator Charles Grassley addressing key issues emanating from the Senator’s staff report dated January 6, 2011. The Commission will also address tax policy issues that the Commission identifies as warranting legislative attention in addition to those raised by the Senator’s staff in the report. The Commission operates under the authority of the ECFA board of directors.
The framework of the Commission’s work can best be described in terms of inputs and outputs. The inputs received will come from a variety of sources including the Senator and his staff, Treasury Department (IRS) officials, legal experts, religious sector representatives, nonprofit sector representatives, and the general public. The outputs include periodic reports and accountability to ECFA’s board of directors, periodic updates to the public and to Senator Grassley, and the Commission’s ultimate report to the Senator.
Three formal panels – the Panel of Legal Experts, the Panel of Religious Sector Representatives, and the Panel of Nonprofit Sector Representatives – will convene to discuss the issues and provide input to the Commission. Members of each panel will be requested to submit position papers addressing the key issues. The position papers will be required to conform to specific format criteria, including a requirement that the basis for positions espoused be clearly articulated and, where applicable, supported by citations of reference. The position paper submission process for the Panel of Legal Experts will be more robust. After position papers are submitted, other members of the Panel of Legal Experts will be encouraged to submit rebuttal papers in response to position papers with which they disagree. After rebuttal papers are submitted, the authors of the original position papers will be provided an opportunity to respond to the rebuttals. Position papers may also be requested by the Commission from individuals and organizations who are not represented on one of the Panels.
The Panel of Religious Sector Representatives includes individuals who represent various religious faiths including, but not necessarily limited to, Protestant Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam. Special emphasis was placed on engaging leaders who represent large segments of their respective faith groups.
The Commission will obtain input from the general public on the issues informally and by hosting Town Hall Meetings in locations across the country.
Position papers (including related submissions in connection with papers submitted by members of the Panel of Legal Experts) that conform to the requirements for submission will be published by the Commission on its website (religiouspolicycommission.org). Positions espoused in the papers will be analyzed by ECFA staff and the Commission’s legal counsel and presented to the Commission for consideration.
The Commission does not have a definitive timetable for completion of its work. Ample time must be allowed to carry out the process carefully, thoroughly, and professionally. It is expected that the Commission will complete its report no later than the end of 2013.
The Commission meetings are not open to the public. However, periodic public updates will be provided regarding the nature and progress of the Commission’s work.
As host and sponsor of the Commission, ECFA is responsible for the costs of the logistics of the Commission’s work. ECFA will be soliciting financial support for that purpose. The names of donors who support the Commission’s work and amounts given will be disclosed publicly by ECFA.
ECFA will also be asking various groups that support its work to pray regularly for the Commission and for all those involved in the deliberation process.