Proposals are gathering steam in the 109th Congress for "sunset commissions" -- forcing federal programs to plead for their lives before an unelected commission with the power to recommend whether they live or die. Proposals for sunset commissions have been introduced several times over the last ten years, but they have rarely advanced beyond the occasional courtesy hearing. In the 109th Congress, not only have several members of Congress introduced sunset bills, but also the White House itself released its own proposal. Leading proposals would force federal programs to plead for their lives before an unelected commission, which would have the power to recommend whether the programs live or die. In the major proposals introduced in the 109th Congress, the commission's recommendations would be forced through Congress on a fast-track, take-it-or-leave-it basis, with very constrained debate and no opportunity for amendment. Momentum for the sunset commission concept picked up in March 2006, when the Republican Study Committee (a coalition of some of the Republican members of the House) demanded a guaranteed floor vote on sunset commissions as a condition of securing its members' votes on the House budget resolution. Follow these developments in our resource center:

• Catch up on the major developments, and look back at the recent history of these proposals, in the news section.
• What's at stake? What are the working parts of these proposals? What makes them such bad ideas? Find out in the analysis section.
• Need a little more of the big picture? Check out the background section.
• Download testimony, sign-on letters, and more in the correspondence section.
• With so much at stake, these issues should definitely be in the news. Check out our press releases, media alerts, and statements in the press release section.
• Want to see the proposals with your own eyes? Download bill text and other official documents in the gov docs section.

And, as always, keep your eye on our blog REG•WATCH for the latest up-to-the-minute developments on sunset commissions and other issues in regulatory policy and government management.