September 11th Heroes Memorial Park Act - Establishes a national memorial at the Staten Island, New York, recovery site to honor the final resting place of those lost at the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001.
Creates the September 11th Heroes Memorial Park Advisory Commission to: (1) submit to the Secretary of the Interior and Congress a report with recommendations for the planning, design, construction, and management of a permanent memorial at the site; (2) advise the Secretary on memorial site boundaries; (3) advise the Secretary in the development of a management plan for the memorial; (4) consult and coordinate with specified entities; (5) address Federal funding for operation and maintenance of the memorial; (6) provide significant opportunities for public participation in the planning and design of the memorial; and (7) officially name the memorial.
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) assist the Commission with specified tasks and staffing; (2) participate in the planning, design, and construction of the memorial; (3) acquire land for the memorial site from willing sellers; and (4) administer the memorial as a unit of the National Park Service.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1769 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1769
To authorize a national memorial to commemorate the final resting place
of those lost at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 21, 2005
Mr. Fossella introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize a national memorial to commemorate the final resting place
of those lost at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``September 11th Heroes Memorial Park
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked 4 civilian
aircraft, crashing 2 of them into the towers of the World Trade
Center in New York City, causing the destruction of the towers.
(2) These were by far the deadliest terrorist attacks ever
launched against the United States, claiming the lives of more
than 3,000 innocent people, 2,797 of whom died in New York
City.
(3) The debris from the destruction of the World Trade
Center towers was taken to a landfill on Staten Island, New
York, for cleanup and investigation and to continue the
recovery of victim remains and effects that could not be
performed at the site of the towers' collapse in Manhattan.
(4) Over the 10-month period following September 11, 2001,
more than 1,000 people worked at the landfill around the clock
every day, tirelessly and carefully sifting through all
1,620,000 tons of debris from the World Trade Center site
searching for remains, personal effects, and evidence from what
is now considered to be history's largest crime scene.
(5) Approximately 20 percent of all the victim remains
recovered following the towers' collapse, as well as more than
54,000 personal items, from wedding rings and photographs to
driver licenses and keys were retrieved at the Staten Island
site.
(6) The remains of 306 of the 1,423 World Trade Center
victims whose remains have been identified and returned to
their families were recovered at the Staten Island site.
(7) Victims' families were brought some sort of peace by
being given back something personal of lost loved ones, whether
through a positive identification of a victim's remains or the
return of something so simple and yet so meaningful as a
wedding ring, a watch, or a wallet.
(8) On July 15, 2002, after 10 months, the cleanup and
recovery operations at the landfill on Staten Island, New York,
came to a somber conclusion.
(9) The site commemorates those lost. The determination of
appropriate recognition there will be a slowly unfolding
process in order to address the interests and concerns of all
interested parties. Appropriate national assistance and
recognition must give ample opportunity for those involved to
voice these broad concerns.
(10) It is appropriate that the site be designated a unit
of the National Park System.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To establish a national memorial to honor the final
resting place of some of those lost at the World Trade Center
on September 11, 2001.
(2) To establish the memorial advisory commission to assist
with consideration and formulation of plans for a permanent
memorial to those lost at the World Trade Center, including its
nature, design, and construction.
(3) To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
coordinate and facilitate the activities of the Memorial
Advisory Commission and administer a victim's memorial at the
site of the Fresh Kills Landfill operation on Staten Island,
New York.
SEC. 3. MEMORIAL TO HONOR THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF THOSE LOST AT THE
WORLD TRADE CENTER ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.
There is established a memorial at the Staten Island recovery site
to honor the final resting place of those lost at the World Trade
Center on September 11, 2001.
SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known
as the ``September 11th Heroes Memorial Park Advisory Commission''
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'').
(b) Membership.--The Commission shall consist of 15 members as
follows:
(1) The Director of the National Park Service, or the
Director's designee.
(2) 7 members appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.
(3) 5 members appointed by the Member of Congress
representing the 13th Congressional District of the State of
New York.
(4) 1 member appointed by the mayor of the City of New
York, New York.
(5) 1 member appointed by the governor of the State of New
York.
(c) Term.--The term of the members of the Commission shall be for
the life of the Commission.
(d) Chair.--The members of the Commission shall select the Chair of
the Commission.
(e) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its
powers if a quorum is present, but shall be filled in the same manner
as the original appointment.
(f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chairperson or a majority of the members, but not less often than
quarterly. Notice of the Commission meetings and agendas for the
meetings shall be published in local newspapers and in the Federal
Register. Meetings of the Commission shall be subject to section 552b
of title 5, United States Code (relating to open meetings).
(g) Quorum.--A majority of the members serving on the Commission
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.
(h) No Compensation.--Members of the Commission shall serve without
compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in carrying
out the duties of the Commission.
(i) Duties.--The Commission shall--
(1) not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, submit to the Secretary of the Interior and
Congress a report containing recommendations for the planning,
design, construction, and long-term management of a permanent
memorial at the memorial site;
(2) advise the Secretary of the Interior on the boundaries
of the memorial site;
(3) advise the Secretary of the Interior in the development
of a management plan for the memorial;
(4) consult and coordinate closely with the city of New
York, the State of New York, and other interested parties,
including coordination with the City of New York's Master
Planning for the Fresh Kills Landfill site;
(5) ensure a plan for adequate Federal funding of long-term
operation and maintenance of the memorial;
(6) provide significant opportunities for public
participation in the planning and design of the memorial; and
(7) officially name the memorial.
(j) Powers.--The Commission may--
(1) make such expenditures for services and materials for
the purpose of carrying out this Act as the Commission
considers advisable from funds appropriated or received as
gifts for that purpose;
(2) accept gifts to be used in carrying out this section or
to be used in connection with the construction or other
expenses of the memorial;
(3) hold hearings, enter into contracts for personal
services and otherwise;
(4) do such other things as are necessary to carry out this
Act; and
(5) by a vote of the majority of the Commission, delegate
such of its duties as it determines appropriate to employees of
the National Park Service staff.
(k) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate upon dedication of
the completed memorial.
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.
The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to--
(1) provide assistance to the Commission, including advice
on collections, storage, and archives;
(2) consult and assist the Commission in providing
information, interpretation, and the conduct of oral history
interviews;
(3) provide assistance in conducting public meetings and
forums held by the Commission;
(4) participate in or support the planning efforts for the
memorial;
(5) provide programming and design assistance to the
Commission for possible memorial exhibits, collections, or
activities;
(6) provide project management assistance to the Commission
for design and construction activities;
(7) provide staff assistance and support to the Commission;
(8) participate in the formulation of plans for the design
of the memorial and to construct the memorial;
(9) acquire from willing sellers the land or interests in
land for the memorial site by donation, purchase with donated
or appropriated funds, or exchange; and
(10) administer the September 11th heroes memorial as a
unit of the National Park Service in accordance with this Act
and with the laws generally applicable to units of the National
Park System such as the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 585).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks.
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