Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Commission to plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities appropriate to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, and to carry out other specified duties.
Directs the National Endowment for the Humanities to award grants for appropriate activities relating to the Civil War sesquicentennial, and to consider and give priority to programs carried out by institutions of higher education, museums, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, or state sesquicentennial commissions that support the duties of the Commission, including those that concentrate on the role of African Americans in the Civil War.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 599 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 599
To establish a commission to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the
American Civil War.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 16, 2011
Mr. Webb (for himself and Ms. Landrieu) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a commission to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the
American Civil War.
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 ``Civil War Sesquicentennial
Commission Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a Civil War
Sesquicentennial Commemoration Commission to--
(1) ensure a suitable national observance of the
sesquicentennial of the Civil War that includes recognition of
the historic, social, legal, cultural, and political forces
that--
(A) brought about the Civil War; and
(B) influenced the course and outcomes of the Civil
War;
(2) explore the causes of the Civil War to gain a better
understanding of the reasons that the democratic framework of
the United States failed to resolve the sectional issues
without resorting to war;
(3) fully examine and reflect on the consequences of the
Civil War, which Congress directed the National Park Service to
address in National Park Service programs and materials
beginning in 1999, including consequences such as--
(A) the Reconstruction era and the aftermath of
that era;
(B) the economic devastation of the entire South as
a result of long-term post-war policies;
(C) the concomitant constriction of equal rights
for African-American citizens; and
(D) the ultimate economic recovery of the region
and the extension of civil rights for the descendants
of enslaved peoples almost a century later;
(4) assist States and national organizations with programs
and activities for the observance of the sesquicentennial of
the Civil War;
(5) assist in ensuring that any observance of the
sesquicentennial of the Civil War is inclusive and
appropriately recognizes the experiences and points of view of
all people affected by the Civil War; and
(6) provide assistance for the development of programs,
projects, and activities on the Civil War that have lasting
educational and preservation value.
SEC. 3. CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION COMMISSION.
The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a commission to be
known as the Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Commission
(referred to in this Act as the ``Commission'').
SEC. 4. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall be composed of 25 members as
follows:
(1) Government members.--The Commission shall include--
(A) 2 Members of the Senate appointed by the
President pro tempore of the Senate, in consultation
with the majority leader and the minority leader of the
Senate;
(B) 2 Members of the House of Representatives
appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, in consultation with the minority
leader of the House of Representatives;
(C) the Secretary of the Interior or the designee
of the Secretary;
(D) the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,
or the designee of the Secretary;
(E) the Secretary of Education, or the designee of
the Secretary;
(F) the Secretary of Defense, or the designee of
the Secretary;
(G) the Chairman of the National Endowment for the
Humanities, or the designee of the Chairman;
(H) the Chairman of the National Endowment for the
Arts, or the designee of the Chairman;
(I) the Archivist of the United States, or the
designee of the Archivist;
(J) the Librarian of Congress, or the designee of
the Librarian; and
(K) the Director of the National Park Service, or
the designee of the Director.
(2) Private members.--The Commission shall include--
(A) 3 members appointed by the President from among
individuals who are representative of the corporate
community and nonprofit community; and
(B) 9 individuals, appointed by the President, from
among persons who by reason of education, training, and
experience, are experts on the Antebellum, Civil War,
and Reconstruction eras and the preservation,
interpretation, and presentation of those eras to the
public, including--
(i) 5 individuals with expertise in history
or related academic disciplines germane to the
Civil War, including--
(I) individuals representing the
museum community, in particular history
museums and historical societies, such
as the National Civil War Museum;
(II) individuals with expertise in
art history, historic preservation, or
a related field;
(III) individuals with expertise in
anthropology, cultural geography,
sociology, or a related field; and
(IV) individuals with expertise in
political science, law, economics, or a
related field;
(ii) 1 individual with expertise in the
preservation of Civil War historic sites and
battlefields; and
(iii) 3 individuals representing State
Civil War sesquicentennial efforts.
(b) Terms.--
(1) Government members.--If any member of the Commission
who was appointed as an officer under subsection (a)(1) leaves
that office, the member may continue as a member of the
Commission for not longer than the 30-day period beginning on
the date on which the member leaves the office.
(2) Private members.--Private members appointed under
subsection (a)(2) shall be appointed for the life of the
Commission.
(c) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its
powers, and shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment.
(d) Initial Appointments.--The appointment of the members of the
Commission shall be made not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) Meetings.--
(1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 60 days after the date
on which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the
members appointed under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section
4(a)(2) shall call the first meeting of the Commission.
(2) Subsequent meetings.--The Commission shall hold
subsequent meetings at the call of the chairperson.
(b) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--At the initial meeting, the
Commission shall elect a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among
its voting members.
(c) Quorum.--A majority of voting members shall constitute a
quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings.
(d) Voting.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall act only on an
affirmative vote of a majority of the voting members of the
Commission.
(2) Nonvoting members.--The individuals appointed under
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 4(a)(1) shall be nonvoting
members, and shall serve only in an advisory capacity.
SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) Activities Related to the Sesquicentennial.--The Commission
shall--
(1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities
appropriate to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil
War, including activities in recognition of the historic,
social, legal, cultural, and political forces that--
(A) caused the Civil War; and
(B) influenced the course and outcomes of the Civil
War;
(2) encourage interdisciplinary examination of the Civil
War;
(3) facilitate and promote Civil War-related activities
throughout the United States;
(4) encourage civic, historical, educational, economic,
preservation, and other organizations throughout the United
States to organize and participate in activities to expand the
understanding and appreciation of the significance of the Civil
War;
(5) coordinate and facilitate the public distribution of
scholarly research, publications, and interpretations of the
Civil War through institutions such as the Virginia Center for
Digital History at the University of Virginia, the Valley of
the Shadow, Center for Study of the American South at the
University of North Carolina, and the Center for the Study of
Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi;
(6) coordinate with, and provide technical assistance to,
States, units of local government, and nonprofit organizations
(including State and local sesquicentennial commemoration
entities) to further the commemoration of the sesquicentennial
of the Civil War;
(7) coordinate and facilitate commemoration activities of
Federal agencies relating to the sesquicentennial of the Civil
War;
(8) develop programs and facilities to ensure that the
sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War results in a
positive legacy and long-term public benefit;
(9) encourage and facilitate the preservation of Civil War-
related historic sites and battlefields as a lasting legacy of
the sesquicentennial commemoration;
(10) plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities
to use funds raised from individuals, foundations, and
corporations for sesquicentennial activities at the national
level;
(11) at the election of the Commission, provide funds to
State and local programs to carry out activities that advance
the goals of the Commission; and
(12) encourage the development and conduct of programs
designed to involve the international community in activities
that commemorate the Civil War.
(b) Plans and Report.--
(1) Strategic plan and annual performance plans.--The
Commission shall prepare a strategic plan in accordance with
section 306 of title 5, United States Code, and annual
performance plans in accordance with section 1115 of title 31,
United States Code, for the activities of the Commission
carried out under this Act.
(2) Reports.--
(A) Annual report.--The Commission shall submit to
Congress an annual report that contains a list of each
gift, bequest, or devise with a value of more than
$250, together with the identity of the donor of each
such gift, bequest, or devise.
(B) Final report.--Not later than December 30,
2015, the Commission shall submit to Congress a final
report that contains--
(i) a summary of activities of the
Commission;
(ii) a final accounting of funds received
and expended by the Commission; and
(iii) the findings and recommendations of
the Commission.
SEC. 7. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Grants Authorized.--The National Endowment for the Humanities
shall award grants under this section for the uses described in
subsection (b).
(b) Use of Grants.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used
for appropriate activities relating to the sesquicentennial of the
Civil War.
(c) Consideration.--In awarding grants under this section, the
National Endowment of the Humanities shall consider and give priority
to programs carried out by institutions of higher education, museums,
nonprofit organizations, professional associations, or State
sesquicentennial commissions with a national scope that support the
duties of the Commission described in section 6, including programs
that concentrate on the role of African Americans in the Civil War.
SEC. 8. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.
The Commission may--
(1) solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests,
or devises of money or other real or personal property for the
purpose of aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission;
(2) appoint any advisory committee as the Commission
considers appropriate for the purposes of this Act;
(3) authorize any voting member or employee of the
Commission to take any action that the Commission is authorized
to take under this Act;
(4) procure supplies, services, and property, and make or
enter into contracts, leases, or other legal agreements to
carry out this Act (except that any contracts, leases, or other
legal agreements entered into by the Commission shall not
extend beyond the date of the termination of the Commission);
(5) use the United States mails in the same manner and
under the same conditions as other Federal agencies; and
(6) establish a foundation that is independent from, but
affiliated with, the Commission to support, as the Commission
determines to be necessary, the efforts of the Commission.
SEC. 9. PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) Compensation of Members.--Members of the Commission, and
members of any advisory committee appointed under section 8(2), shall
serve without compensation.
(b) Travel Expenses.--Members of the Commission, and members of any
advisory committees appointed under section 8(2), shall be allowed
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates
authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of chapter
57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from the home or regular
place of business of the member in the performance of the duties of the
Commission.
(c) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission may,
without regard to civil service laws (including regulations),
appoint and terminate an executive director and such other
additional personnel as are necessary to enable the Commission
to perform the duties of the Commission.
(2) Confirmation of executive director.--The employment of
an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the
Commission.
(3) Compensation.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the Chairperson of the Commission may fix the
compensation of the executive director and other
personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United
States Code, relating to classification of positions
and General Schedule pay rates.
(B) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the
executive director and other personnel shall not exceed
the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule
under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(d) Detail of Government Employees.--
(1) In general.--At the request of the Commission, the head
of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable or
nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the agency to
the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out the
duties of the Commission under this Act.
(2) Civil service status.--The detail of an employee under
paragraph (1) shall be without interruption or loss of civil
service status or privilege.
(e) Volunteer and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding section
1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission may accept and use
voluntary and uncompensated services as the Commission determines
necessary.
(f) Support Services.--The Director of the National Park Service
shall provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, such
administrative support services as the Commission may request.
(g) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The
Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at daily
rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the
annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive
Schedule under section 5316 of that title.
(h) FACA Nonapplicability.--Section 14(b) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Commission.
(i) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the date that
is 90 days after the date on which the Commission submits its report
under section 6(b)(2).
SEC. 10. AUDIT OF COMMISSION.
The Inspector General of the Department of the Interior shall
perform an annual audit of the Commission and shall make the results of
the audit available to the public.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this Act (other than section 7) $500,000 for each of fiscal years
2012 through 2016.
(b) Grants.--There is authorized to be appropriated $3,500,000 to
the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide grants under
section 7, to remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-124.
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