National Lighthouse Museum Act

Summary: National Lighthouse Museum Act - Establishes a National Lighthouse Museum Commission to:  (1) develop a fund raising plan, acquire a site, and draft an operational proposal for establishing a National Lighthouse Museum at a lighthouse-related site within the United States and listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and (2) establish the National Lighthouse Museum Corporation to direct and control the Museum.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Lighthouse Museum Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``National 
Lighthouse Museum Commission'' (in this Act referred to as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall--
            (1) develop a fundraising plan, acquire a site, and draft 
        an operational proposal for establishing a National Lighthouse 
        Museum at a lighthouse-related site that is within the United 
        States and listed on the National Register of Historic Places; 
        and
            (2) establish the National Lighthouse Museum Corporation in 
        accordance with this Act.
    (b) Reports.--The Commission shall submit an annual report to the 
Congress describing the activities of the Commission during the 
preceding year.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 19 
members appointed as follows:
            (1) 1 by the National Conference of State Historic 
        Preservation Officers.
            (2) 13 by the National Lighthouse Museum Feasibility 
        Steering Committee.
            (3) 1 by the Coast Guard.
            (4) 1 by the Secretary of the Interior.
            (5) 1 by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
            (6) 1 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
            (7) 1 by the American Association of Museums.
    (b) Terms; Vacancies.--
            (1) In general.--Members of the Commission shall serve for 
        the life of the Commission.
            (2) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
        in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (c) Rates of Pay.--Members of the Commission shall serve without 
pay.
    (d) Travel Expenses.--Each member of the Commission shall receive 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (e) Bylaws.--The Commission shall adopt bylaws to carry out its 
functions under this Act.
    (f) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall be 
elected by the Commission from among its members.
    (g) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
Chairperson. The Chairperson shall convene the first meeting for not 
later than January 1, 1999. One-third of the members of the Commission 
shall constitute a quorum, and any vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect its powers to function. The Commission may adopt rules to govern 
its proceedings.
    (h) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the earlier 
of--
            (1) 5 years after the date of completion of appointment of 
        the members of the Commission; or
            (2) the completion of appointment of the initial board of 
        directors of the National Lighthouse Corporation under section 
        6(d).

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission may accept from the National 
Lighthouse Museum Feasibility Steering Committee such administrative 
support as may be necessary to carry out its responsibilities under 
this Act.
    (b) Administrator of General Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act.

SEC. 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM CORPORATION.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall establish, under the 
        laws of the State in which is located the site acquired under 
        section 3(a)(1) for the National Lighthouse Museum and in 
        accordance with this section, the National Lighthouse Museum 
Corporation (in this Act referred to as the ``Corporation''). Subject 
to paragraph (2), the Corporation is a federally chartered corporation.
            (2) Expiration of charter.--If the Corporation does not 
        comply with any provision of this section, the charter granted 
        by this section expires.
    (b) Purposes.--The purpose of the Corporation is to establish the 
National Lighthouse Museum as provided for by the Commission under 
section 3(a)(1).
    (c) Board of Directors and Officers.--
            (1) Board of directors.--The board of directors of the 
        Corporation and the responsibilities of the board shall be as 
        provided in its articles of incorporation. The Commission shall 
        appoint the initial members of the board of directors by not 
        later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Officers.--The officers of the Corporation and the 
        election of its officers shall be as provided in the articles 
        of incorporation.
    (d) Powers.--The Corporation shall have only the powers provided in 
its bylaws and articles of incorporation filed in each State in which 
it is incorporated.
    (e) Restrictions.--
            (1) Stock and dividends.--The Corporation may not issue 
        stock or declare or pay a dividend.
            (2) Political activities.--The Corporation or a director or 
        officer as such may not contribute to, support, or participate 
        in any political activity or in any manner attempt to influence 
        legislation.
            (3) Distribution of income or assets.--The income or assets 
        of the Corporation may not inure to the benefit of, or be 
        distributed to, a director, officer, or member during the life 
        of the charter granted by this section. This paragraph does not 
        prevent the payment of reasonable compensation to an officer or 
        reimbursement for actual necessary expenses in amounts approved 
        by the board of directors.
            (4) Loans.--The Corporation may not make a loan to a 
        director, officer, or employee.
            (5) Claim of governmental approval or authorization.--The 
        Corporation may not claim congressional approval or the 
        authority of the United States Government for any of its 
        activities.
    (f) Duty To Maintain Corporate and Tax-Exempt Status.--
            (1) Corporate status.--The Corporation shall maintain its 
        status as a corporation incorporated under the laws of the 
        State referred to in subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Tax-exempt status.--The Corporation shall maintain its 
        status as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under 
        section 501(a) of that Code.
    (g) Records and Inspection.--
            (1) Records.--The Corporation shall keep--
                    (A) correct and complete records of account;
                    (B) minutes of the proceedings of its members, 
                board of directors, and committees; and
                    (C) at its principal office, a record of the names 
                and addresses of its members entitled to vote.
            (2) Inspection.--A member entitled to vote, or an agent or 
        attorney of the member, may inspect the records of the 
        Corporation for any proper purpose, at any reasonable time.
    (h) Service of Process.--The Corporation shall comply with the law 
on services of process of each State in which it is incorporated and 
each State in which it carries on activities.
    (i) Liability for Acts of Officers and Agents.--The Corporation is 
liable for the acts of its officers and agents acting within the scope 
of their authority.
    (j) Annual Report.--The Corporation shall submit an annual report 
to the Congress on the activities of the Corporation during the prior 
fiscal year. The report may not be printed as a public document.
    (k) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``State'' 
includes the District of Columbia and the territories and possessions 
of the United States.

SEC. 7. OPERATION OF NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM.

    (a) In General.--The National Lighthouse Museum established under 
this Act shall operate under the direction and control of the 
Corporation.
    (b) Facilities.--In addition to the site at which the National 
Lighthouse Museum is established under section 3, the museum shall have 
a storage facility located near the site for the care, conservation, 
and maintenance of artifacts in the collection of the museum.
    (c) Support to Other Museums.--The National Lighthouse Museum shall 
provide support to other museums that interpret the history of aids to 
navigation in the United States.
    (d) Designation of Collection.--The collection of artifacts of the 
National Lighthouse Museum shall be known as the National Lighthouse 
Collection.