Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act

Summary: Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act  This bill establishes the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission to study activities that may be carried out by the federal government to honor Frederick Douglass on the bicentennial anniversary of his birth, including: (1) the issuance of a postage stamp, (2) the convening of a joint meeting or joint session of Congress for ceremonies and activities relating to Frederick Douglass, (3) a rededication of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, and (4) the acquisition and preservation of related artifacts. By December 1, 2017, the commission must recommend appropriate activities in a final report to Congress.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Frederick Douglass Bicentennial 
Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 
        1818 and given the name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey 
        after his mother Harriet Bailey, Frederick Douglass has been 
        called the father of the civil rights movement.
            (2) Douglass rose through determination, brilliance, and 
        eloquence to shape the American Nation. He was an abolitionist, 
        human rights and women's rights activist, orator, author, 
        journalist, publisher, and social reformer.
            (3) Taught basic reading skills by his mistress until she 
        was forced to stop, Douglass continued to teach himself to read 
        and write and taught other slaves to read despite risks 
        including death.
            (4) During the course of his remarkable life Frederick 
        Douglass escaped from slavery, became internationally renowned 
        for his eloquence in the cause of liberty, and went on to serve 
        the national government in several official capacities.
            (5) Forced to leave the country to avoid arrest as an 
        escaped slave, he returned to become a staunch advocate of the 
        Union cause and helped recruit African-American troops for the 
        Union Army, including two of his sons, Charles and Lewis 
        Douglass. His personal relationship with Abraham Lincoln helped 
        persuade the President to make emancipation a cause of the 
        Civil War.
            (6) With the abolition of slavery at the close of the Civil 
        War, Douglass then turned his attention to the full integration 
        of African-Americans into the political and economic life of 
        the United States. Committed to freedom, Douglass dedicated his 
        life to achieving justice for all Americans, in particular 
        African-Americans, women, and minority groups. He envisioned 
        America as an inclusive Nation strengthened by diversity and 
        free of discrimination.
            (7) Douglass served as an advisor to Presidents. Abraham 
        Lincoln referred to him as the most meritorious man of the 
        nineteenth century. Douglass was appointed to several offices. 
        He served as the United States Marshal of the District of 
        Columbia under Rutherford B. Hayes' administration; President 
        James Garfield appointed Douglass the District of Columbia 
        Recorder of Deeds. In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison 
        appointed Frederick Douglass to be the United States minister 
        to Haiti. He was also appointed by President Grant to serve as 
        Assistant Secretary of the Commission of Inquiry to Santo 
        Domingo.
            (8) Douglass lived in the District of Columbia for 23 of 
        his 57 years as a free man, and in recognition of his 
        leadership and continuous fight for justice and freedom, his 
        home, Cedar Hill, was established as a National Historic Site 
        in Anacostia, in Southeast Washington, DC.
            (9) Frederick Douglass was deeply committed to obtaining 
        equal congressional voting and self-government rights for 
        District of Columbia residents and his statue in the United 
        States Capitol is a gift from the almost 650,000 American 
        citizens of the District of Columbia.
            (10) All Americans could benefit from studying the life of 
        Frederick Douglass, for Douglass dedicated his own life to 
        ensuring freedom and equality for future generations of 
        Americans. This Nation should ensure that his tireless 
        struggle, transformative words, and inclusive vision of 
        humanity continue to inspire and sustain us.
            (11) The year 2018 marks the bicentennial anniversary of 
        the birth of Frederick Douglass, and a commission should be 
        established to study and recommend to Congress activities that 
        are fitting and proper to celebrate that anniversary in a 
        manner that appropriately honors Frederick Douglass.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the Frederick 
Douglass Bicentennial Commission (referred to in this Act as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 4. DUTIES.

    The Commission shall have the following duties:
            (1) To study activities that may be carried out by the 
        Federal Government to determine whether the activities are 
        fitting and proper to honor Frederick Douglass on the occasion 
        of the bicentennial anniversary of Douglass' birth, including--
                    (A) the issuance of a Frederick Douglass 
                bicentennial postage stamp;
                    (B) the convening of a joint meeting or joint 
                session of Congress for ceremonies and activities 
                relating to Frederick Douglass;
                    (C) a rededication of the Frederick Douglass 
                National Historic Site, or other activity with respect 
                to the Site; and
                    (D) the acquisition and preservation of artifacts 
                associated with Frederick Douglass.
            (2) To recommend to Congress the activities that the 
        Commission considers most fitting and proper to honor Frederick 
        Douglass on such occasion, and the entity or entities in the 
        Federal Government that the Commission considers most 
        appropriate to carry out such activities.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 16 
members appointed as follows:
            (1) Two members, each of whom shall be a qualified citizen 
        described in subsection (b), appointed by the President.
            (2) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Maryland.
            (3) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Massachusetts.
            (4) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of New York.
            (5) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Mayor of the District of Columbia.
            (6) Three members, at least one of whom shall be a Member 
        of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of 
        the House of Representatives.
            (7) Three members, at least one of whom shall be a Senator, 
        appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.
            (8) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Member of 
        the House of Representatives, appointed by the minority leader 
        of the House of Representatives.
            (9) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Senator, 
        appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.
    (b) Qualified Citizen.--A qualified citizen described in this 
subsection is a private citizen of the United States with--
            (1) a demonstrated dedication to educating others about the 
        importance of historical figures and events; and
            (2) substantial knowledge and appreciation of Frederick 
        Douglass.
    (c) Time of Appointment.--Each initial appointment of a member of 
the Commission shall be made before the expiration of the 120-day 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Continuation of Membership.--If a member of the Commission was 
appointed to the Commission as a Member of Congress, and ceases to be a 
Member of Congress, that member may continue to serve on the Commission 
for not longer than the 30-day period beginning on the date that member 
ceases to be a Member of Congress.
    (e) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of the 
Commission.
    (f) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the 
powers of the Commission but shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made.
    (g) Basic Pay.--Members shall serve on the Commission without pay.
    (h) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 
5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (i) Quorum.--Six members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (j) Chair.--The Commission shall select a Chair from among the 
members of the Commission.
    (k) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chair. 
Periodically, the Commission shall hold a meeting in Rochester, New 
York.

SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

    (a) Director.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of a 
Director and such additional personnel as the Commission considers to 
be appropriate.
    (b) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--
            (1) Director.--The Director of the Commission may be 
        appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
        States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 
        and may be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 
        and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates.
            (2) Staff.--The staff of the Commission shall be appointed 
        subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
        governing appointments in the competitive service, and shall be 
        paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates.
    (c) Donations.--The Commission may accept donations of supplies, 
money, and services to carry out its responsibilities.

SEC. 7. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act at such times 
and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the 
Commission considers to be appropriate.
    (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the 
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action that 
the Commission is authorized to take by this Act.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information 
necessary to enable the Commission to carry out this Act. Upon request 
of the Chair of the Commission, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the Commission.
    (d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.
    (e) Administrative Support 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. 8. REPORTS.

    (a) Interim Reports.--The Commission may submit to Congress such 
interim reports as the Commission considers to be appropriate.
    (b) Final Report.--The Commission shall submit a final report to 
Congress no later than December 1, 2017. The final report shall 
contain--
            (1) a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of 
        the Commission;
            (2) the recommendations of the Commission; and
            (3) any other information that the Commission considers to 
        be appropriate.

SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate 120 days after submitting the final 
report of the Commission pursuant to section 8.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.