Commemorative Works Act

Summary: Commemorative Works Act - Extends the authorization of the following entities to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia to:  (1) October 27, 1996, for the Black Revolutionary War Patriots; (2) November 6, 1999, for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation; and (3) June 30, 1997, for the National Peace Garden. 
Deems any reference in a record of the United States to the Peace Garden Project, Inc., to be a reference to the National Peace Garden. 
Changes the definition of "commemorative works" to include a plaque or inscription.  Requires such works to be significant in American history (currently, history).  Defines "person" to mean a public agency, an individual, group, or organization that is tax-exempt. 
Prohibits commemorative works from being established on Federal lands administered by the National Park Service and the General Services Administration located in Areas I and II in the District of Columbia or its environs without congressional authorization. 
Authorizes a military commemorative work only to honor a major conflict (war) or military branch.  Prohibits the authorization of a commemorative work that honors a lesser conflict or an armed forces unit.  Provides that commemorative works honoring:  (1) a major conflict (war) shall not be authorized until at least ten years after the officially designated end of the event; and (2) a nonmilitary event, individual, or group of individuals shall not be authorized until after the 25th anniversary of the event or death of the individual(s). 
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior or the Administrator of General Services (as appropriate) to suspend any activity with respect to the establishment of a commemorative work if the Secretary or Administrator determines the fund raising efforts regarding the commemorative work have misrepresented an affiliation with the commemorative work or the United States. 
Requires a person authorized to construct the commemorative work to submit annually to the Secretary and the Administrator an operations report, including financial statements audited by an independent certified public accountant, paid for by the individual.

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY FOR MEMORIAL 
ESTABLISHMENT.
    (a) In General.--The legislative authority for each of the 
following groups to establish a commemorative work (as defined by 
Public Law 99-652, as amended) shall expire at the end of the 10-year 
period beginning on the date of enactment of such authority for the 
respective commemorative work, notwithstanding the time period 
limitation specified in section 10(b) of that Public Law:
        (1) The Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation.
        (2) The Women in Military Service for America Memorial 
    Foundation.
        (3) The National Peace Garden.
    (b) Name Change.--(1) The Congress finds that the Peace Garden 
Project, Incorporated, has changed its name to the National Peace 
Garden.
    (2) Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or 
other record of the United States to the entity referred to in 
paragraph (1) shall be deemed to be a reference to the National Peace 
Garden.

SEC. 2. COMMEMORATIVE WORKS ACT AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Definitions.--(1) Section 2(c) of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
provide standards for placement of commemorative works on certain 
Federal lands in the District of Columbia and its environs, and for 
other purposes'' (40 U.S.C. 1002(c)) is amended--
        (A) by inserting ``plaque, inscription,'' after ``memorial,'';
        (B) by striking out ``a person'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
    ``an individual''; and
        (C) by inserting ``American'' before ``history''.
    (2) Section 2(d) of such Act (40 U.S.C. 1002(d)) is amended by 
striking ``an individual, group or organization'' and inserting ``a 
public agency, and an individual, group or organization that is 
described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code, and which is''.
    (b) Authorization.--Section 3 of such Act (40 U.S.C. 1003) is 
amended as follows:
        (1) In subsection (a), by inserting ``on Federal lands referred 
    to in section 1(d)'' after ``established''.
        (2) By redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (d) and 
    inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsections:
    ``(b) A military commemorative work may be authorized only to 
commemorate a war or similar major military conflict or to commemorate 
any branch of the Armed Forces. No commemorative work commemorating a 
lesser conflict or a unit of an Armed Force shall be authorized. 
Commemorative works to a war or similar major military conflict shall 
not be authorized until at least 10 years after the officially 
designated end of the event.
    ``(c) A commemorative work commemorating an event, individual, or 
group of individuals, other than a military commemorative work as 
described in subsection (b) of this section, shall not be authorized 
until after the 25th anniversary of the event, death of the individual, 
or death of the last surviving member of the group.''.
    (c) Specific Conditions Applicable to Areas I and II.--Section 6 of 
such Act (40 U.S.C. 1006) is amended to read as follows:


          ``specific conditions applicable to area i and area ii

    ``Sec. 6. (a) Area I.--The Secretary or Administrator (as 
appropriate) may, after seeking the advice of the National Capital 
Memorial Commission, recommend the location of a commemorative work in 
Area I only if the Secretary or Administrator (as appropriate) 
determines that the subject of the commemorative work is of preeminent 
historical and lasting significance to the Nation. The Secretary or 
Administrator (as appropriate) shall notify the National Capital 
Memorial Commission and the committees of Congress specified in section 
3(b) of the recommendation by the Secretary or Administrator (as 
appropriate) that a commemorative work should be located in Area I. The 
location of a commemorative work in Area I shall be deemed not 
authorized, unless, not later than 150 calendar days after such 
notification, the recommendation is approved by law.
    ``(b) Area II.--Commemorative works of subjects of lasting 
historical significance to the American people may be located in Area 
II.''.
    (d) Site and Design Approval.--Section 7 of such Act (40 U.S.C. 
1007) is amended--
        (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of subsection (a), by 
    striking out ``commencing construction of the commemorative work'' 
    and inserting in lieu thereof ``requesting the permit for the 
    construction of the commemorative work'';
        (2) in paragraph (1) of subsection (a)--
            (A) by inserting ``the selection of alternative sites and 
        designs for'' after ``regarding''; and
            (B) by striking out the second sentence;
        (3) in paragraph (2) of subsection (a), by striking out ``and 
    the Secretary or Administrator (as appropriate)''; and
        (4) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) of subsection (b), by 
    inserting ``(but not limited by)'' after ``guided by''.
    (e) Criteria for Issuance of Construction Permit.--(1) Section 
8(a)(3) of such Act (40 U.S.C. 1008(a)(3)) is amended by striking out 
``contracts for construction and drawings'' and inserting in lieu 
thereof ``contract documents for construction''.
    (2) Section 8 of such Act (40 U.S.C. 1008) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
    ``(c)(1) The Secretary or the Administrator (as appropriate) may 
suspend any activity under the authority of this Act with respect to 
the establishment of a commemorative work if the Secretary or 
Administrator determines the fundraising efforts with respect to the 
commemorative work have misrepresented an affiliation with the 
commemorative work or the United States.
    ``(2) The person shall be required to submit to the Secretary or 
Administrator an annual report of operations, including financial 
statements audited by an independent certified public accountant, paid 
for by the person authorized to construct the commemorative work.''.
    (f) Temporary Site Designation.--Section 9(a) of such Act (40 
U.S.C. 1009(a)) is amended by striking out ``he may designate such a 
site on lands administered by him'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``a 
site may be designated on lands administered by the Secretary''.
    (g) Miscellaneous Provisions.--Section 10(d) of such Act (40 U.S.C. 
1010(d)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(d) The Secretary and the Administrator shall develop appropriate 
regulations or standards to carry out this Act.''.
    (h) Short Title.--Such Act is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:


                              ``short title

    ``Sec. 11. This Act may be cited as the `Commemorative Works 
Act'.''.







                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.







                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.