A bill to establish a commission to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.

Summary: 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.

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.