I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 962

To authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a Capitol Visitor

Center under the East Plaza of the United States Capitol, and for

other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 3, 1999

Ms. NORTON (for herself, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. WISE, and Mr. TRAFICANT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on

House Administration, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a

Capitol Visitor Center under the East Plaza of the

United States Capitol, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jacob Joseph Chest5 nut-John Michael Gibson United States Capitol Visitor

6 Center Act of 1999’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Architect of the Capitol is

3 authorized—

4 (1) to plan, construct, equip, administer, and

5 maintain a Capitol Visitor Center under the East

6 Plaza of the United States Capitol with associated

7 improvements to the Capitol to provide access there8 to; and

9 (2) to reconstruct the East Plaza of the United

10 States Capitol and its environs to enhance its

11 attractiveness, safety, and security.

12 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the activities au13 thorized under this section shall be primarily—

14 (1) to enhance security at the perimeter of the

15 Capitol Grounds; and

16 (2) to ensure the health and comfort of visitors

17 to the Capitol.

18 (c) GIFTS.—

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of carrying

20 out this section, the Architect of the Capitol is au21 thorized to solicit, accept, receive, and hold gifts or

22 donations of money, services, and property and to

23 expend or otherwise utilize such gifts or donations.

24 (2) TREATMENT UNDER TAX LAWS.—Any gift

25 or donation made under paragraph (1) shall be con26 sidered a gift to the United States for the purposes
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1 of income, estate, and gift tax laws of the United

2 States.

3 (d) PLANS AND DESIGNS.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Architect of the Capitol

5 shall develop plans and designs for carrying out the

6 activities authorized under this section.

7 (2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing plans and

8 designs under paragraph (1), the Architect of the

9 Capitol shall—

10 (A) give due consideration to the Final De11 sign Report of the Architect, dated November

12 10, 1995, relating to construction of the Capitol

13 Visitor Center; and

14 (B) identify alternatives for construction of

15 the Capitol Visitor Center that will reduce the

16 costs of construction of the Center.

17 (3) TRANSMITTAL.—Not later than 120 days

18 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Architect

19 of the Capitol shall transmit a report containing the

20 plans and designs developed under paragraph (1) to

21 the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

22 of the House of Representatives and to each of the

23 Committees specified under the heading of Public

24 Law 105–277 referred to in subsection (e).
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1 (e) APPLICABILITY OF REQUIREMENTS TO APPRO2 PRIATED FUNDS.—Amounts appropriated under the head3 ing ‘‘ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL—CAPITOL VISITOR

4 CENTER’’ under chapter 5 of title II of division B of Public

5 Law 105–277 may be expended only in accordance with

6 the requirements of this Act.

7 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF JACOB JOSEPH CHESTNUT-JOHN

8 MICHAEL GIBSON UNITED STATES CAPITOL

9 VISITOR CENTER.

10 (a) DESIGNATION.—To honor the memory of Private

11 First Class Jacob Joseph Chestnut and Detective John

12 Michael Gibson of the United States Capitol Police for the

13 selfless acts of heroism they displayed on July 24, 1998,

14 in sacrificing their lives in the line of duty so that others

15 might live, the Capitol Visitor Center authorized to be con16 structed under section 2 shall be known and designated

17 as the ‘‘Jacob Joseph Chestnut-John Michael Gibson

18 United States Capitol Visitor Center’’.

19 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg20 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United

21 States to the Capitol Visitor Center referred to in sub22 section (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Jacob

23 Joseph Chestnut-John Michael Gibson United States Cap24 itol Visitor Center’’.

Æ