I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4845 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the 

National Lighthouse Center and Museum. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 23, 2019 

Mr. ROSE of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal 

charter to the National Lighthouse Center and Museum. 

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 ‘‘National Lighthouse 

5 Center and Museum Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE CENTER AND MUSEUM. 

7 Part B of subtitle II of title 36, United States Code, 

8 is amended by inserting after chapter 1519 the following 

9 new chapter: 


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1 ‘‘CHAPTER 1520—NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE 

2 CENTER AND MUSEUM 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘152001. Organization. 

‘‘152002. Purposes. 

‘‘152003. Operation of museum. 

‘‘152004. Membership. 

‘‘152005. Governing body. 

‘‘152006. Powers. 

‘‘152007. Restrictions. 

‘‘152008. Duty to maintain corporate and tax-exempt status. 

‘‘152009. Records and inspection. 

‘‘152010. Service of process. 

‘‘152011. Liability for acts of officers and agents. 

‘‘152012. Annual report. 

‘‘152013. Definitions. 

3 ‘‘§ 152001. Organization 

4 ‘‘(a) FEDERAL CHARTER.—The National Lighthouse 

5 Center and Museum, incorporated in New York, is a feder6 ally chartered corporation. 

7 ‘‘(b) EXPIRATION OF CHARTER.—If the corporation 

8 does not comply with any provision of this chapter, the 

9 charter granted by this chapter expires. 

10 ‘‘§ 152002. Purposes 

11 ‘‘The purposes of the corporation are as provided in 

12 its constitution and bylaws and include the following pur13 poses: 

14 ‘‘(1) To collect, preserve, and interpret objects 

15 related to the history and technology of lighthouses 

16 located, in the past or present, at sites throughout 

17 the United States. 


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1 ‘‘(2) To research, document, and disseminate 

2 information on the history and technology of Amer3 ican lighthouses. 

4 ‘‘(3) To create and maintain an archive of arti5 facts and materials related to American lighthouses. 

6 ‘‘(4) To foster research of American lighthouse 

7 history. 

8 ‘‘(5) To serve as a contact point for public in9 quiry and assistance with respect to American light10 house history, research, education, collections, and 

11 programs. 

12 ‘‘(6) To celebrate America’s lighthouse heritage 

13 through educational programs, publications, films, 

14 festivals, living history, lighthouse trails, con15 ferences, and other such offerings. 

16 ‘‘(7) To support other existing and future light17 house museums, organizations, and sites. 

18 ‘‘(8) To establish partnerships with other orga19 nizations to attain the above goals. 

20 ‘‘(9) To engage in any lawful act or activity 

21 necessary to further the purposes of the corporation 

22 under this section. 

23 ‘‘§ 152003. Operation of museum 

24 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The corporation shall operate a 

25 museum to be known as the National Lighthouse Center 


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1 and Museum at the site of the former United States 

2 Lighthouse Depot located at what is now known as St. 

3 George, Staten Island, New York. 

4 ‘‘(b) STORAGE FACILITY.—The corporation shall op5 erate a storage facility located at or near the site described 

6 in subsection (a) for the care, conservation, and mainte7 nance of artifacts in the collection of the corporation. 

8 ‘‘(c) SUPPORT TO OTHER MUSEUMS.—The corpora9 tion shall provide support to other museums that interpret 

10 the history of aids to navigation in the United States. 

11 ‘‘(d) DESIGNATION OF COLLECTION.—The collection 

12 of artifacts of the National Lighthouse Center and Mu13 seum shall be known as the National Lighthouse Collec14 tion. 

15 ‘‘(e) EXCLUSIVE RIGHT.—The corporation shall have 

16 the sole and exclusive right to use, in carrying out its pur17 poses, the name ‘National Lighthouse Center and Mu18 seum’ and the sole and exclusive right to the use of its 

19 corporate seal, emblems, and badges as adopted by the 

20 corporation. 

21 ‘‘§ 152004. Membership 

22 ‘‘Eligibility for membership in the corporation and 

23 the rights and privileges of members are as provided in 

24 the constitution and bylaws of the corporation. 


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1 ‘‘§ 152005. Governing body 

2 ‘‘(a) BOARD OF TRUSTEES.—The board of trustees 

3 of the corporation and the responsibilities of the board are 

4 as provided in the constitution and bylaws of the corpora5 tion. 

6 ‘‘(b) OFFICERS.—The officers and the election of offi7 cers of the corporation are as provided in the bylaws of 

8 the corporation. 

9 ‘‘§ 152006. Powers 

10 ‘‘The corporation has only the powers provided in its 

11 constitution, bylaws, and charter as granted by the Board 

12 of Regents of the State of New York and in the certificate 

13 of authority in any other State in which the corporation 

14 is, or shall be, qualified to do business. 

15 ‘‘§ 152007. Restrictions 

16 ‘‘(a) STOCK AND DIVIDENDS.—The corporation may 

17 not issue stock or declare or pay a dividend. 

18 ‘‘(b) POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.—The corporation or a 

19 trustee or officer, acting as such trustee or officer, may 

20 not contribute to, support, or participate in any political 

21 activity or in any manner attempt to influence legislation. 

22 ‘‘(c) DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME OR ASSETS.—The in23 come or assets of the corporation may not inure to the 

24 benefit of, or be distributed to, a trustee, officer, or mem25 ber during the life of the charter granted by this chapter. 

26 This subsection does not prevent the payment of reasonVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:26 Oct 29, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4845.IH H4845

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1 able compensation to an officer or reimbursement for ac2 tual necessary expenses in amounts approved by the board 

3 of trustees. 

4 ‘‘(d) LOANS.—The corporation may not make a loan 

5 to a trustee, officer, or employee. 

6 ‘‘(e) CLAIM OF GOVERNMENTAL APPROVAL OR AU7 THORIZATION.—The corporation may not claim congres8 sional approval or the authority of the United States Gov9 ernment for any of its activities. 

10 ‘‘§ 152008. Duty to maintain corporate and tax-ex11 empt status 

12 ‘‘(a) CORPORATE STATUS.—The corporation shall 

13 maintain its corporate status as a corporation incor14 porated under the laws of the State of New York. 

15 ‘‘(b) TAX-EXEMPT STATUS.—The corporation shall 

16 maintain its status as an organization exempt from tax17 ation under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 

18 1 et seq.). 

19 ‘‘§ 152009. Records and inspection 

20 ‘‘(a) RECORDS.—The corporation shall keep— 

21 ‘‘(1) correct and complete records of account; 

22 ‘‘(2) minutes of the proceedings of its members, 

23 board of trustees, and committees; and 


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1 ‘‘(3) at its principal office, a record of the 

2 names and addresses of its members entitled to vote, 

3 if any. 

4 ‘‘(b) INSPECTION.—Any officer or trustee, or any 

5 member entitled to vote (if any), or an agent or attorney 

6 of such officer, trustee, or member, may inspect the 

7 records of the corporation for any proper purpose at any 

8 reasonable time. 

9 ‘‘§ 152010. Service of process 

10 ‘‘The corporation shall comply with the law on service 

11 of process of the State of New York and in each State 

12 in which it carries on activities. 

13 ‘‘§ 152011. Liability for acts of officers and agents 

14 ‘‘The corporation is liable for the acts of its officers 

15 and agents acting within the scope of their authority. 

16 ‘‘§ 152012. Annual report 

17 ‘‘The corporation shall submit an annual report to 

18 Congress on the activities of the corporation during the 

19 prior fiscal year. The report shall be submitted at the 

20 same time as the report of the audit required by section 

21 10101 of this title. The report may not be printed as a 

22 public document. 

23 ‘‘§ 152013. Definitions 

24 ‘‘For purposes of this chapter— 


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1 ‘‘(1) the term ‘corporation’ means the National 

2 Lighthouse Center and Museum, Inc., incorporated 

3 in New York; and 

4 ‘‘(2) the term ‘State’ includes the District of 

5 Columbia and the territories and possessions of the 

6 United States.’’. 

7 SEC. 3. CLERICAL AMENDMENT. 

8 The table of chapters at the beginning of subtitle II 

9 of title 36, United States Code, is amended by inserting 

10 after the item relating to chapter 1519 the following new 

11 item: 

‘‘1520. National Lighthouse Center and Museum .................152001.’’ 

Æ 


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