IB 

Union Calendar No. 171

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1442

[Report No. 108–295] 

To authorize the design and construction of a visitor center for the Vietnam 

Veterans Memorial. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2003

Mr. POMBO (for himself, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. GIBBONS, and Mr. MURTHA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

OCTOBER 2, 2003

Additional sponsors: Mr. PORTER, Mr. FROST, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, 

Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Ms. PELOSI, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. 

BEAUPREZ, Mr. WOLF, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 

BISHOP of New York, Mr. HERGER, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, 

Ms. HART, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. JOHN, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. 

RENZI, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. MCINTYRE, 

Mr. ROSS, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. GREEN of 

Texas, Mr. COLE, Mr. CARSON of Oklahoma, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. WYNN, 

Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. FILNER, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, 

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. 

FALEOMAVAEGA, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. 

KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. 

DEUTSCH, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. FORD, Mr. GORDON, Mr. 

MCINNIS, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. NEY, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. 

SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. 

SWEENEY, Mr. NUNES, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JONES of North 

Carolina, Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA ́, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. FATTAH, 

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. EVANS, 

Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. SANDLIN, 

Mr. BERMAN, Mr. FOLEY, and Mr. SNYDER
2

•HR 1442 RH 

OCTOBER 2, 2003

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 26, 2003] 

A BILL

To authorize the design and construction of a visitor center 

for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

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

3 SECTION 1. VISITOR CENTER. 

4 Public Law 96–297 (16 U.S.C. 431 note) is amended 

5 by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 6. VISITOR CENTER. 

7 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Vietnam Veterans Me9 morial Fund, Inc., is authorized to construct a visitor 

10 center at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on 

11 Federal land in the District of Columbia, or its envi12 rons, subject to the provisions of this section, in order 

13 to better inform and educate the public about the 

14 Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam War. 

15 ‘‘(2) LOCATION.—The visitor center shall be lo16 cated underground. 
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•HR 1442 RH 

1 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION OF COMMEMORATIVE WORKS

2 ACT.—Chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code (com3 monly referred to as the Commemorative Works Act) shall 

4 apply to the siting, design, construction, and maintenance 

5 of the visitor center, and the visitor center shall be consid6 ered a commemorative work for the purposes of that Act, 

7 except that—

8 ‘‘(1) final approval of the visitor center shall not 

9 be withheld; and 

10 ‘‘(2) the provisions of section 8908(b) of title 40, 

11 United States Code requiring further approval by law 

12 for the location of a commemorative work within Area 

13 I shall not apply. 

14 ‘‘(c) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.—The Secretary 

15 of the Interior shall—

16 ‘‘(1) operate the visitor center; 

17 ‘‘(2) enter into a cooperative agreement with the 

18 Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. for the rou19 tine maintenance of the visitor center; 

20 ‘‘(3) not later than 120 days after the date of the 

21 enactment of this section, in consultation with edu22 cators and veterans groups, provide to the Vietnam 

23 Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. a preliminary plan to 

24 guide the design phase of the visitor center exhibits; 

25 and 
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•HR 1442 RH 

1 ‘‘(4) as soon as practicable, in consultation with 

2 educators and veterans groups, develop a written in3 terpretive plan for the visitor center in accordance 

4 with National Park Service policy. 

5 ‘‘(d) FUNDING.—The Vietnam Veterans Memorial 

6 Fund, Inc. shall be solely responsible for acceptance of con7 tributions for, and payment of expenses of, the establish8 ment of the visitor center. No Federal funds shall be used 

9 to pay any expense of the establishment of the visitor center 

10 or its maintenance.’’. 

Union Calendar No. 171

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1442

[Report No. 108–295] 

A BILL

To authorize the design and construction of a 

visitor center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

OCTOBER 2, 2003

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 

and ordered to be printed