I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5287

To establish the National Museum of Jewish Heritage and the National

Museum of Jewish Heritage Board of Directors.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 25, 2000

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska (for himself, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. POMBO,

and Mr. DOOLITTLE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to

the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To establish the National Museum of Jewish Heritage and

the National Museum of Jewish Heritage Board of Directors.

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 ‘‘Jewish Heritage Mu5 seum Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds the following:

8 (1) The Jewish people have made remarkable

9 artistic, scientific, intellectual, and cultural contribu10 tions to the United States and the world.
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1 (2) There is no major museum in the District

2 of Columbia that is dedicated to recording and cele3 brating these contributions and educating the public

4 about the heritage of the Jewish people.

5 (3) Such a museum would educate the public on

6 the artistic, scientific, intellectual, and cultural con7 tributions that the Jewish people have made to the

8 United States and the world and would record these

9 contributions for posterity.

10 (4) Such a museum would be operated and

11 maintained by private citizens.

12 SEC. 3. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE.

13 The Congress recognizes the National Museum of

14 Jewish Heritage established by the Board under section

15 4 as a national museum.

16 SEC. 4. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE BOARD

17 OF DIRECTORS.

18 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a board

19 of directors to be known as the National Museum of Jew20 ish Heritage Board of Directors.

21 (b) DUTIES.—The Board shall—

22 (1) identify a site in the District of Columbia

23 for a National Museum of Jewish Heritage;

24 (2) establish and construct the Museum;

25 (3) operate and maintain the Museum;
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1 (4) establish annual budgets for the Museum;

2 (5) adopt bylaws to carry out the functions of

3 the Board; and

4 (6) establish policy on the utilization of the col5 lections of the Museum, including policy on pro6 gramming, education, exhibitions, and research re7 garding the life and culture of the Jewish people and

8 the contributions of the Jewish people to the United

9 States and the world.

10 (c) APPROVAL.—The siting of the Museum shall be

11 subject to the approval of the Director of the National

12 Park Service.

13 (d) MEMBERS.—

14 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Board shall be com15 posed of 25 voting members and 10 ex officio non16 voting members, as follows:

17 (A) 5 members appointed by the President.

18 (B) The Chair of the Board of Directors of

19 the Corporation.

20 (C) 19 members appointed by the Chair of

21 the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

22 (D) 5 ex officio nonvoting members ap23 pointed by the Speaker of the House of Rep24 resentatives.
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1 (E) 5 ex officio nonvoting members ap2 pointed by the President pro tempore of the

3 Senate, on recommendation of the majority

4 leader and the minority leader of the Senate.

5 (2) TERMS.—Each member of the Board ap6 pointed under paragraph (1) shall serve for a term

7 of 2 years and may be reappointed.

8 (3) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Board shall

9 be filled in the manner in which the original appoint10 ment was made. Any member appointed to fill a va11 cancy occurring before the expiration of the term for

12 which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall

13 be appointed only for the remainder of that term.

14 (4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Board

15 shall serve without pay.

16 (5) QUORUM.—8 of the voting members of the

17 Board shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number

18 may hold hearings.

19 (6) CHAIR.—

20 (A) INITIAL CHAIR.—During the 2-year

21 period beginning on the date of the enactment

22 of this Act, the Chair of the Board of Directors

23 of the Corporation shall serve as the Chair of

24 the Board of the Museum.
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1 (B) SUBSEQUENT CHAIRS.—The Chair of

2 the Board of the Museum after such period

3 shall be elected by the Board from among its

4 members.

5 (e) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.—The Board may appoint

6 and fix the pay of a Director to manage the Museum, and

7 any additional personnel as the Board considers appro8 priate.

9 (f) POWERS.—

10 (1) HEARINGS.—The Board may, for the pur11 pose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings and sit

12 and act at such times and places as the Board con13 siders appropriate.

14 (2) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any

15 member or agent of the Board may, if authorized by

16 the Board, take any action which the Board is au17 thorized to take by this section.

18 (3) OPERATION OF MUSEUM.—The Board

19 may—

20 (A) loan, exchange, sell, or otherwise dis21 pose of any part of the collections of the Mu22 seum;

23 (B) purchase, accept, borrow, or otherwise

24 acquire other property for the collections of the

25 Museum; and
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1 (C) provide for restoration, preservation,

2 and maintenance of the collections of the Mu3 seum.

4 (4) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—The

5 Board may request the Administrator of General

6 Services to provide to the Board, on a reimbursable

7 basis, the administrative support services necessary

8 for the Board to carry out its responsibilities. Upon

9 the request of the Board, the Administrator of Gen10 eral Services shall provide such services to the Board

11 on a reimbursable basis.

12 (5) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Board may

13 contract with and compensate government and pri14 vate agencies or persons for supplies and services.

15 (6) FUNDING.—

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in

17 subparagraph (B), the Board shall fund the

18 Museum solely through private contributions.

19 (B) FEDERALLY OWNED OR LEASED PROP20 ERTY.—In consultation with the Director of the

21 National Park Service, the Board may accept

22 any contribution of Federally owned or leased

23 property in the District of Columbia for the

24 purpose of carrying out this Act.
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1 (C) FEES.—The Board may collect and

2 use fees for purposes of establishing, con3 structing, operating, and maintaining the Mu4 seum.

5 (D) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES.—

6 The Board shall solicit, accept, administer, in7 vest, and use gifts, bequests, and devises of

8 services and property, both real and personal,

9 to aid or facilitate the establishment, construc10 tion, maintenance, and operation, of the Mu11 seum.

12 (E) NOT APPROPRIATED FUNDS.—Funds

13 collected or accepted by the Board under this

14 paragraph shall not be considered appropriated

15 funds and are not subject to any requirements

16 or restrictions applicable to appropriated funds.

17 SEC. 5. COMMEMORATIVE WORKS ACT.

18 The Museum is not a commemorative work for pur19 poses of the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 1001

20 et seq.).

21 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

22 For purposes of this Act:

23 (1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Na24 tional Museum of Jewish Heritage Board of Direc25 tors established by section 4.
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1 (2) CORPORATION.—The term ‘‘Corporation’’

2 means National Museum of Jewish Heritage, Incor3 porated (a nonprofit corporation established under

4 the laws of the State of Maryland).

5 (3) MUSEUM.—The term ‘‘Museum’’ means the

6 National Museum of Jewish Heritage established

7 under section 4 by the Board.

8 SEC. 7. NO AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

9 Nothing in this Act shall be construed as an author10 ization of appropriations.

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