I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7161 

To direct the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center 

at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out the COVID–19 Pandemic 

Memorial Quilt Project to honor and remember Americans who have 

lost their lives to the COVID–19 Pandemic, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2020 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana (for himself, Mr. RUSH, Ms. MOORE, Ms. KAPTUR, 

Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of 

New York, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. 

LEE of California, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. LEWIS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 

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

the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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 direct the Smithsonian Institution and the American 

Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to jointly 

carry out the COVID–19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt 

Project to honor and remember Americans who have 

lost their lives to the COVID–19 Pandemic, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Memorial 

3 Quilt Act of 2020’’. 

4 SEC. 2. COVID–19 PANDEMIC MEMORIAL QUILT PROJECT. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION.—The Sec6 retary of the Smithsonian Institution and the Director of 

7 the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress 

8 shall jointly carry out a project to be known as the 

9 ‘‘COVID–19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project’’ to honor 

10 and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the 

11 COVID–19 Pandemic. 

12 (b) SCOPE OF PROJECT.—Under the Project, the 

13 Secretary and the Director shall— 

14 (1) provide for the design, creation, and display 

15 of a memorial quilt consisting of individual panels in 

16 memory of those who have lost their lives to the 

17 COVID–19 Pandemic; and 

18 (2) carry out other commemorative program19 ming and exhibits to honor the victims of the 

20 COVID–19 Pandemic. 

21 (c) SPECIFICS OF MEMORIAL QUILT.— 

22 (1) SPECIFICS.—In providing for the design, 

23 creation, and display of the memorial quilt described 

24 in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary and Director 

25 shall provide for the following: 

26 (A) The design and creation of the quilt. 


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1 (B) Agreements with the Architect of the 

2 Capitol for the first display of the quilt to be 

3 held on the United States Capitol Grounds. 

4 (C) Agreements with the National Park 

5 Service for the second display of the quilt to be 

6 held on the National Mall. 

7 (D) Agreements with museums, institu8 tions of higher education, and other appropriate 

9 persons to display portions of the quilt, and to 

10 provide such museums, institutions, and other 

11 persons with educational materials relating to 

12 the creation of the quilt and the history of the 

13 Pandemic. 

14 (E) Making information on the quilt avail15 able on the official public website of the Smith16 sonian Institution and the American Folklife 

17 Center at the Library of Congress. 

18 (F) The provision for the appropriate stor19 age and preservation of the quilt. 

20 (2) ASSISTANCE TO ARTISTS FROM NATIONAL

21 ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.—There are authorized 

22 to be appropriated to the National Endowment for 

23 the Arts such sums as may be necessary for the 

24 Chairperson of the National Endowment for the 

25 Arts to make grants-in-aid to individual artists 


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1 under section 5(c) of the National Foundation of the 

2 Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

3 954(c)) to assist such artists with the design and 

4 preparation of panels for the quilt described in sub5 section (b)(1). 

6 (d) PLAN OF CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY PANEL.— 

7 The Secretary and the Director shall carry out the Project 

8 in accordance with the plan submitted by the Congres9 sional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the 

10 COVID–19 Pandemic under section 3. 

11 (e) ENSURING PARTICIPATION OF NATIVE AMERI12 CANS AND RESIDENTS OF TERRITORIES.—In carrying out 

13 the Project, the Secretary and the Director shall take 

14 steps to ensure the participation of Native Americans, 

15 tribal nations, and residents of territories and possessions 

16 of the United States. 

17 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY PANEL ON HONORING 

18 VICTIMS OF COVID–19 PANDEMIC. 

19 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Con20 gressional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the 

21 COVID–19 Pandemic. 

22 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Panel shall be 

24 composed of— 


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1 (A) 25 members appointed by the chair of 

2 the Committee on Transportation and Infra3 structure of the House of Representatives in 

4 consultation with the ranking minority member 

5 of the Committee and the chair and ranking 

6 minority member of the Committee on House 

7 Administration of the House of Representatives; 

8 and 

9 (B) the Secretary of the Smithsonian Insti10 tution and the Director of the American 

11 Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, who 

12 shall each serve as an ex officio member. 

13 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The members of the Ad14 visory Panel who are appointed under subparagraph 

15 (A) of paragraph (1) shall include public health ex16 perts, public health advocates, educators, research17 ers, families and individuals affected by the COVID– 

18 19 Pandemic, public health workers including physi19 cians and nurses, elected leaders of local govern20 ments, representatives of communities that are heav21 ily affected by the Pandemic, and front-line per22 sonnel. 

23 (3) DEADLINE.—The members of the Advisory 

24 Panel shall be appointed not later than 90 days 

25 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 


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1 (4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Advisory 

2 Panel shall serve without pay, but shall receive trav3 el expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsist4 ence, in accordance with applicable provisions under 

5 subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 

6 Code. 

7 (5) VACANCY.—A vacancy in the Advisory 

8 Panel shall be filled in the same manner as the 

9 original appointment was made. 

10 (c) STAFF.— 

11 (1) APPOINTMENT.—The Advisory Panel shall 

12 appoint and fix the pay of such personnel as it con13 siders appropriate. 

14 (2) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL

15 SERVICE LAWS.—The staff of the Advisory Panel 

16 may be appointed without regard to the provisions 

17 of title 5, United States Code, governing appoint18 ments in the competitive service, and may be paid 

19 without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 

20 subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 

21 classification and General Schedule pay rates, except 

22 that an individual so appointed may not receive pay 

23 in excess of the annual rate of basic pay for GS–15 

24 of the General Schedule. 


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1 (3) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Advi2 sory Panel may procure temporary and intermittent 

3 services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 

4 States Code. 

5 (4) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon re6 quest of the Advisory Panel, the head of any Federal 

7 department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 

8 basis, any of the personnel of that department or 

9 agency to the Advisory Panel to assist it in carrying 

10 out its duties under this Act 

11 (d) PLAN FOR CARRYING OUT PROJECT.— 

12 (1) PLAN.—The Advisory Panel shall develop 

13 and submit to the Secretary of the Smithsonian In14 stitution and the Director of the American Folklife 

15 Center at the Library of Congress a plan for the 

16 Secretary and Director to carry out the COVID–19 

17 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project under section 2. 

18 (2) DEADLINE.—The Advisory Panel shall sub19 mit the plan under this subsection to the Secretary 

20 and the Director not later than 1 year after the ap21 pointment of all of its members. 

22 (e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 

23 the request of the Advisory Panel, the Administrator of 

24 General Services shall provide to the Advisory Panel, on 

25 a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services 


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1 necessary for the Advisory Panel to carry out its respon2 sibilities under this Act. 

3 (f) TERMINATION.—The Advisory Panel shall termi4 nate 6 months after submitting the plan under this sec5 tion. 

6 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

7 In addition to the sums authorized to be appropriated 

8 to the National Endowment for the Arts under section 

9 2(c)(2), there are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

10 as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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