I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 624

To establish a commission to advise the President on proposals for national

commemorative events.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 26, 1993

Mr. MCCURDY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Post Office and Civil Service

A BILL

To establish a commission to advise the President on

proposals for national commemorative events.

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 Commemora5 tive Events Advisory Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) the preparation and consideration of the

9 multitude of bills proposing particular days, weeks,

10 months, or years for recognition through Presi-
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1 dential proclamation unduly burdens the Congress

2 and consumes an inordinate amount of time;

3 (2) such proposals could be more efficiently

4 considered by a commission whose sole function

5 would be to review proposals for national commemo6 rative events and to make positive or negative rec7 ommendations thereon to the President;

8 (3) such a commission would streamline the

9 process by which such proposals are currently con10 sidered and save the Congress considerable time and

11 resources which could be devoted to matters of more

12 pressing national concern; and

13 (4) such a commission would better ensure the

14 impartial review of proposals for national commemo15 rative events generated by a wide variety of constitu16 ent groups.

17 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP.

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be established a com19 mission to be known as the ‘‘President’s Advisory Com20 mission on National Commemorative Events’’ (hereinafter

21 in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).

22 (b) MEMBERS.—The Commission shall be composed

23 of 11 members, as follows:

24 (1) 2 members shall be appointed by the Speak25 er of the House of Representatives.
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1 (2) 2 members shall be appointed by the Presi2 dent pro tempore of the Senate.

3 (3) 7 members shall be appointed by the Presi4 dent. Members under this paragraph shall represent,

5 insofar as possible, a wide range of educational, geo6 graphical, and professional backgrounds. A Member

7 of Congress may not be appointed under this para8 graph.

9 All members must be citizens of the United States.

10 (c) TERMS.—(1) Each member shall be appointed for

11 a term of 2 years, except as provided in paragraph (2).

12 (2) Of the members first appointed under subsection

13 (b)(3)—

14 (A) 3 shall be appointed for 1 year, and

15 (B) 4 shall be appointed for 2 years,

16 as designated by the President.

17 (3) If a member was appointed to the Commission

18 as a Member of Congress and the member ceases to be

19 a Member of Congress, that member may continue as a

20 member for not longer than the 30-day period beginning

21 on the date that member ceases to be a Member of Con22 gress.

23 (d) VACANCIES.—A vacancy shall be filled in the

24 manner in which the original appointment was made. A

25 vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers. Any
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1 member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the

2 expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor

3 was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder

4 of such term.

5 (e) CHAIRMAN.—The Chairman of the Commission

6 shall be designated by the President from among the mem7 bers under subsection (b)(3). The term of office of the

8 Chairman shall be 2 years.

9 (f) QUORUM.—6 members of the Commission shall

10 constitute a quorum. Action by a quorum shall be nec11 essary for the Commission to issue a recommendation

12 under section 6(d).

13 (g) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet on at

14 least a quarterly basis. Meetings shall be held in the Dis15 trict of Columbia.

16 (h) PAY.—(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2),

17 each member of the Commission shall be paid the daily

18 equivalent of the maximum rate of basic pay payable for

19 grade GS–15 of the General Schedule for each day, includ20 ing traveltime, during which such member is performing

21 duties of the Commission.

22 (2) Members of the Commission who are full-time of23 ficers or employees of the United States or Members of

24 Congress may not receive additional pay by reason of their

25 service on the Commission.
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1 (i) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—While away from their

2 homes or regular places of business in the performance

3 of services for the Commission, members of the Commis4 sion shall be allowed travel expenses, including a per diem

5 allowance in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as

6 persons employed intermittently in the Government service

7 are allowed travel expenses under section 5703 of title 5

8 of the United States Code.

9 SEC. 4. DIRECTOR; STAFF.

10 (a) AUTHORITY.—The Commission may appoint and

11 fix the pay of a Director and such staff as the Commission

12 considers appropriate.

13 (b) INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

14 LAWS.—The Director and staff of the Commission may

15 be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5,

16 United States Code, governing appointments in the com17 petitive service, and may be paid without regard to the

18 provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53

19 of that title relating to classification and General Schedule

20 pay rates, except that an individual so appointed may not

21 receive pay in excess of the maximum rate of basic pay

22 payable for grade GS-15 of the General Schedule.

23 (c) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request

24 of the Chairman, the head of any Federal department or

25 agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the
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1 personnel of that department or agency to the Commission

2 to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.

3 SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

4 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur5 pose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, take

6 such testimony, and receive such evidence, as it considers

7 appropriate.

8 (b) GIFTS.—The Commission may accept, use, and

9 dispose of gifts or donations of services or property, but

10 not from a source having a direct interest in any matter

11 before the Commission.

12 (c) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United

13 States mails in the same manner and under the same con14 ditions as other departments and agencies of the United

15 States.

16 (d) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Ad17 ministrator of General Services shall provide to the Com18 mission, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative sup19 port services as the Commission may request.

20 SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

21 (a) CRITERIA.—The Commission shall establish cri22 teria for recommending to the President that a proposed

23 commemorative event be approved or disapproved.

24 (b) SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS.—The Commission

25 shall establish and publish in the Federal Register proce-
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1 dures for submitting proposals for national commemora2 tive events to the Commission.

3 (c) REVIEW OF PROPOSALS.—The Commission shall

4 review all proposals submitted to it in accordance with

5 subsection (b).

6 (d) RECOMMENDATION TO THE PRESIDENT.—The

7 Commission shall issue a recommendation to the President

8 for approval or disapproval of each proposal submitted to

9 it in accordance with subsection (b). Each recommenda10 tion shall be accompanied by a brief explanation of the

11 reasons why such recommendation was made.

12 SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE; COMMENCEMENT AND TERMI13 NATION PROVISIONS.

14 (a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act shall take effect at

15 the beginning of the One Hundred Third Congress.

16 (b) COMMENCEMENT; TERMINATION.—(1) Members

17 of the Commission shall be appointed, and the Commission

18 shall first meet, within 90 days after the effective date

19 of this Act.

20 (2) The Commission shall terminate 5 years after the

21 date on which it first meets.

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