II

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1902

To provide for the establishment of a National Senior Citizen Hall of Fame

Commission, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 25, 1996

Mr. HEFLIN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To provide for the establishment of a National Senior Citizen

Hall of Fame Commission, 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,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Senior Citi5 zen Hall of Fame Act of 1996’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

8 (1) the senior population (65 and older) of the

9 United States is projected to be 35,000,000 by the
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1 year 2000 (which would equal 13 percent of the pop2 ulation);

3 (2) the total population of the United States is

4 projected to exceed 300,000,000 by the year 2000;

5 (3) the senior population is projected to be

6 40,000,000 by the year 2010 (which would equal

7 13.3 percent of the population);

8 (4) the senior population will accelerate signifi9 cantly with the entry of baby-boomers into the sen10 ior population so that by the year 2030, the senior

11 population will increase to 70,000,000;

12 (5) the minority population is projected to rep13 resent 25 percent of the elderly population by the

14 year 2030 (including Hispanic Americans, African

15 Americans, Native Americans, Native Alaskans,

16 Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders);

17 (6) the older population is getting larger, in

18 1993 the 75–84 age group (10,800,000 individuals)

19 was 14 times larger than in 1900, and the 85 plus

20 age group was 27 times larger;

21 (7) 5,500 individuals per day in the United

22 States celebrate their 65th birthday;

23 (8) the matured judgment, the keen insight, the

24 historical retrospect, the forth right vision, and the
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1 gifted leadership of the aging, are invaluable to the

2 national life of the United States;

3 (9) older Americans embrace the national patri4 otism, the solidarity of the American heritage, and

5 the allegiance in love and devotion to the United

6 States, and is transmitting these noble virtues to fu7 ture generations; and

8 (10) the American dream is that all people are

9 created equal in a nation where righteousness,

10 mercy, and justice are the cornerstones of democ11 racy.

12 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to—

13 (1) encourage and authorize the establishment

14 of a National Senior Citizen Hall of Fame Commis15 sion;

16 (2) encourage the establishment of a Senior

17 Citizen Hall of Fame in the 50 States, the District

18 of Columbia, and the territorial possessions;

19 (3) through the Commission and the State Sen20 ior Citizen Halls of Fame, bestow the honor, rec21 ognition, and memorial upon deserving citizens for

22 outstanding achievements, services, and contribu23 tions to the lives of older Americans; and

24 (4) utilize the Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of

25 Fame, its constitution, and bylaws with respect to
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1 such entity as a model in establishing State Senior

2 Citizens Hall of Fame.

3 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Com5 mission to be known as the National Senior Citizen Hall

6 of Fame Commission (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Com7 mission’’).

8 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—

9 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be

10 composed of not more than 56 members of whom

11 one shall be appointed by the Citizen Hall of Fame

12 of each State.

13 (2) DATE.—The initial appointments of the

14 members of the Commission shall be made not later

15 than January 1, 1997.

16 (3) DEFINITION.—As used in paragraph (1),

17 the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the 50 States, the

18 District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto

19 Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, American

20 Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

21 (c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem22 bers of the Commission shall be appointed for an annual

23 1-year term commencing on January 1 and ending on De24 cember 31. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not af-
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1 fect its powers, and shall be filled in the same manner

2 as the original appointment.

3 (d) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after

4 the date on which a majority of the members of the Com5 mission have been appointed, the Commission shall hold

6 its first meeting.

7 (e) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the

8 call of the Chairperson.

9 (f) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the

10 Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser num11 ber of members may hold meetings.

12 (g) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The

13 Commission shall select a Chairperson and Vice Chair14 person from among its members.

15 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

16 The Commission shall act to bestow honor and rec17 ognition upon deserving citizens for their outstanding ac18 complishments, service, and contributions to the lives of

19 older Americans. The Commission may provide com20 mendations, certificates of merit, or other forms of awards

21 to bestow such an honor as the Commission determines

22 appropriate.

23 SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

24 (a) MEETINGS.—The Commission may hold such

25 meetings and sit and act at such times and places as the
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1 Commission considers advisable to carry out the purposes

2 of this Act.

3 (b) TASK FORCES.—The Commission may establish

4 such committees and task forces as the Commission deter5 mines necessary to carry out its business and achieve the

6 objectives of the Commission.

7 (c) GIFTS.—The Commission may accept, use, and

8 dispose of gifts or donations of services or property.

9 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro11 priated such sums as may be necessary to enable the Com12 mission to carry out the purposes of this Act.

13 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Any sums appropriated under

14 the authorization contained in this section shall remain

15 available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended.

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