H. R. 1242 

One Hundred Fifteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen 

An Act 

To establish the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, and for other 

purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘400 Years of African-American 

History Commission Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) COMMEMORATION.—The term ‘‘commemoration’’ means 

the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival 

of Africans in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia, 

in 1619. 

(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the 400 

Years of African-American History Commission established by 

section 3(a). 

(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

of the Interior. 

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a commission, to be 

known as the ‘‘400 Years of African-American History Commission’’. 

(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

(1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be composed of 

15 members, of whom— 

(A) three members shall be appointed by the Secretary 

after considering recommendations of Governors, including 

the Governor of Virginia; 

(B) six members shall be appointed by the Secretary 

after considering recommendations of civil rights organizations and historical organizations; 

(C) one member shall be an employee of the National 

Park Service having experience relative to the historical 

and cultural resources related to the commemoration, to 

be appointed by the Secretary; 

(D) two members shall be appointed by the Secretary 

after considering the recommendations of the Secretary 

of the Smithsonian Institution; and 

(E) three members shall be individuals who have an 

interest in, support for, and expertise appropriate to the 

commemoration, appointed by the Secretary after considering the recommendations of Members of Congress. 
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(2) TIME OF APPOINTMENT.—Each appointment of an initial 

member of the Commission shall be made before the expiration 

of the 120-day period beginning on the date of enactment of 

this Act. 

(3) TERM; VACANCIES.— 

(A) TERM.—A member of the Commission shall be 

appointed for the life of the Commission. 

(B) VACANCIES.— 

(i) IN GENERAL.—A vacancy on the Commission 

shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 

appointment was made. 

(ii) PARTIAL TERM.—A member appointed to fill 

a vacancy on the Commission shall serve for the 

remainder of the term for which the predecessor of 

the member was appointed. 

(C) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If a member of 

the Commission was appointed to the Commission as an 

employee of the National Park Service, and ceases to be 

an employee of the National Park Service, that member 

may continue to serve on the Commission for not longer 

than the 30-day period beginning on the date on which 

that member ceases to be an employee of the National 

Park Service. 

(c) DUTIES.—The Commission shall— 

(1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities 

throughout the United States— 

(A) appropriate for the commemoration; 

(B) to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619; 

(C) to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws 

that enforced racial discrimination had on the United 

States; and 

(D) to educate the public about— 

(i) the arrival of Africans in the United States; 

and 

(ii) the contributions of African-Americans to the 

United States; 

(2) encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, 

artistic, religious, economic, and other organizations throughout 

the United States to organize and participate in anniversary 

activities to expand understanding and appreciation of— 

(A) the significance of the arrival of Africans in the 

United States; and 

(B) the contributions of African-Americans to the 

United States; 

(3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 

nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration; 

(4) coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly 

research on, publication about, and interpretation of— 

(A) the arrival of Africans in the United States; and 

(B) the contributions of African-Americans to the 

United States; 

(5) ensure that the commemoration provides a lasting 

legacy and long-term public benefit by assisting in the development of appropriate programs; and 

(6) help ensure that the observances of the commemoration 

are inclusive and appropriately recognize the experiences and 
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heritage of all individuals present at the arrival of Africans 

in the United States. 

SEC. 4. COMMISSION MEETINGS. 

(a) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after the date 

on which all members of the Commission have been appointed, 

the Commission shall hold the initial meeting of the Commission. 

(b) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet— 

(1) at least three times each year; or 

(2) at the call of the Chairperson or the majority of the 

members of the Commission. 

(c) QUORUM.—A majority of the voting members shall constitute 

a quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings. 

(d) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.— (1) ELECTION.—The Commission shall elect the Chairperson 

and the Vice Chairperson of the Commission on an annual 

basis. 

(2) ABSENCE OF THE CHAIRPERSON.—The Vice Chairperson 

shall serve as the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson. 

(e) VOTING.—The Commission shall act only on an affirmative 

vote of a majority of the members of the Commission. 

SEC. 5. COMMISSION POWERS. 

(a) GIFTS.—The Commission may solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money or other property for 

aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission. 

(b) APPOINTMENT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—The Commission 

may appoint such advisory committees as the Commission determines to be necessary to carry out this Act. 

(c) AUTHORIZATION OF ACTION.—The Commission may authorize 

any member or employee of the Commission to take any action 

that the Commission is authorized to take under this Act. 

(d) PROCUREMENT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may procure supplies, 

services, and property, and make or enter into contracts, leases, 

or other legal agreements, to carry out this Act (except that 

a contract, lease, or other legal agreement made or entered 

into by the Commission shall not extend beyond the date of 

termination of the Commission). 

(2) LIMITATION.—The Commission may not purchase real 

property. 

(e) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use the United 

States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 

as other agencies of the Federal Government. 

(f) GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Commission 

may— 

(1) provide grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 per 

grant to communities and nonprofit organizations for use in 

developing programs to assist in the commemoration; 

(2) provide grants to research and scholarly organizations 

to research, publish, or distribute information relating to the 

arrival of Africans in the United States; and 

(3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 

nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration. 

SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 

member of the Commission shall serve without compensation. 

(2) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of the Commission 

who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall 

serve without compensation other than the compensation 

received for the services of the member as an officer or employee 

of the Federal Government. 

(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the Commission shall 

be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 

at rates authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter 

I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from 

the home or regular place of business of the member in the performance of the duties of the Commission. 

(c) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the Commission may, 

without regard to the civil service laws (including regulations), 

nominate an executive director to enable the Commission to 

perform the duties of the Commission. 

(2) CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation 

by the Commission. 

(d) COMPENSATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 

Commission may fix the compensation of the executive director 

and other personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 

51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 

Code, relating to classification of positions and General 

Schedule pay rates. 

(2) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.—The rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel shall not exceed the rate 

payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 

5316 of title 5, United States Code. 

(e) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.— 

(1) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 

(A) DETAIL.—At the request of the Commission, the 

head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable 

or nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the 

agency to the Commission to assist the Commission in 

carrying out the duties of the Commission under this Act. 

(B) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The detail of an employee 

under subparagraph (A) shall be without interruption or 

loss of civil service status or privilege. 

(2) STATE EMPLOYEES.—The Commission may— 

(A) accept the services of personnel detailed from the 

State; and 

(B) reimburse the State for services of detailed personnel. 

(f) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMITTENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary 

and intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of 

title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do not 

exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 

of such title. 
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(g) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERVICES.—Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission may accept and use such voluntary and uncompensated services as the Commission determines to be necessary. 

(h) SUPPORT SERVICES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide to the 

Commission, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative support services as the Commission may request. 

(2) REIMBURSEMENT.—Any reimbursement under this paragraph shall be credited to the appropriation, fund, or account 

used for paying the amounts reimbursed. 

(i) NO EFFECT ON AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this section supersedes the authority of the National Park Service with respect to 

the commemoration. 

SEC. 7. PLANS; REPORTS. 

(a) STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Commission shall prepare a strategic 

plan for the activities of the Commission carried out under this 

Act. 

(b) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than July 1, 2020, the Commission shall complete and submit to Congress a final report that 

contains— 

(1) a summary of the activities of the Commission; 

(2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by 

the Commission; and 

(3) the findings and recommendations of the Commission. 

SEC. 8. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION. 

(a) DATE OF TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

on July 1, 2020. 

(b) TRANSFER OF DOCUMENTS AND MATERIALS.—Before the date 

of termination specified in subsection (a), the Commission shall 

transfer all documents and materials of the Commission to the 

National Archives or another appropriate Federal entity. 

SEC. 9. EXPENDITURES OF COMMISSION. 

All expenditures of the Commission shall be made solely from 

donated funds. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.