II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 954

To authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a Capitol Visitor

Center under the East Plaza of the United States Capitol, and for

other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 21 (legislative day, JUNE 19), 1995

Mr. HATFIELD (for himself and Mr. MOYNIHAN) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and

Public Works

A BILL

To authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a

Capitol Visitor Center under the East Plaza of the

United States Capitol, 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 ‘‘Capitol Visitor Center

5 Authorization Act of 1995’’.

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Architect of the Capitol,

8 under the direction of the United States Capitol Preserva9 tion Commission, is authorized—
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1 (1) to plan, construct, equip, administer, and

2 maintain a Capitol Visitor Center under the East

3 Plaza of the United States Capitol with associated

4 improvements to the Capitol to provide access there5 to; and

6 (2) to reconstruct the environs of the East

7 Plaza of the United States Capitol to enhance its

8 attractiveness, safety, and security.

9 (b) PURPOSE.—It shall be the purpose of the Capitol

10 Visitor Center to provide reception facilities, educational

11 exhibits, amenities, auditoriums, and other programs and

12 facilities for members of the public visiting the United

13 States Capitol.

14 SEC. 3. ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.

15 (a) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—As soon as practicable

16 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Architect

17 of the Capitol shall complete engineering and architectural

18 designs and cost estimates for construction of the Capitol

19 Visitor Center and transmit a report on the results thereof

20 to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

21 of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Rules

22 and Administration of the Senate, and the United States

23 Capitol Preservation Commission.

24 (b) CONTENTS.—The report to be transmitted under

25 subsection (a) shall include detailed plans, specifications,
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1 and cost estimates for construction of the Capitol Visitor

2 Center.

3 (c) PLANS FOR EXHIBITS.—Plans and specifications

4 for the exhibits and equipping of the Capitol Visitor Cen5 ter shall be completed by the Architect of the Capitol as

6 soon as practicable after the commencement of construc7 tion.

8 SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION.

9 (a) GENERAL RULE.—The Architect of the Capitol

10 may not begin construction of the Capitol Visitor Center

11 until plans, designs, and cost estimates transmitted under

12 section 3 are approved by resolutions adopted by the Com13 mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House

14 of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Ad15 ministration of the Senate, respectively.

16 (b) BUILDING CODES.—The Capitol Visitor Center

17 and associated improvements shall meet design standards

18 applicable under nationally recognized building codes, as

19 determined by the Architect of the Capitol. During con20 struction, the Architect shall conduct periodic inspections

21 of the Capitol Visitor Center for the purpose of assuring

22 that such standards are being met.

23 (c) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAWS.—The Capitol

24 Visitor Center and associated improvements and the con25 struction thereof shall not be subject to any Federal or
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1 State law (including laws of the District of Columbia) re2 lating to taxes, building codes, permits, or inspections.

3 SEC. 5. GIFTS.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of carrying out

5 section 2(a)(1), the Architect of the Capitol may solicit,

6 receive, accept, hold, and dispose of gifts or donations of

7 services or property.

8 (b) DEPOSIT OF RECEIPTS.—The Architect of the

9 Capitol shall deposit into the account established by sec10 tion 6(a) all monetary gifts received under subsection (a)

11 and all proceeds from the disposition of nonmonetary gifts

12 received under subsection (a).

13 (c) TREATMENT UNDER TAX LAWS.—Any gift ac14 cepted by the Architect of the Capitol under subsection

15 (a) shall be considered a gift to the United States for the

16 purposes of income, estate, and gift tax laws of the United

17 States.

18 SEC. 6. ACCOUNT IN THE TREASURY.

19 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the

20 Treasury of the United States a separate account entitled

21 ‘‘Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Buildings and Grounds,

22 Capitol Visitor Center, Gifts and Donations’’ which shall

23 consist of amounts deposited into the account by the Ar24 chitect of the Capitol under section 5(b) and amounts

25 credited to the account pursuant to this section.
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1 (b) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Funds in the ac2 count established by subsection (a) shall be available to

3 the Architect of the Capitol for carrying out section

4 2(a)(1) in such amounts as are specified in appropriations

5 Acts. Such funds shall not be subject to any fiscal year

6 limitation.

7 (c) REPORTING OF TRANSACTIONS.—Receipts, obli8 gations, and expenditures of funds in the account estab9 lished by subsection (a) shall be reported in annual esti10 mates submitted to Congress by the Architect of the Cap11 itol for the operation and maintenance of the Capitol

12 Buildings and Grounds.

13 (d) INVESTMENT.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas15 ury shall invest such portion of the account estab16 lished by subsection (a) as is not, in the judgment

17 of the Secretary, required to meet current withdraw18 als. Such investments may be made only in interest19 bearing obligations of the United States. For such

20 purpose, such obligations may be acquired—

21 (A) on original issue at the issue price; or

22 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations

23 at the market price.
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1 (2) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac2 quired by the account may be sold at the market

3 price.

4 (3) INTEREST ON CERTAIN PROCEEDS.—The

5 interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or re6 demption of, any obligations held in the account

7 shall be credited to and form part of the account.

8 SEC. 7. AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT.

9 The Architect of the Capitol may enter into contracts,

10 using procedures other than competitive procedures, in

11 carrying out section 2(a)(1).

12 SEC. 8. SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF UNITED STATES CAPITOL

13 PRESERVATION COMMISSION.

14 (a) DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS.—The United

15 States Capitol Preservation Commission is authorized to

16 delegate to the Special Committee appointed pursuant to

17 the amendment made by subsection (b) the functions of

18 the Commission under this Act.

19 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 801 of the Arizona20 Idaho Conservation Act of 1988 (40 U.S.C. 188a) is

21 amended by adding at the end the following:

22 ‘‘(f) SPECIAL COMMITTEE.—

23 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Commission is au24 thorized to establish a Special Committee consisting

25 of 3 Members of Congress as follows:
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1 ‘‘(A) One Member of the House of Rep2 resentatives to be appointed by the Commission.

3 ‘‘(B) One Member of the Senate to be ap4 pointed by the Commission.

5 ‘‘(C) One Member of the House of Rep6 resentatives or the Senate to be appointed by

7 the 2 members appointed pursuant to subpara8 graphs (A) and (B).

9 ‘‘(2) CHAIRMAN; FUNCTIONS.—The Special

10 Committee established pursuant to paragraph (1)

11 shall elect its own chairperson and shall provide the

12 Architect of the Capitol with all necessary oversight

13 and direction in the exercise of the authority granted

14 to the Architect under the Capitol Visitor Center

15 Authorization Act of 1995.’’.

16 SEC. 9. FUNDING LIMITATION.

17 (a) GENERAL RULE.—Funds for the payment of ex18 penses incurred by the Architect of the Capitol in carrying

19 out section 2(a)(1) shall be derived solely from the account

20 established by section 6(a).

21 (b) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Subsection (a)

22 shall not be construed as limiting the use of any funds

23 for the repair, reconstruction, or improvement of any ex24 isting structure of the United States Capitol.

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