II 

Calendar No. 37 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 680 

[Report No. 112–14] 

To authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of 

real property in the District of Columbia to provide for the establishment 

of a National Women’s History Museum. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 30, 2011 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. HUTCHISON, 

Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. LANDRIEU, Ms. STABENOW, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. 

LIEBERMAN, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. BEGICH, Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN, Ms. AYOTTE, Mrs. HAGAN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, and Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

MAY 2, 2011 

Reported by Mrs. BOXER, with amendments 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey 

a parcel of real property in the District of Columbia 

to provide for the establishment of a National Women’s 

History Museum. 


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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 Women’s His5 tory Museum Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act, the following definitions apply: 

8 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis9 trator’’ means the Administrator of General Serv10 ices. 

11 (2) CERCLA.—The term ‘‘CERCLA’’ means 

12 the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Com13 pensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 

14 9601 et seq.). 

15 (3) COMMITTEES.—The term ‘‘Committees’’ 

16 means the Committee on Transportation and Infra17 structure of the House of Representatives and the 

18 Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 

19 Senate. 

20 (4) MUSEUM.—The term ‘‘Museum’’ means the 

21 National Women’s History Museum, Inc., a District 

22 of Columbia nonprofit corporation exempt from tax23 ation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 

24 Revenue Code of 1986. 


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1 (5) PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘Property’’ means 

2 the property located in the District of Columbia, 

3 subject to survey and as determined by the Adminis4 trator, generally consisting of Squares 325 and 326. 

5 The Property is generally bounded by 12th Street, 

6 Independence Avenue, C Street, and the James For7 restal Building, all in Southwest Washington, Dis8 trict of Columbia, and shall include all associated air 

9 rights, improvements thereon, and appurtenances 

10 thereto. 

11 SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY. 

12 (a) AUTHORITY TO CONVEY.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the requirements 

14 of this Act, the Administrator shall convey the Prop15 erty to the Museum, on such terms and conditions 

16 as the Administrator considers reasonable and ap17 propriate to protect the interests of the United 

18 States and further the purposes of this Act. 

19 (2) AGREEMENT.—As soon as practicable, but 

20 not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

21 of this Act, the Administrator shall enter into an 

22 agreement with the Museum for the conveyance. 

23 (3) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The terms and 

24 conditions of the agreement shall address, among 

25 other things, mitigation of developmental impacts to 


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1 existing Federal buildings and structures, security 

2 concerns, and operational protocols for development 

3 and use of the property. 

4 (b) PURCHASE PRICE.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The purchase price for the 

6 Property shall be its fair market value based on its 

7 highest and best use as determined by an inde8 pendent appraisal commissioned by the Adminis9 trator and paid for by the Museum. 

10 (2) SELECTION OF APPRAISER.—The appraisal 

11 shall be performed by an appraiser mutually accept12 able to the Administrator and the Museum. 

13 (3) TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR APPRAISAL.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided by 

15 subparagraph (B), the assumptions, scope of 

16 work, and other terms and conditions related to 

17 the appraisal assignment shall be mutually ac18 ceptable to the Administrator and the Museum. 

19 (B) REQUIRED TERMS.—The appraisal 

20 shall assume that the Property does not contain 

21 hazardous substances (as defined in section 101 

22 of CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9601)) which require 

23 response action (as defined in such section). or 

24 any other hazardous waste or pollutant that reVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:51 May 02, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S680.RS S680

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1 quires a response action or corrective action 

2 under any applicable environmental law. 

3 (c) APPLICATION OF PROCEEDS.—The purchase 

4 price shall be paid into the Federal Buildings Fund estab5 lished under section 592 of title 40, United States Code. 

6 Upon deposit, the Administrator may expend, in amounts 

7 specified in authorizations and appropriations Acts, the 

8 proceeds from the conveyance for any lawful purpose con9 sistent with existing authorities granted to the Adminis10 trator. 

11 (d) QUIT CLAIM DEED.—The Property shall be con12 veyed pursuant to a quit claim deed. 

13 (e) USE RESTRICTION.—The Property shall be dedi14 cated for use as a site for a national women’s history mu15 seum for the 99-year period beginning on the date of con16 veyance to the Museum. 

17 (f) FUNDING RESTRICTION.—No Federal funds shall 

18 be made available to the Museum for the purchase of the 

19 Property or the design and construction of any facility on 

20 the Property. 

21 (f) FUNDING RESTRICTION.—No Federal funds shall be 

22 made available— 

23 (1) to the Museum for— 

24 (A) the purchase of the Property; or 


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1 (B) the design and construction of any fa2 cility on the Property; or 

3 (2) by the Museum or any affiliate of the Mu4 seum as a credit pursuant to section 4(b). 

5 (g) REVERSION.— 

6 (1) BASES FOR REVERSION.—The Property 

7 shall revert to the United States, at the option of 

8 the United States, without any obligation for repay9 ment by the United States of any amount of the 

10 purchase price for the property, if— 

11 (A) the Property is not used as a site for 

12 a national women’s history museum at any time 

13 during the 99-year period referred to in sub14 section (e); or 

15 (B) the Museum has not commenced con16 struction of a museum facility on the Property 

17 in the 5-year period beginning on the date of 

18 enactment of this Act, other than for reasons 

19 beyond the control of the Museum as reason20 ably determined by the Administrator. 

21 (2) ENFORCEMENT.—The Administrator may 

22 perform any acts necessary to enforce the rever23 sionary rights provided in this section. 

24 (3) CUSTODY OF PROPERTY UPON REVER25 SION.—If the Property reverts to the United States 


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1 pursuant to this section, such property shall be 

2 under the custody and control of the Administrator. 

3 (h) CLOSING.—The conveyance pursuant to this Act 

4 shall occur not later than 3 years after the date of enact5 ment of this Act. The Administrator may extend that pe6 riod for such time as is reasonably necessary for the Mu7 seum to perform its obligations under section 4(a). 

8 SEC. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS. 

9 (a) AUTHORIZATION TO CONTRACT FOR ENVIRON10 MENTAL RESPONSE ACTIONS.—The Administrator is au11 thorized to contract with the Museum or an affiliate there12 of In fulfilling the responsibility of the Administrator to 

13 address contamination on the Property, the Administrator 

14 may contract with the Museum or an affiliate of the Mu15 seum for the performance (on behalf of the Administrator) 

16 of response actions on the Property. 

17 (b) CREDITING OF RESPONSE COSTS.—Any costs 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Any costs incurred by the 

19 Museum or an affiliate thereof of the Museum using 

20 non-Federal funds pursuant to subsection (a) shall 

21 be credited to the purchase price for the Property. 

22 (2) LIMITATION.—A credit under paragraph (1) 

23 shall not exceed the purchase price of the Property. 

24 (c) NO EFFECT ON COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRON25 MENTAL LAWS.—Nothing in this Act, or any amendment 


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1 made by this Act, affects or limits the application of or 

2 obligation to comply with any environmental law, including 

3 section 120(h) of CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)). 

4 SEC. 5. INCIDENTAL COSTS. 

5 Subject to section 4, the Museum shall bear any and 

6 all costs associated with complying with the provisions of 

7 this Act, including studies and reports, surveys, relocating 

8 tenants, and mitigating impacts to existing Federal build9 ings and structures resulting directly from the develop10 ment of the property by the Museum. 

11 SEC. 6. LAND USE APPROVALS. 

12 (a) EXISTING AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this Act 

13 shall be construed as limiting or affecting the authority 

14 or responsibilities of the National Capital Planning Com15 mission or the Commission of Fine Arts. 

16 (b) COOPERATION.— 

17 (1) ZONING AND LAND USE.—Subject to para18 graph (2), the Administrator shall reasonably co19 operate with the Museum with respect to any zoning 

20 or other land use matter relating to development of 

21 the Property in accordance with this Act. Such co22 operation shall include consenting to applications by 

23 the Museum for applicable zoning and permitting 

24 with respect to the property. 


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1 (2) LIMITATIONS.—The Administrator shall not 

2 be required to incur any costs with respect to co3 operation under this subsection and any consent pro4 vided under this subsection shall be premised on the 

5 property being developed and operated in accordance 

6 with this Act. 

7 SEC. 7. REPORTS. 

8 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

9 of this Act, and annually thereafter until the end of the 

10 5-year period following conveyance of the Property or until 

11 substantial completion of the museum facility (whichever 

12 is later), the Museum shall submit annual reports to the 

13 Administrator and the Committees detailing the develop14 ment and construction activities of the Museum with re15 spect to this Act. 


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Calendar No. 37 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 680 

[Report No. 112–14] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Administrator of General Services 

a National Women’s History Museum. of Columbia to provide for the establishment of to convey a parcel of real property in the District 

MAY 2, 2011 

Reported with amendments 


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