IIB 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2615 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 27, 2016 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

AN ACT 

To establish the Virgin Islands of the United States 

Centennial Commission. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Virgin Islands of the 

3 United States Centennial Commission Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

5 There is established a commission to be known as the 

6 ‘‘Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commis7 sion’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

8 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 

9 The Commission shall— 

10 (1) plan, develop, and carry out such activities 

11 as the Commission determines to be appropriate to 

12 commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Virgin 

13 Islands of the United States becoming an unincor14 porated territory of the United States; 

15 (2) provide advice and assistance to Federal, 

16 State, and local governmental agencies, as well as 

17 civic groups to carry out activities to commemorate 

18 the 100th anniversary of the Virgin Islands of the 

19 United States becoming an unincorporated territory 

20 of the United States; and 

21 (3) submit to the President and Congress the 

22 reports required pursuant to section 7. 

23 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 

24 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 

25 shall be composed of 8 members as follows: 


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1 (1) The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for 

2 Insular Affairs or a designee of the Assistant Sec3 retary. 

4 (2) One member appointed by the Governor of 

5 the Virgin Islands of the United States or a designee 

6 of the Governor. 

7 (3) Two Members of the House of Representa8 tives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Rep9 resentatives. 

10 (4) One Member of the House of Representa11 tives appointed by the minority leader of the House 

12 of Representatives. 

13 (5) Two Members of the Senate appointed by 

14 the majority leader of the Senate. 

15 (6) One Member of the Senate appointed by the 

16 minority leader of the Senate. 

17 (b) TERMS.—Each member of the Commission shall 

18 be appointed for the life of the Commission. 

19 (c) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—All members of 

20 the Commission shall be appointed not later than 90 days 

21 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

22 (d) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Commission 

23 shall— 

24 (1) not affect the powers of the Commission; 

25 and 


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1 (2) be filled in the manner in which the original 

2 appointment was made. 

3 (e) RATES OF PAY.—Members shall not receive com4 pensation for the performance of duties on behalf of the 

5 Commission. 

6 (f) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the Com7 mission shall be reimbursed for travel and per diem in lieu 

8 of subsistence expenses during the performance of duties 

9 of the Commission while away from home or regular place 

10 of business of the member, in accordance with applicable 

11 provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 

12 United States Code. 

13 (g) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the 

14 Commission shall constitute a quorum to conduct busi15 ness, but two or more members may hold hearings. 

16 (h) CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson of the Commis17 sion shall be selected by a majority vote of the members 

18 of the Commission. 

19 SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION. 

20 (a) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.—The Commission shall 

21 appoint an executive director and such other additional 

22 personnel as are necessary to enable the Commission to 

23 perform the duties of the Commission. 

24 (b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

25 LAWS.—The executive director and staff of the CommisVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Apr 27, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2615.RFS H2615

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1 sion may be appointed without regard to the provisions 

2 of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in 

3 the competitive service, and may be paid without regard 

4 to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chap5 ter 53 of such title relating to classification and General 

6 Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the 

7 executive director and other staff may not exceed the rate 

8 payable for level III of the Executive Schedule under sec9 tion 5314 of such title. 

10 (c) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Upon re11 quest of the Commission, the Secretary of the Interior or 

12 the Archivist of the United States may detail, on a reim13 bursable basis, any of the personnel of the Department 

14 of the Interior or the National Archives and Records Ad15 ministration, respectively to the Commission to assist the 

16 Commission to perform the duties of the Commission. 

17 (d) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission 

18 may procure such temporary and intermittent services 

19 from experts and consultants as are necessary to enable 

20 the Commission to perform the duties of the Commission. 

21 (e) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERVICES.— 

22 Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States 

23 Code, the Commission may accept and use voluntary and 

24 uncompensated services as the Commission determines 

25 necessary. 


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1 SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 

2 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur3 pose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act 

4 at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence 

5 as the Commission considers appropriate. 

6 (b) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United 

7 States mails in the same manner and under the same con8 ditions as other Federal agencies. 

9 (c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission 

10 may secure directly from any Federal agency information 

11 necessary to enable the Commission to perform the duties 

12 of the Commission. Upon request of the chairperson of 

13 the Commission, the head of that Federal agency shall fur14 nish that information to the Commission. 

15 (d) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, DEVISES.—The Commission 

16 may solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or 

17 devises of money, services, or property, both real and per18 sonal, for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the work 

19 of the Commission. 

20 (e) AVAILABLE SPACE.—Upon the request of the 

21 Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall 

22 make available to the Commission, at a normal rental rate 

23 for Federal agencies, such assistance and facilities as may 

24 be necessary for the Commission to perform the duties of 

25 the Commission. 


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1 (f) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Commission may 

2 enter into contracts with and compensate the Federal Gov3 ernment, State and local governments, private entities, or 

4 individuals to enable the Commission to perform the du5 ties of the Commission. 

6 SEC. 7. REPORTS. 

7 (a) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than January 31 

8 of each year, and annually thereafter until the final report 

9 is submitted pursuant to subsection (b), the Commission 

10 shall submit to the President and the Congress a report 

11 on— 

12 (1) the activities of the Commission; and 

13 (2) the revenue and expenditures of the Com14 mission, including a list of each gift, bequest, or de15 vise to the Commission with a value of more than 

16 $250, including the identity of the donor of each 

17 gift, bequest, or devise. 

18 (b) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than January 31, 

19 2018, the Commission shall submit a final report to the 

20 President and the Congress containing— 

21 (1) a summary of the activities of the Commis22 sion; and 

23 (2) a final accounting of funds received and ex24 pended by the Commission. 


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1 SEC. 8. ANNUAL AUDIT. 

2 The Inspector General of the Department of the Inte3 rior— 

4 (1) may perform an audit of the Commission; 

5 (2) shall make the results of any such audit 

6 available to the public; and 

7 (3) shall transmit such results to the Com8 mittee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 

9 House of Representatives and the Committee on 

10 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 

11 Senate. 

12 SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 

13 In this Act: 

14 (1) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

15 agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘agency’’ 

16 in section 551 of title 5, United States Code. 

17 (2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

18 the several States, the District of Columbia, each 

19 territory or possession of the United States, and 

20 each federally recognized Indian tribe. 

21 SEC. 10. TERMINATION. 

22 The Commission shall terminate on September 30, 

23 2018, or may terminate at an earlier date determined by 

24 the Commission after the final report is submitted pursu25 ant to section 7(b). 


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1 SEC. 11. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 

2 No Federal funds are authorized or may be obligated 

3 to carry out this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives April 26, 2016. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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