H. R. 2615 

One Hundred Fourteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the fourth day of January, two thousand and sixteen 

An Act 

To establish the Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commission. 

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 ‘‘Virgin Islands of the United 

States Centennial Commission Act’’. 

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

There is established a commission to be known as the ‘‘Virgin 

Islands of the United States Centennial Commission’’ (in this Act 

referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 

The Commission shall— 

(1) plan, develop, and carry out such activities as the 

Commission determines to be appropriate to commemorate the 

100th anniversary of the Virgin Islands of the United States 

becoming an unincorporated territory of the United States; 

(2) provide advice and assistance to Federal, State, and 

local governmental agencies, as well as civic groups to carry 

out activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 

Virgin Islands of the United States becoming an unincorporated 

territory of the United States; and 

(3) submit to the President and Congress the reports 

required pursuant to section 7. 

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 

(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission shall be composed of 8 members as follows: 

(1) The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular 

Affairs or a designee of the Assistant Secretary. 

(2) One member appointed by the Governor of the Virgin 

Islands of the United States or a designee of the Governor. 

(3) Two Members of the House of Representatives appointed 

by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

(4) One Member of the House of Representatives appointed 

by the minority leader of the House of Representatives. 

(5) Two Members of the Senate appointed by the majority 

leader of the Senate. 

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

leader of the Senate. 

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

for the life of the Commission. 
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(c) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—All members of the Commission shall be appointed not later than 90 days after the date 

of the enactment of this Act. 

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

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

(2) be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made. 

(e) RATES OF PAY.—Members shall not receive compensation 

for the performance of duties on behalf of the Commission. 

(f) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the Commission shall 

be reimbursed for travel and per diem in lieu of subsistence 

expenses during the performance of duties of the Commission while 

away from home or regular place of business of the member, in 

accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 

57 of title 5, United States Code. 

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

shall constitute a quorum to conduct business, but two or more 

members may hold hearings. 

(h) CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson of the Commission shall 

be selected by a majority vote of the members of the Commission. 

SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION. 

(a) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.—The Commission shall appoint an 

executive director and such other additional personnel as are necessary to enable the Commission to perform the duties of the 

Commission. 

(b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—The executive director and staff of the Commission may be appointed without 

regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 

appointments in the competitive service, and may be paid without 

regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 

53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule 

pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive director 

and other staff may not exceed the rate payable for level III of 

the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of such title. 

(c) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Upon request of the 

Commission, the Secretary of the Interior or the Archivist of the 

United States may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the 

personnel of the Department of the Interior or the National Archives 

and Records Administration, respectively to the Commission to 

assist the Commission to perform the duties of the Commission. 

(d) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission may procure 

such temporary and intermittent services from experts and consultants as are necessary to enable the Commission to perform the 

duties of the Commission. 

(e) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERVICES.—Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission may accept and use voluntary and uncompensated services 

as the Commission determines necessary. 

SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 

(a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 

take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers 

appropriate. 

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

in the same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal 

agencies. 
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(c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission may secure 

directly from any Federal agency information necessary to enable 

the Commission to perform the duties of the Commission. Upon 

request of the chairperson of the Commission, the head of that 

Federal agency shall furnish that information to the Commission. 

(d) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, DEVISES.—The Commission may solicit, 

accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money, 

services, or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of 

aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission. 

(e) AVAILABLE SPACE.—Upon the request of the Commission, 

the Administrator of General Services shall make available to the 

Commission, at a normal rental rate for Federal agencies, such 

assistance and facilities as may be necessary for the Commission 

to perform the duties of the Commission. 

(f) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Commission may enter into 

contracts with and compensate the Federal Government, State and 

local governments, private entities, or individuals to enable the 

Commission to perform the duties of the Commission. 

SEC. 7. REPORTS. 

(a) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than January 31 of each year, 

and annually thereafter until the final report is submitted pursuant 

to subsection (b), the Commission shall submit to the President 

and the Congress a report on— 

(1) the activities of the Commission; and 

(2) the revenue and expenditures of the Commission, 

including a list of each gift, bequest, or devise to the Commission with a value of more than $250, including the identity 

of the donor of each gift, bequest, or devise. 

(b) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than January 31, 2018, the 

Commission shall submit a final report to the President and the 

Congress containing— 

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

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

the Commission. 

SEC. 8. ANNUAL AUDIT. 

The Inspector General of the Department of the Interior— 

(1) may perform an audit of the Commission; 

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

to the public; and 

(3) shall transmit such results to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives 

and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs of the Senate. 

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal agency’’ has the 

meaning given the term ‘‘agency’’ in section 551 of title 5, 

United States Code. 

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

States, the District of Columbia, each territory or possession 

of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian 

tribe. 
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SEC. 10. TERMINATION. 

The Commission shall terminate on September 30, 2018, or 

may terminate at an earlier date determined by the Commission 

after the final report is submitted pursuant to section 7(b). 

SEC. 11. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 

No Federal funds are authorized or may be obligated to carry 

out this Act. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.