I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2615 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 2, 2015 

Ms. PLASKETT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 United States Centennial Commission Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘State’’ means 

8 each of the several States, the District of Columbia, each 

9 territory or possession of the United States, and each fed10 erally recognized Indian tribe. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2615 IH

1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 

2 There is established a commission to be known as the 

3 ‘‘Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commis4 sion’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

5 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 

6 The Commission shall— 

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

8 as the Commission considers fitting and proper to 

9 commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Virgin 

10 Islands of the United States becoming an unincor11 porated territory of the United States; 

12 (2) provide advice and assistance to Federal, 

13 State, and local governmental agencies, as well as 

14 civic groups to carry out activities to commemorate 

15 the 100th anniversary of the Virgin Islands of the 

16 United States becoming an unincorporated territory 

17 of the United States; and 

18 (3) submit to the President and Congress re19 ports pursuant to section 8. 

20 SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP. 

21 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 

22 shall be composed of 8 members as follows: 

23 (1) The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for 

24 Insular Affairs or his designee. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2615 IH

1 (2) One member appointed by the Governor of 

2 the Virgin Islands of the United States or his des3 ignee. 

4 (3) Two Members of the House of Representa5 tives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Rep6 resentatives. 

7 (4) One Member of the House of Representa8 tives appointed by the minority leader of the House 

9 of Representatives. 

10 (5) Two Members of the Senate appointed by 

11 the majority leader of the Senate. 

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

13 minority leader of the Senate. 

14 (b) ALTERNATIVE APPOINTMENT.—If the Governor 

15 of the Virgin Islands of the United States or his designee 

16 declines to make such appointment under subsection 

17 (a)(2), such member shall be appointed by the Delegate 

18 of the Virgin Islands of the United States. 

19 (c) TERMS.—Each member of the Commission shall 

20 be appointed for the life of the Commission. 

21 (d) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—All members of 

22 the Commission shall be appointed not later than 90 days 

23 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

24 (e) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Commission 

25 shall— 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2615 IH

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

2 and 

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

4 appointment was made. 

5 (f) RATES OF PAY.—Members shall not receive com6 pensation for the performance of their duties on behalf 

7 of the Commission. 

8 (g) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the Com9 mission shall be reimbursed for travel and per diem in lieu 

10 of subsistence expenses during the performance of duties 

11 of the Commission while away from home or his or her 

12 regular place of business, in accordance with applicable 

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

14 United States Code. 

15 (h) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the 

16 Commission shall constitute a quorum to conduct busi17 ness, but two or more members may hold hearings. 

18 (i) CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson of the Commis19 sion shall be selected by the Delegate of the United States 

20 Virgin Islands. 

21 SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION. 

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

23 appoint an executive director considering the recommenda24 tion of the Delegate of the Virgin Islands of the United 

25 States, and shall appoint such other additional personnel 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2615 IH

1 as are necessary to enable the Commission to perform its 

2 duties. 

3 (b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE

4 LAWS.—The executive director and staff of the Commis5 sion may be appointed without regard to the provisions 

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

7 the competitive service, and may be paid without regard 

8 to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chap9 ter 53 of such title relating to classification and General 

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

11 executive director and other staff may not exceed the rate 

12 payable for level III of the Executive Schedule under sec13 tion 5316 of such title. 

14 (c) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Upon re15 quest of the Commission, the Secretary of the Interior or 

16 the Archivist of the United States may detail, on a reim17 bursable basis, any of the personnel of that department 

18 or agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out 

19 its duties under this Act. 

20 (d) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission 

21 may procure such temporary and intermittent services 

22 from experts and consultants as are necessary to enable 

23 the Commission to perform its duties. 

24 (e) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERVICES.— 

25 Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 2615 IH

1 Code, the Commission may accept and use voluntary and 

2 uncompensated services as the Commission determines 

3 necessary. 

4 SEC. 7. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 

5 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may, for the pur6 pose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act 

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

8 as the Commission considers appropriate. 

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

10 States mails in the same manner and under the same con11 ditions as other departments and agencies of the United 

12 States. 

13 (c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission 

14 may secure directly from any department or agency of the 

15 United States information necessary to enable it to carry 

16 out its duties under this Act. Upon request of the chair17 person of the Commission, the head of that department 

18 or agency shall furnish that information to the Commis19 sion. 

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

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

22 devises of money, services, or property, both real and per23 sonal, for the purpose of aiding or facilitating its work. 

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

25 Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 2615 IH

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

2 for Federal agencies, such assistance and facilities as may 

3 be necessary for the Commission to carry out its duties 

4 under this Act. 

5 (f) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The Commission may 

6 enter into contracts with and compensate government and 

7 private agencies or persons to enable the Commission to 

8 discharge its duties under this Act. 

9 SEC. 8. REPORTS. 

10 (a) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Commission shall sub11 mit to the President and the Congress annual reports on 

12 the activities of the Commission as well as the revenue 

13 and expenditures of the Commission, including a list of 

14 each gift, bequest, or devise to the Commission with a 

15 value of more than $250, together with the identity of the 

16 donor of each gift, bequest, or devise. 

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

18 2018, the Commission shall submit a final report to the 

19 President and the Congress containing— 

20 (1) a summary of the activities of the Commis21 sion; and 

22 (2) a final accounting of funds received and ex23 pended by the Commission. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 2615 IH

1 SEC. 9. TERMINATION. 

2 The Commission may terminate on such date as the 

3 Commission may determine after it submits its final re4 port under section 8(b), but not later than September 30, 

5 2018. 

6 SEC. 10. ANNUAL AUDIT. 

7 The Inspector General of the Department of the Inte8 rior may perform an audit of the Commission, shall make 

9 the results of any audit performed available to the public, 

10 and shall transmit such results to the Committee on Over11 sight and Government Reform of the House of Represent12 atives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov13 ernmental Affairs of the Senate. 

Æ 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS