H. R. 1451

One Hundred Sixth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,

the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand

An Act

To establish the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial 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 ‘‘Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial

Commission Act’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was one of the

Nation’s most prominent leaders, demonstrating true courage

during the Civil War, one of the greatest crises in the Nation’s

history.

(2) Born of humble roots in Hardin County, Kentucky,

on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln rose to the Presidency

through a legacy of honesty, integrity, intelligence, and commitment to the United States.

(3) With the belief that all men were created equal,

Abraham Lincoln led the effort to free all slaves in the United

States.

(4) Abraham Lincoln had a generous heart, with malice

toward none and with charity for all.

(5) Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice for the

country Lincoln loved, dying from an assassin’s bullet on April

15, 1865.

(6) All Americans could benefit from studying the life of

Abraham Lincoln, for Lincoln’s life is a model for accomplishing

the ‘‘American Dream’’ through honesty, integrity, loyalty, and

a lifetime of education.

(7) The year 2009 will be the bicentennial anniversary

of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, and a commission should

be established to study and recommend to Congress activities

that are fitting and proper to celebrate that anniversary in

a manner that appropriately honors Abraham Lincoln.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

There is established a commission to be known as the Abraham

Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (referred to in this Act as the

‘‘Commission’’).

SEC. 4. DUTIES.

The Commission shall have the following duties:
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(1) To study activities that may be carried out by the

Federal Government to determine whether the activities are

fitting and proper to honor Abraham Lincoln on the occasion

of the bicentennial anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, including—

(A) the minting of an Abraham Lincoln bicentennial

penny;

(B) the issuance of an Abraham Lincoln bicentennial

postage stamp;

(C) the convening of a joint meeting or joint session

of Congress for ceremonies and activities relating to

Abraham Lincoln;

(D) a redesignation of the Lincoln Memorial, or other

activity with respect to the Memorial; and

(E) the acquisition and preservation of artifacts associated with Abraham Lincoln.

(2) To recommend to Congress the activities that the

Commission considers most fitting and proper to honor

Abraham Lincoln on such occasion, and the entity or entities

in the Federal Government that the Commission considers most

appropriate to carry out such activities.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission shall be composed of 15 members appointed as follows:

(1) Two members, each of whom shall be a qualified citizen

described in subsection (b), appointed by the President.

(2) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described

in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Governor of Illinois.

(3) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described

in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Governor of Indiana.

(4) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described

in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Governor of Kentucky.

(5) Three members, at least one of whom shall be a Member

of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker

of the House of Representatives.

(6) Three members, at least one of whom shall be a Senator,

appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.

(7) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Member

of the House of Representatives, appointed by the minority

leader of the House of Representatives.

(8) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Senator,

appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.

(b) QUALIFIED CITIZEN.—A qualified citizen described in this

subsection is a private citizen of the United States with—

(1) a demonstrated dedication to educating others about

the importance of historical figures and events; and

(2) substantial knowledge and appreciation of Abraham

Lincoln.

(c) TIME OF APPOINTMENT.—Each initial appointment of a

member of the Commission shall be made before the expiration

of the 120-day period beginning on the date of the enactment

of this Act.

(d) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If a member of the

Commission was appointed to the Commission as a Member of
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Congress, and ceases to be a Member of Congress, that member

may continue to serve on the Commission for not longer than

the 30-day period beginning on the date that member ceases to

be a Member of Congress.

(e) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed for the life of

the Commission.

(f ) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect

the powers of the Commission but shall be filled in the manner

in which the original appointment was made.

(g) BASIC PAY.—Members shall serve on the Commission without pay.

(h) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member shall receive travel

expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance

with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.

(i) QUORUM.—Five members of the Commission shall constitute

a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.

( j) CHAIR.—The Commission shall select a Chair from among

the members of the Commission.

(k) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the call of the

Chair. Periodically, the Commission shall hold a meeting in Springfield, Illinois.

SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

(a) DIRECTOR.—The Commission may appoint and fix the pay

of a Director and such additional personnel as the Commission

considers to be appropriate.

(b) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.—

(1) DIRECTOR.—The Director 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 that title relating to

classification and General Schedule pay rates.

(2) STAFF.—The staff of the Commission shall be appointed

subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and shall be

paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification

and General Schedule pay rates.

SEC. 7. POWERS.

(a) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The Commission may, for the

purpose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act

at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such

evidence as the Commission considers to be appropriate.

(b) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any member or agent

of the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take

any action that the Commission is authorized to take by this Act.

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

directly from any department or agency of the United States

information necessary to enable the Commission to carry out this

Act. Upon request of the Chair of the Commission, the head of

that department or agency shall furnish that information to the

Commission.

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

in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the United States.
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(e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon the request of

the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative

support services necessary for the Commission to carry out its

responsibilities under this Act.

SEC. 8. REPORTS.

(a) INTERIM REPORTS.—The Commission may submit to Congress such interim reports as the Commission considers to be appropriate.

(b) FINAL REPORT.—The Commission shall submit a final report

to Congress not later than the expiration of the 4-year period

beginning on the date of the formation of the Commission. The

final report shall contain—

(1) a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions

of the Commission;

(2) the recommendations of the Commission; and

(3) any other information that the Commission considers

to be appropriate.

SEC. 9. BUDGET ACT COMPLIANCE.

Any spending authority provided under this Act shall be effective only to such extent and in such amounts as are provided

in appropriation Acts.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

The Commission shall terminate 120 days after submitting

the final report of the Commission pursuant to section 8.

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may

be necessary to carry out this Act.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.