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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2235

To establish a Commission on the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase

and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 16, 1999

Mr. GEPHARDT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Resources

A BILL

To establish a Commission on the Bicentennial of the

Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

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 ‘‘Louisiana Purchase

5 and Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commission

6 Act’’.

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

8 The Congress finds that—

9 (1) the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase

10 occurs in 2003, two hundred years after the United
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1 States, under the leadership of President Thomas

2 Jefferson and after due consideration and approval

3 by Congress, paid $15 million to France to acquire

4 the vast area in the western half of the Mississippi

5 River Basin;

6 (2) the Louisiana Purchase was the largest

7 peaceful land transaction in history and virtually

8 doubled the size of the United States;

9 (3) the Louisiana Purchase opened the heart of

10 the North American continent for exploration, settle11 ment, and achievement, as exemplified by the Lewis

12 and Clark Expedition of 1803 to 1806, which se13 cured through heroic efforts the first documentation

14 of the inhabitants, riches, and grandeur of this new

15 territory of the United States;

16 (4) in the wake of the Louisiana Purchase and

17 Lewis and Clark Expedition, immigrants from

18 around the world came to the American frontier,

19 which became emblematic of the search for political,

20 economic, and spiritual freedom; and

21 (5) commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase

22 and the opening of the West can enhance public un23 derstanding of the impact of Westward expansion on

24 American society and can provide lessons for demo25 cratic governance in our own time.
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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION OF COMMIS2 SION.

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com4 mission to be known as the ‘‘Louisiana Purchase and

5 Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commission’’

6 (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’)

7 to plan, encourage, coordinate, and conduct the commemo8 ration of the two hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana

9 Purchase and its exploration by Lewis and Clark.

10 (b) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be com11 posed of 24 members, who shall be appointed not later

12 than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,

13 as follows:

14 (1) Eight members appointed by the President

15 upon the recommendation of the majority leader of

16 the Senate in consultation with the minority leader

17 of the Senate.

18 (2) Eight members appointed by the President

19 upon recommendation of the Speaker of the House

20 of Representatives in consultation with the minority

21 leader of the House of Representatives.

22 (3) Eight members appointed by the President,

23 which members shall be broadly representative of the

24 people of the United States, and not otherwise offi25 cers or employees of the United States.
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1 (c) QUALIFICATIONS.—The President and each of the

2 individuals making recommendations to the President re3 garding appointments shall seek to achieve a balanced

4 membership representing, to the extent practicable, the

5 Nation as a whole. The Commission members shall be cho6 sen from among individuals who have demonstrated schol7 arship, a strong sense of public service, expertise in the

8 learned professions, and abilities likely to contribute to the

9 fulfillment of the duties of the Commission.

10 (d) TERMS.—Members of the Commission shall be

11 appointed for the life of the Commission.

12 (e) INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION.—The President

13 is authorized and requested to invite the governments of

14 Canada, France, Great Britain, Mexico, and Spain each

15 to appoint, not later than 90 days after the date of the

16 enactment of this Act, one individual to serve as a non17 voting participant in the activities of the Commission.

18 (f) CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR.—The President shall

19 designate one of the members to be Chairperson, who shall

20 serve in that position at the pleasure of the President. The

21 Commission shall elect a Vice-Chairperson from among its

22 members.

23 (g) QUORUM.—Thirteen members of the Commission

24 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may con25 duct meetings.
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1 (h) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall

2 be filled in the same manner in which the original appoint3 ment was made.

4 (i) COMPENSATION.—The members of the Commis5 sion shall serve without compensation, but each member

6 shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other nec7 essary expenses incurred in the performance of Commis8 sion duties.

9 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall—

11 (1) plan and develop activities appropriate to

12 commemorate the bicentennial of the Louisiana Pur13 chase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, including

14 a limited number of projects to be undertaken by the

15 Federal Government, seeking to harmonize and bal16 ance the important goals of ceremony and celebra17 tion with the equally important goals of scholarship

18 and education;

19 (2) consult with and encourage Indian tribes,

20 appropriate Federal departments and agencies, State

21 and local governments, foreign governments, and

22 private organizations to organize and participate in

23 bicentennial activities commemorating or examining

24 the history of the Louisiana Territory, the negotia25 tion of the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark
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1 Expedition, the specific characteristics of the fron2 tier movement and the westward expansion of the

3 United States with their influences on the culture of

4 the world; and

5 (3) coordinate, generally, activities throughout

6 the United States and international activities related

7 to the history and influence of the Louisiana Pur8 chase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

9 (b) FEDERAL AGENCY COOPERATION.—Federal de10 partments and agencies are authorized and requested to

11 cooperate with the Commission in planning, encouraging,

12 coordinating, and conducting appropriate commemorative

13 activities.

14 SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may provide

16 for—

17 (1) the preparation, distribution, dissemination,

18 exhibition, and sale of historical, commemorative,

19 and informational materials and objects which will

20 contribute to public awareness of, and interest in,

21 the bicentennial, except that any commemorative

22 coins, medals, or postage stamps recommended to be

23 issued by the United States shall be sold only by an

24 agency of the United States;
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1 (2) competitions and awards for historical,

2 scholarly, artistic, literary, musical, and other works,

3 programs, and projects relating to the bicentennial;

4 (3) a bicentennial calendar or register of pro5 grams and projects, and in other ways provide a

6 central clearinghouse for information and coordina7 tion regarding dates, events, places, documents, arti8 facts, and personalities of bicentennial historical and

9 commemorative significance; and

10 (4) the design and designation of logos, sym11 bols, or marks for use in connection with the com12 memoration of the bicentennial of the Louisiana

13 Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition, and shall

14 prescribe rules and regulations regarding their use,

15 which shall provide that the Commission may not

16 sell, lease, or otherwise grant to any person the right

17 to use any such logo, symbol, or mark in connection

18 with the production or manufacture of any commer19 cial goods, or as part of an advertisement promoting

20 any commercial goods or services.

21 (b) DONATIONS.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may ac23 cept, use, solicit, and dispose of donations of money,

24 property, or personal services.
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1 (2) LIMITATIONS.—The Commission may not

2 accept donations—

3 (A) the value of which exceeds $50,000 an4 nually, in the case of donations from an indi5 vidual; or

6 (B) the value of which exceeds $250,000

7 annually, in the case of donations from a cor8 poration, partnership, or other business organi9 zation.

10 (3) EXCEPTION.—The limitations in paragraph

11 (2) shall not apply in the case of an organization de12 scribed in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue

13 Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) and exempt

14 from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.

15 (c) PRESERVATION.—All books, manuscripts, mis16 cellaneous printed matter, memorabilia, relics, and other

17 materials or property relating to the time period of the

18 Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition,

19 received by the Commission by donation may be deposited

20 for preservation in National, State, or local libraries, mu21 seums, or other agencies.

22 SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS AND POWERS.

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—

24 (1) APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS.—The Chair25 person, with the advice of the whole Commission,
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1 shall appoint, to serve at the pleasure of the Chair2 person, without regard to the provisions of title 5,

3 United States Code, governing appointments in the

4 competitive service—

5 (A) a Director who may be compensated at

6 a rate not to exceed the rate of basic pay pay7 able for level IV of the Executive Schedule es8 tablished under section 5315 of such title; and

9 (B) a Deputy Director who may be com10 pensated at a rate not to exceed the rate of

11 basic pay payable for level V of the Executive

12 Schedule established under section 5316 of such

13 title.

14 (2) DELEGATION TO DIRECTOR.—The Commis15 sion may delegate such powers and duties to the Di16 rector as may be necessary for the efficient oper17 ation and management of the Commission.

18 (b) GENERAL POWERS.—Subject to such rules and

19 regulations as may be adopted by the Commission, the

20 Commission may—

21 (1) appoint and fix the compensation of such

22 additional personnel, not to exceed 20 staff mem23 bers, as it deems advisable, without regard to the

24 provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing

25 appointments in the competitive service, and without
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1 regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter

2 53 of such title relating to classification and General

3 Schedule pay rates, but at rates not in excess of the

4 maximum rate for grade GS–15 of the General

5 Schedule under section 5332 of such title;

6 (2) appoint such advisory committees as it

7 deems necessary; and

8 (3) procure supplies, services, and property,

9 make contracts, expend funds appropriated, donated,

10 or received to carry out such contracts.

11 (c) STAFF DETAILED FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—

12 Upon request of the Commission, the head of any Federal

13 agency may detail any of the personnel of such agency

14 to the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying

15 out its duties under this Act.

16 (d) STAFF PAID FROM DONATED FUNDS.—The

17 Commission may appoint and fix the pay of additional per18 sonnel to be paid out of private donations.

19 (e) PRINCIPAL OFFICE.—The principal office of the

20 Commission shall be in St. Louis, Missouri.

21 SEC. 7. REPORTING AND TERMINATION.

22 (a) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Commission shall re23 port to the President and Congress annually on its activi24 ties, its expenditures, and all donations.
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1 (b) COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.—Not later than three

2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Com3 mission shall submit to the President and to Congress a

4 comprehensive report incorporating its specific rec5 ommendations for the commemoration of the bicentennial

6 of the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedi7 tion and related events. The report of the Commission

8 shall include recommendations for the allocation of finan9 cial and administrative responsibility among the public

10 and private authorities and organizations recommended

11 for participation by the Commission. This report may rec12 ommend activities such as—

13 (1) the production, publication, and distribution

14 of books, pamphlets, films, electronic publications,

15 and other educational materials focusing on the his16 tory and impact of the Louisiana Purchase on the

17 United States and the world;

18 (2) bibliographical and documentary projects,

19 publications, and electronic resources;

20 (3) conferences, convocations, lectures, semi21 nars, and other programs;

22 (4) the development of programs by and for li23 braries, museums, parks, and historic sites, includ24 ing national and international traveling exhibitions;
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1 (5) ceremonies and celebrations commemorating

2 specific events;

3 (6) the production, distribution, and perform4 ance of artistic works, and of programs and activi5 ties, focusing on the national and international sig6 nificance of the Louisiana Purchase and the west7 ward movement opening the frontier for present and

8 future generations; and

9 (7) the issuance of commemorative coins, med10 als, certificates of recognition, and postage stamps.

11 (c) FINAL REPORT AND TERMINATION.—The Com12 mission shall make a final report to the President and

13 Congress, and shall terminate, by March 1, 2007.

14 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro16 priated to carry out the purposes of this Act $1,000,000

17 for fiscal year 2000 and such sums as may be necessary

18 for the subsequent fiscal years through fiscal year 2007.

19 (b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro20 priated under this section for any fiscal year shall remain

21 available until March 1, 2007.

22 (c) LIMITATION.—The total appropriations author23 ized under this Act shall not exceed $8,000,000.

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