II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3537 

To establish the World War I Centennial Commission to ensure a suitable 

observance of the centennial of World War I, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 22 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

Mr. BOND introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish the World War I Centennial Commission to 

ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World 

War I, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

5 (1) More than 400,000 men and women from 

6 the United States served in uniform in the defense 

7 of liberty during World War I, among them 2 future 

8 presidents, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisen9 hower. 


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1 (2) 2,000,000 individuals from the United 

2 States served overseas during World War I, includ3 ing 200,000 naval personnel who served on the seas. 

4 (3) The United States suffered 375,000 casual5 ties during World War I. 

6 (4) The events of 1914 through 1918 shaped 

7 the world, the United States, and the lives of mil8 lions of people in countless ways. 

9 (5) The centennial of World War I offers an op10 portunity for people in the United States to learn 

11 about the sacrifices of their predecessors. 

12 (6) Commemorative programs and activities 

13 allow people in the United States to gain a historical 

14 understanding of the type of conflicts that cause 

15 countries to go to war and how those conflicts are 

16 resolved. 

17 (7) Kansas City is home to America’s National 

18 World War I Museum, as so recognized by Congress 

19 in section 1031(b) of the Ronald W. Reagan Na20 tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 

21 2005 (Public Law 108–375; 118 Stat. 2045). 

22 (8) America’s National World War I Museum 

23 seeks— 

24 (A) to preserve the history of World War 

25 I; and 


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1 (B) to educate and enlighten people about 

2 this significant event, the consequences of which 

3 still affect the United States. 

4 (9) Kansas City is home to the national head5 quarters for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

6 (10) Missouri is the home State of General 

7 John Joseph Pershing, who commanded the Amer8 ican Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World 

9 War I. 

10 (11) The Kansas City area is the home of the 

11 Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. 

12 (12) The Dwight David Eisenhower Presi13 dential Library and Museum is located close to Kan14 sas City in the neighboring State of Kansas. 

15 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

16 The purpose of this Act is to establish a commission, 

17 in Kansas City, Missouri, on the centennial of World War 

18 I to ensure a suitable observance of such centennial that 

19 promotes the values of honor, courage, patriotism, and 

20 sacrifice, in keeping with the representation of these val21 ues through the four Guardian Spirits sculpted on the Lib22 erty Memorial Monument at America’s National World 

23 War I Museum. 


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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com3 mission to be known as the ‘‘World War I Centennial 

4 Commission’’ (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commis5 sion’’). 

6 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

7 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be 

8 composed of 24 members as follows: 

9 (A) Four members who shall be appointed 

10 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

11 (B) Three members who shall be appointed 

12 by the minority leader of the House of Rep13 resentatives. 

14 (C) Four members who shall be appointed 

15 by the majority leader of the Senate. 

16 (D) Three members who shall be appointed 

17 by the minority leader of the Senate. 

18 (E) Seven members who shall be appointed 

19 by the President from among persons who are 

20 broadly representative of the people of the 

21 United States (including members of the Armed 

22 Forces, veterans, and representatives of vet23 erans service organizations). 

24 (F) One member who shall be appointed by 

25 the executive director of the Veterans of For26 eign Wars of the United States. 


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1 (G) One member who shall be appointed by 

2 the executive director of the American Legion. 

3 (H) One member who shall be appointed 

4 by the president of the Liberty Memorial Asso5 ciation. 

6 (2) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT.—Each member 

7 shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. 

8 (3) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission 

9 shall be filled in the manner in which the original 

10 appointment was made. 

11 (4) INITIAL MEETING.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days 

13 after the date on which all members of the 

14 Commission have been appointed, the Commis15 sion shall hold its first meeting. 

16 (B) LOCATION.—The location for the 

17 meeting held under subparagraph (A) shall be 

18 America’s National World War I Museum. 

19 (5) MEETINGS.— 

20 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

21 meet at the call of the Chair. 

22 (B) FREQUENCY.—The Chair shall call a 

23 meeting of the members of the Commission not 

24 less frequently than once each year. 


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1 (C) LOCATION.—Not less frequently than 

2 once each year, the Commission shall meet at 

3 America’s National World War I Museum. 

4 (6) QUORUM.—Thirteen members of the Com5 mission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser num6 ber may hold hearings. 

7 (7) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.—The Commission 

8 shall select a Chair and Vice Chair from among its 

9 members. 

10 SEC. 4. DUTIES. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The duties of the Commission are 

12 as follows: 

13 (1) To plan, develop, and execute programs, 

14 projects, and activities to commemorate the centen15 nial of World War I. 

16 (2) To encourage private organizations and 

17 State and local governments to organize and partici18 pate in activities commemorating the centennial of 

19 World War I. 

20 (3) To facilitate and coordinate activities 

21 throughout the United States relating to the centen22 nial of World War I. 

23 (4) To serve as a clearinghouse for the collec24 tion and dissemination of information about events 

25 and plans for the centennial of World War I. 


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1 (5) To develop recommendations for Congress 

2 and the President for commemorating the centennial 

3 of World War I. 

4 (b) REPORTS.— 

5 (1) PERIODIC REPORT.—Beginning not later 

6 than the last day of the 3-month period beginning 

7 on the date described in section 9 and the last day 

8 of each 3-month period thereafter, the Commission 

9 shall submit to Congress and the President a report 

10 on the activities and plans of the Commission. 

11 (2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later than 2 

12 years after the date described in section 9, the Com13 mission shall submit to Congress and the President 

14 a report containing specific recommendations for 

15 commemorating the centennial of World War I and 

16 coordinating related activities. 

17 SEC. 5. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

18 (a) HEARINGS.—The Commission may hold such 

19 hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such 

20 testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission 

21 considers appropriate to carry out the purposes of this 

22 Act. 

23 (b) POWERS OF MEMBER AND AGENTS.—If author24 ized by the Commission, any member or agent of the ComVerDate Aug 31 2005 16:46 Sep 23, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3537.IS S3537

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1 mission may take any action which the Commission is au2 thorized to take under this Act. 

3 (c) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The 

4 Commission shall secure directly from any Federal depart5 ment or agency such information as the Commission con6 siders necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 

7 Upon the request of the Chair of the Commission, the 

8 head of such department or agency shall furnish such in9 formation to the Commission. 

10 (d) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 

11 the request of the Commission, the Administrator of the 

12 General Services Administration shall provide to the Com13 mission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative sup14 port services necessary for the Commission to carry out 

15 its responsibilities under this Act. 

16 (e) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para18 graph (2), the Commission is authorized— 

19 (A) to procure supplies, services, and prop20 erty; and 

21 (B) to make or enter into contracts, leases, 

22 or other legal agreements. 

23 (2) LIMITATION.—The Commission may not 

24 enter into any contract, lease, or other legal agreeVerDate Aug 31 2005 16:46 Sep 23, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3537.IS S3537

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1 ment that extends beyond the date of the termi2 nation of the Commission under section 7(a). 

3 (f) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 

4 the United States mails in the same manner and under 

5 the same conditions as other departments and agencies of 

6 the Federal Government. 

7 (g) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES.— 

8 (1) ACCEPTANCE BY COMMISSION.—The Com9 mission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts, be10 quests, or devises of services or property, both real 

11 and personal, for the purpose of aiding or facili12 tating the work of the Commission. 

13 (2) DEPOSIT AND AVAILABILITY.—Gifts, be14 quests, or devises of money and proceeds from sales 

15 of other property received as gifts, bequests, or de16 vises shall de deposited in the Treasury of the 

17 United States and shall be available for disburse18 ment upon order of the Commission. 

19 SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

20 (1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Members of 

21 the Commission shall serve without compensation for 

22 such service. 

23 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the 

24 Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, includ25 ing per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance 


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1 with the applicable provisions of title 5, United 

2 States Code. 

3 (3) STAFF.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Chair of the Com5 mission shall, in consultation with the members 

6 of the Commission, appoint an executive direc7 tor and such other additional personnel as may 

8 be necessary to enable the Commission to per9 form its duties. 

10 (B) COMPENSATION.— 

11 (i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 

12 in clause (ii), the Chair of the Commission 

13 may fix the compensation of the executive 

14 director and other personnel appointed 

15 under subparagraph (A). 

16 (ii) LIMITATION.—The Chair of the 

17 Commission may not fix the compensation 

18 of the executive director or other personnel 

19 appointed under subparagraph (A) at a 

20 rate that exceeds the rate of payable for 

21 level IV of the Executive Schedule under 

22 section 5315 of title 5, United States 

23 Code. 

24 (C) WORK LOCATION.—If the city govern25 ment for Kansas City, Missouri, and the LibVerDate Aug 31 2005 16:46 Sep 23, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3537.IS S3537

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1 erty Memorial Association make space available 

2 in the building in which the America’s National 

3 World War I Museum is located, the executive 

4 director of the Commission and other personnel 

5 appointed under subparagraph (A) shall work 

6 in such building to the extent practical. 

7 (4) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.— 

8 Upon request of the Commission, the head of any 

9 Federal department or agency may detail, on a reim10 bursable basis, any employee of that department or 

11 agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out 

12 its duties under this Act. 

13 (5) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTER14 MITTENT SERVICES.—The Chair of the Commission 

15 may procure temporary and intermittent services 

16 under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code. 

17 SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall terminate 

19 on the earlier of— 

20 (1) the date that is 30 days after the date the 

21 completion of the activities under this Act honoring 

22 the centennial observation of World War I; and 

23 (2) July 28, 2019. 

24 (b) APPLICATION OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM25 MITTEE ACT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para2 graph (2), the provisions of the Federal Advisory 

3 Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the 

4 activities of the Commission under this Act. 

5 (2) EXCEPTION.—Section 14(a)(2) of such Act 

6 shall not apply to the Commission. 

7 SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) AMERICA’S NATIONAL WORLD WAR I MU10 SEUM.—The term ‘‘America’s National World War I 

11 Museum’’ means the Liberty Memorial Museum in 

12 Kansas City, Missouri, as recognized by Congress in 

13 section 1031(b) of the Ronald W. Reagan National 

14 Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 

15 (Public Law 108–375; 118 Stat. 2045). 

16 (2) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION.—The 

17 term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any or18 ganization recognized by the Secretary of Veterans 

19 Affairs for the representation of veterans under sec20 tion 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 

21 SEC. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

22 This Act takes effect on January 1, 2010. 

Æ 


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