I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4771 

To establish a commission to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the 

American Civil War. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 4, 2010 

Mr. JACKSON of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To establish a commission to commemorate the 

sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. 

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 ‘‘Civil War Sesqui5 centennial Commission Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 

9 (1) The American Civil War was a defining ex10 perience in the development of the United States. 


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1 (2) The people of the United States continue to 

2 struggle with issues of race, civil rights, heritage, 

3 and the politics of federalism, which are legacies of 

4 the Civil War and Reconstruction. 

5 (3) There is a resurgence of interest in the Civil 

6 War that is evidenced by the multitude of publica7 tions, exhibits, reenactments, research organizations, 

8 Internet and multimedia resources, historic parks, 

9 and preservation associations focused on the Civil 

10 War. 

11 (4) The years 2010 through 2015 mark the ses12 quicentennial of the period beginning with the elec13 tion of Abraham Lincoln and concluding with the 

14 end of the Civil War. Notable milestones during this 

15 period include the following: 

16 (A) On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lin17 coln was elected President of the United States. 

18 (B) On December 20, 1860, in a special 

19 convention, the South Carolina Legislature 

20 voted to secede from the Union following the 

21 election of Lincoln. In the early months of the 

22 following year, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, 

23 Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded and 

24 formed the Confederate States of America. 


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1 (C) In April 1861, Confederate forces fired 

2 on Fort Sumter, the first shots fired in the 

3 Civil War. In response, President Lincoln or4 dered the blockade of all Confederate ports and 

5 called for 75,000 volunteers to enlist in the 

6 Union Army. Four more Southern States—Vir7 ginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Caro8 lina—seceded in the months following the at9 tack on Fort Sumter. 

10 (D) The Civil War spawned numerous 

11 campaigns, battles, and engagements, including 

12 Bull Run, the Monitor versus the Merrimac, the 

13 Peninsula Campaign, Shiloh, the Capture of 

14 New Orleans, the Shenandoah Valley Cam15 paign, Seven Pines, Seven Days, Antietam, 

16 Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, 

17 the Siege of Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Chat18 tanooga, Wilderness, the Siege at Petersburg, 

19 the Capture of Atlanta, the March to the Sea, 

20 Nashville, and Appomattox. 

21 (E) In January 1863, President Lincoln 

22 issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing 

23 all slaves in States considered to be in rebellion 

24 against the Federal Government. 


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1 (F) On June 28, 1864, President Lincoln 

2 repealed all fugitive slave laws. 

3 (G) On January 31, 1865, the United 

4 States Congress passed the 13th Amendment to 

5 the Constitution, abolishing slavery and invol6 untary servitude. 

7 (H) On April 9, 1865, Confederate General 

8 Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox 

9 Courthouse. 

10 (I) On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln 

11 was shot by Confederate sympathizer John 

12 Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s 

13 Theatre, and died the next day. 

14 (J) In April and May 1865, Confederate 

15 Generals Joseph Johnson and E. Kirby Smith, 

16 leaders of the remaining organized Confederate 

17 Forces, surrendered, formally ending the South18 ern Resistance. 

19 (K) By the end of the Civil War, an esti20 mated 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers 

21 had been killed and over 471,000 wounded, 

22 making the Civil War the bloodiest war in the 

23 history of our Nation. 

24 (5) The sesquicentennial of the Civil War pre25 sents a significant opportunity for Americans to reVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:22 Mar 05, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4771.IH H4771

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1 call and reflect upon all aspects of that conflict and 

2 its legacy in a spirit of reconciliation and honest re3 flection, through exploration, interpretation, and dis4 cussion. 

5 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab6 lish a Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Com7 mission to— 

8 (1) ensure a suitable national observance of the 

9 sesquicentennial of the Civil War that includes rec10 ognition of the historic, social, legal, cultural, and 

11 political forces that caused the American Civil War 

12 and influenced its course and outcomes; 

13 (2) collaborate with and assist States and na14 tional organizations with programs and activities for 

15 the observance of the sesquicentennial of the Civil 

16 War; 

17 (3) assist in ensuring that any observance of 

18 the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is inclusive and 

19 appropriately recognizes the experiences and points 

20 of view of all people affected by the Civil War; and 

21 (4) provide assistance for the development of 

22 programs, projects, and activities on the Civil War 

23 that have lasting educational value and are both na24 tional and international. 


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1 SEC. 3. CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION 

2 COMMISSION. 

3 The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a com4 mission to be known as the Civil War Sesquicentennial 

5 Commemoration Commission (hereafter in this Act re6 ferred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

7 SEC. 4. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be com9 posed of 29 members as follows: 

10 (1) GOVERNMENT MEMBERS.—The Commission 

11 shall include— 

12 (A) 2 Members of the Senate appointed by 

13 the President pro tempore of the Senate, in 

14 consultation with the majority leader and the 

15 minority leader of the Senate; 

16 (B) 2 Members of the House of Represent17 atives appointed by the Speaker of the House of 

18 Representatives; 

19 (C) the Secretary of the Interior or the 

20 designee of the Secretary; 

21 (D) the Secretary of the Smithsonian In22 stitution, or the designee of the Secretary; 

23 (E) the Secretary of Education, or the des24 ignee of the Secretary; 


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1 (F) the Chairman of the National Endow2 ment for the Humanities, or the designee of the 

3 Chairman; 

4 (G) the Chairman of the National Endow5 ment of the Arts, or the designee of the Chair6 man; 

7 (H) the Archivist of the United States, or 

8 the designee of the Archivist; 

9 (I) the Librarian of Congress, or the des10 ignee of the Librarian; and 

11 (J) the Director of the National Park 

12 Service, or the designee of the Director. 

13 (2) PRIVATE MEMBERS.—The Commission shall 

14 include— 

15 (A) 7 members appointed by the President 

16 from among individuals who are representative 

17 of the corporate and foundation community, in18 cluding 1 individual with specific expertise in 

19 communication and event planning; and 

20 (B) 10 individuals appointed by the Presi21 dent from among persons who by reason of edu22 cation, training, and experience, are experts on 

23 the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction 

24 eras, including— 


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1 (i) 6 individuals with expertise in his2 tory; 

3 (ii) 1 individual with specific expertise 

4 in art history, historic preservation, or a 

5 related field; 

6 (iii) 1 individual with specific exper7 tise in the performing arts; 

8 (iv) 1 individual with expertise in an9 thropology, cultural geography, sociology, 

10 or a related field; and 

11 (v) 1 individual with expertise in polit12 ical science, law, economics, or a related 

13 field. 

14 (b) TERMS.— 

15 (1) GOVERNMENT MEMBERS.—If any member 

16 of the Commission who was appointed as an officer 

17 designated under subsection (a)(1) leaves such of18 fice, the member may continue as a member of the 

19 Commission for not longer than the 30-day period 

20 beginning on the date the member leaves such office. 

21 (2) PRIVATE MEMBERS.—Private members 

22 under subsection (a)(2) shall be appointed for the 

23 life of the Commission. 


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1 (c) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Commission 

2 shall not affect its powers, and shall be filled in the same 

3 manner as the original appointment. 

4 (d) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—The appointment of 

5 the members of the Commission shall be made not later 

6 than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

7 SEC. 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 

8 (a) MEETINGS.— 

9 (1) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 60 days 

10 after the date on which all members of the Commis11 sion have been appointed, the members appointed 

12 under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 4(a)(2) 

13 shall call the first meeting of the Commission. 

14 (2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—The Commission 

15 shall hold subsequent meetings at the call of the 

16 Chairperson. 

17 (b) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—At the 

18 initial meeting, the Commission shall elect a Chairperson 

19 and a Vice Chairperson from among its voting members. 

20 (c) QUORUM.—A majority of voting members shall 

21 constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold meet22 ings. 

23 (d) VOTING.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall act 

2 only on an affirmative vote of a majority of the vot3 ing members of the Commission. 

4 (2) NONVOTING MEMBERS.—The individuals 

5 appointed under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of sec6 tion 4(a)(1) shall be nonvoting members, and shall 

7 serve only in an advisory capacity. 

8 SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 

9 (a) ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE SESQUICENTEN10 NIAL.—The Commission shall— 

11 (1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and 

12 activities appropriate to commemorate the sesqui13 centennial of the Civil War, including activities in 

14 recognition of the historic, social, legal, cultural, and 

15 political forces that caused the American Civil War 

16 and influenced its course and outcomes; 

17 (2) encourage interdisciplinary examination of 

18 the Civil War; 

19 (3) facilitate Civil War-related activities 

20 throughout the United States; 

21 (4) encourage civic, historical, educational, eco22 nomic, and other organizations throughout the 

23 United States to organize and participate in activi24 ties to expand the understanding and appreciation of 

25 the significance of the Civil War; 


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1 (5) coordinate and facilitate the public distribu2 tion of scholarly research, publications, and interpre3 tations of the Civil War; 

4 (6) provide assistance to States, localities, and 

5 nonprofit organizations to further the commemora6 tion of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War; 

7 (7) develop programs and facilities to ensure 

8 that the sesquicentennial commemoration of the 

9 Civil War results in a positive legacy and long-term 

10 public benefit; and 

11 (8) encourage the development and conduct of 

12 programs designed to involve the international com13 munity in activities that commemorate the Civil 

14 War. 

15 (b) PLANS AND REPORT.— 

16 (1) STRATEGIC PLAN AND ANNUAL PERFORM17 ANCE PLANS.—The Commission shall prepare a 

18 strategic plan in accordance with section 306 of title 

19 5, United States Code, and annual performance 

20 plans in accordance with section 1115 of title 31, 

21 United States Code, for the activities of the Com22 mission carried out under this Act. 

23 (2) REPORTS.— 

24 (A) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Commission 

25 shall submit to Congress an annual report that 


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1 contains a list of each gift, bequest, or devise 

2 with a value of more than $250, together with 

3 the identity of the donor of each such gift, be4 quest, or devise. 

5 (B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than De6 cember 30, 2015, the Commission shall submit 

7 to Congress a final report that contains— 

8 (i) a summary of activities of the 

9 Commission; 

10 (ii) a final accounting of funds re11 ceived and expended by the Commission; 

12 and 

13 (iii) the findings and recommenda14 tions of the Commission. 

15 SEC. 7. GRANT PROGRAM. 

16 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The National Endow17 ment for the Humanities, in collaboration with the Na18 tional Endowment for the Arts, shall award grants under 

19 this section for the uses described in subsection (b). 

20 (b) USE OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under this 

21 section shall be used for activities that are determined by 

22 the National Endowment for the Humanities, in collabora23 tion with the National Endowment for the Arts, to be ap24 propriately related to the sesquicentennial of the Civil War 

25 and to further the purposes of this Act. 


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1 (c) CONSIDERATION.—In awarding grants under this 

2 section, the National Endowment of the Humanities shall 

3 consider established university, museum, or academic pro4 grams with national scope that sponsor multidisciplinary 

5 projects that represent the totality of the Civil War. 

6 SEC. 8. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may, for the 

8 purpose of carrying out this Act— 

9 (1) accept and use gifts of money, property, 

10 and services, and, notwithstanding section 1342 of 

11 title 31, United States Code, may accept and use 

12 voluntary services; 

13 (2) appoint any advisory committee as the 

14 Commission considers appropriate; 

15 (3) authorize any voting member or employee of 

16 the Commission to take any action that the Commis17 sion is authorized to take under this Act; 

18 (4) procure supplies, services, and property, and 

19 make or enter into contracts, leases, or other legal 

20 agreements to carry out this Act (except that any 

21 contracts, leases, or other legal agreements entered 

22 into by the Commission shall not extend beyond the 

23 date of the termination of the Commission); 


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1 (5) use the United States mails in the same 

2 manner and under the same conditions as other 

3 Federal agencies; 

4 (6) secure directly from any department or 

5 agency of the United States such information as the 

6 Commission deems necessary to enable the Commis7 sion to carry out this Act, which shall be furnished 

8 by the head of such department or agency at the re9 quest of the Commission; and 

10 (7) establish an independent but affiliated 

11 Foundation to support, as the Commission deems 

12 necessary, the efforts of the Commission. 

13 SEC. 9. PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

14 (a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Members of the 

15 Commission, and members of any advisory committee ap16 pointed under section 8(a)(2), shall serve without com17 pensation. 

18 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the Commis19 sion, and members of any advisory committee appointed 

20 under section 8(a)(2), shall be allowed, as the Secretary 

21 of the Interior determines appropriate to carry out this 

22 Act, travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsist23 ence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency 

24 under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 

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1 ness of the member in the performance of the duties of 

2 the Commission. 

3 (c) STAFF.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may ap5 point, terminate, and fix the pay of an executive di6 rector and such other additional personnel as are 

7 necessary and appropriate to enable the Commission 

8 to perform its duties. 

9 (2) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CIVIL SERVICE

10 LAWS.—Consistent with all other applicable Federal 

11 laws governing appointments and compensation, an 

12 executive director and additional personnel may be 

13 appointed, terminated, and paid without regard to 

14 civil service laws (including regulations), including— 

15 (A) the provisions of title 5, United States 

16 Code, governing appointment in the competitive 

17 service; and 

18 (B) chapter 51 and subchapter III of chap19 ter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating 

20 to classification of positions and General Sched21 ule pay rates. 

22 (3) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.—The rate of pay 

23 for the executive director and other personnel shall 

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1 tive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United 

2 States Code. 

3 (d) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—At the request of the Com5 mission, the head of any Federal agency may detail, 

6 on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, any of 

7 the personnel of the agency to the Commission to as8 sist the Commission in carrying out the duties of the 

9 Commission under this Act. 

10 (2) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The detail of an 

11 employee under paragraph (1) shall be without inter12 ruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. 

13 (e) SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon request of the Com14 mission, the Department of the Interior shall provide to 

15 the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, administrative 

16 support services necessary for the Commission to carry out 

17 its responsibilities under this Act, including the disburse18 ment of funds available to the Commission, and the com19 putation and disbursement of the basic pay for Commis20 sion personnel. 

21 (f) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT22 TENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission 

23 may procure temporary and intermittent services under 

24 section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at daily 

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1 lent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level 

2 V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such 

3 title. 

4 (g) FACA NONAPPLICABILITY.—Section 14(b) of the 

5 Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 

6 apply to the Commission. 

7 (h) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

8 on the date that is 90 days after the date on which the 

9 Commission submits its final report under section 6(b)(2). 

10 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro12 priated to carry out this Act (other than section 7)— 

13 (1) $750,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 

14 through 2012; 

15 (2) $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2013 

16 through 2015; and 

17 (3) $250,000 for each of the fiscal years 2016 

18 through 2017. 

19 (b) GRANTS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 

20 $3,500,000 to the National Endowment for the Human21 ities to provide grants under section 7. 

Æ 


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