II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1623

To select a National Health Museum site.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 23 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 1999

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

to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To select a National Health Museum site.

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

3 SECTION 1. NATIONAL HEALTH MUSEUM PROPERTY.

4 (a) SHORT TITLE AND PURPOSE.—

5 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited

6 as the ‘‘National Health Museum Site Selection

7 Act’’.

8 (2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is

9 to further section 703 of the National Health Mu10 seum Development Act (20 U.S.C. 50 note; Public

11 Law 105–78), which provides that the National

12 Health Museum shall be located on or near the Mall
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1 on land owned by the Federal Government or the

2 District of Columbia.

3 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:

4 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis5 trator’’ means the Administrator of General Serv6 ices.

7 (2) MUSEUM.—The term ‘‘Museum’’ means the

8 National Health Museum, Inc., a District of Colum9 bia nonprofit corporation exempt from Federal in10 come taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Inter11 nal Revenue Code of 1986.

12 (3) PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘property’’ means—

13 (A) a parcel of land identified as Lot 24

14 and a closed interior alley in Square 579 in the

15 District of Columbia, generally bounded by 2nd,

16 3rd, C, and D Streets, S.W.; and

17 (B) all improvements on and appur18 tenances to the land and alley.

19 (c) CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY.—

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall con21 vey to the Museum all rights, title, and interest of

22 the United States in and to the property.

23 (2) PURPOSE OF CONVEYANCE.—The purpose

24 of the conveyance is to provide a site for the con25 struction and operation of a new building to serve as
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1 the National Health Museum, including associated

2 office, educational, conference center, visitor and

3 community services, and other space and facilities

4 appropriate to promote knowledge and under5 standing of health issues.

6 (3) DATE OF CONVEYANCE.—

7 (A) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 3

8 years after the date of enactment of this Act,

9 the Museum shall notify the Administrator in

10 writing of the date on which the Museum will

11 accept conveyance of the property.

12 (B) DATE.—The date of conveyance shall

13 be—

14 (i) not less than 270 days and not

15 more than 1 year after the date of the no16 tice; but

17 (ii) not earlier than April 1, 2001, un18 less the Administrator and the Museum

19 agree to an earlier date.

20 (C) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO NOTIFY.—If

21 the Museum fails to provide the notice to the

22 Administrator by the date described in subpara23 graph (A), the Museum shall have no further

24 right to the property.
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1 (4) QUITCLAIM DEED.—The property shall be

2 conveyed to the Museum vacant and by quitclaim

3 deed.

4 (5) PURCHASE PRICE.—

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The purchase price for

6 the property shall be the fair market value of

7 the property as of the date of enactment of this

8 Act.

9 (B) TIMING; APPRAISERS.—The deter10 mination of fair market value shall be made not

11 later than 180 days after the date of enactment

12 of this Act by qualified appraisers jointly se13 lected by the Administrator and the Museum.

14 (D) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Promptly

15 upon the determination of the purchase price,

16 and in any event at least sixty days in advance

17 of the conveyance of the property, the Adminis18 trator shall report to Congress as to the pur19 chase price.

20 (E) DEPOSIT OF PURCHASE PRICE.—The

21 Administrator shall deposit the purchase price

22 into the Federal Buildings Fund established by

23 section 210(f) of the Federal Property and Ad24 ministrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C.

25 490(f)).
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1 (d) REVERSIONARY INTEREST IN THE UNITED

2 STATES.—

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The property shall revert to

4 the United States if—

5 (A) during the 50-year period beginning on

6 the date of conveyance of the property, the

7 property is used for a purpose not authorized

8 by subsection (c)(2);

9 (B) during the 3-year period beginning on

10 the date of conveyance of the property, the Mu11 seum does not commence construction on the

12 property, other than for a reason not within the

13 control of the Museum; or

14 (C) the Museum ceases to be exempt from

15 Federal income taxation as an organization de16 scribed in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Rev17 enue Code of 1986.

18 (2) REPAYMENT.—If the property reverts to the

19 United States, the United States shall repay the

20 Museum the full purchase price for the property,

21 without interest.

22 (e) AUTHORITY OF MUSEUM OVER PROPERTY.—The

23 Museum may—

24 (1) demolish or renovate any existing or future

25 improvement on the property;
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1 (2) build, own, operate, and maintain new im2 provements on the property;

3 (3) finance and mortgage the property on cus4 tomary terms and conditions; and

5 (4) manage the property in furtherance of this

6 section.

7 (f) LAND USE APPROVALS.—

8 (1) EFFECT ON OTHER AUTHORITY.—Nothing

9 in this section shall be construed to limit the author10 ity of the National Capital Planning Commission or

11 the Commission of Fine Arts.

12 (2) COOPERATION CONCERNING ZONING.—

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—The United States

14 shall cooperate with the Museum with respect

15 to any zoning or other matter relating to—

16 (i) the development or improvement of

17 the property; or

18 (ii) the demolition of any improvement

19 on the property as of the date of enact20 ment of this Act.

21 (B) ZONING APPLICATIONS.—Cooperation

22 under subparagraph (A) shall include making,

23 joining in, or consenting to any application re24 quired to facilitate the zoning of the property.
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1 (g) ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS.—Costs of remedi2 ation of any environmental hazards existing on the prop3 erty, including all asbestos-containing materials, shall be

4 borne by the United States. Environmental remediation

5 shall commence immediately upon the vacancy of the

6 building and shall be completed not later than 270 days

7 from the date of the notice to the Administrator described

8 in subsection (c)(3)(A).

9 (h) REPORTS.—Following the date of enactment of

10 this Act and ending on the date that the National Health

11 Museum opens to the public, the Museum shall submit an12 nual reports to the Administrator and Congress, regarding

13 the status of planning, development, and construction of

14 the National Health Museum.

Æ