I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1520 

To establish the Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission, 

the Hudson-Fulton 400th Commemoration Commission, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2007 

Mr. HINCHEY (for himself, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. WELCH of Vermont, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. HALL of New 

York, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. KUHL of 

New York, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. MCNULTY, 

Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. NADLER, 

Mr. RANGEL, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. 

TOWNS, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. WALSH of New York, and Mr. WEINER) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To establish the Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission, the Hudson-Fulton 400th Commemoration Commission, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

3 ‘‘Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commemo4 ration Act of 2007’’. 

5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

6 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—FINDINGS AND PURPOSE 

Sec. 101. Findings and purpose. 

Sec. 102. Coordination. 

TITLE II—CHAMPLAIN QUADRICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION 

COMMISSION 

Sec. 201. Definitions. 

Sec. 202. Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission. 

Sec. 203. Audit of Commission. 

Sec. 204. Authorization of appropriations. 

TITLE III—HUDSON-FULTON 400TH COMMEMORATION 

COMMISSION 

Sec. 301. Definitions. 

Sec. 302. Hudson-Fulton 400th Commemoration Commission. 

Sec. 303. Audit of Commission. 

Sec. 304. Authorization of appropriations. 

7 TITLE I—FINDINGS AND 

8 PURPOSE 

9 SEC. 101. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

10 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 

11 (1) The first European exploration of the Hud12 son River and Lake Champlain and the introduction 

13 of steam navigation to maritime commerce were 

14 events of major historical importance, both in the 

15 United States and internationally. 


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1 (2) In 1609, Englishman Henry Hudson, acting 

2 in the service of the Dutch East India Company, 

3 was the first European to sail up the river later 

4 named for him in the vessel HALF MOON. Also in 

5 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain was 

6 the first European to see the lake later named for 

7 him, as well as the shores of Northern New York 

8 and Vermont. 

9 (3) These voyages were two of the most signifi10 cant passages in the European exploration and dis11 covery of America, and included two of the earliest 

12 contacts in the New World between Native Ameri13 cans and Europeans. 

14 (4) These explorations led to the establishment 

15 of Fort Orange, a Dutch (and later English) settle16 ment of what is now the capital city of the State of 

17 New York, as well as the establishment of French 

18 trading posts, military posts, and settlements as far 

19 south as Lake George. From these early establish20 ments came trade, commerce, cultural, and religious 

21 impact deep into the Mohawk Valley and as far west 

22 as Lake Erie. These settlements influenced the Na23 tion’s history, culture, law, commerce, and traditions 

24 of liberty that extend to the present day, and that 


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1 are constantly reflected in the position of the United 

2 States as the leader of the nations of the free world. 

3 (5) In 1807, Robert Fulton navigated the Hud4 son River from the city of New York to Albany in 

5 the steamboat CLERMONT, successfully inau6 gurating steam navigation on a commercial basis. 

7 This event is one of the most important events in 

8 the history of navigation. It revolutionized water9 borne commerce on the great rivers of the United 

10 States, transformed naval warfare, and fostered 

11 international relations through transoceanic travel 

12 and trade. 

13 (6) In 1909, the Congress authorized a Cham14 plain Tercentennial Commission and supported its 

15 activities. The Congress recognized the 350th anni16 versary by establishing a similar commission to co17 ordinate Federal participation in the 1959 celebra18 tion of Hudson’s and Champlain’s discoveries. 

19 (7) The National Park Service owns and oper20 ates significant resources in New York related to the 

21 early history of the Nation and the Hudson River 

22 Valley. 

23 (8) In 2000, Canada’s Province of Quebec es24 tablished a Quebec 400 Commission with a budget 

25 in excess of $1,000,000, of which commemoration of 


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1 the 1609 Champlain voyage into the Lake Cham2 plain region is a part. 

3 (9) In 2002, the State of New York established 

4 a Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Commission. 

5 (10) In 2003, the State of Vermont established 

6 a Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission. 

7 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab8 lish the Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration 

9 Commission and the Hudson-Fulton 400th Commemora10 tion Commission, to— 

11 (1) ensure a suitable national observance of the 

12 Henry Hudson, Robert Fulton, and Samuel de 

13 Champlain 2009 commemorations through coopera14 tion with and assistance to the programs and activi15 ties of New York, Vermont, and the commemorative 

16 commissions formed by these States; 

17 (2) assist in ensuring that Hudson-Fulton18 Champlain 2009 observances provide an excellent 

19 visitor experience and beneficial interaction between 

20 visitors and the natural and cultural resources of the 

21 New York and Vermont sites; 

22 (3) assist in ensuring that Hudson-Fulton23 Champlain 2009 observances are inclusive and ap24 propriately recognize the diverse Hudson River and 


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1 Lake Champlain Valley communities that developed 

2 over four centuries; 

3 (4) facilitate international involvement, includ4 ing the involvement of the commemorative commis5 sion formed by Canada, in the Hudson-Fulton6 Champlain 2009 observances; 

7 (5) support and facilitate marketing efforts for 

8 a commemorative coin, a commemorative stamp, and 

9 related activities for the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain 

10 2009 observances; 

11 (6) assist in the appropriate development of 

12 heritage tourism and economic benefits to the 

13 United States; and 

14 (7) support and facilitate the related efforts of 

15 the Lake Champlain Basin Program in the coordina16 tion of efforts to commemorate the voyage of Samuel 

17 de Champlain. 

18 SEC. 102. COORDINATION. 

19 The two commissions established under this Act shall 

20 ensure coordination of their activities to achieve seamless 

21 and successful commemorations, and ensure consistency 

22 with the plans and programs of the commemorative com23 missions established by the States of New York and 

24 Vermont. 


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1 TITLE II—CHAMPLAIN 

2 QUADRICENTENNIAL COM3 MEMORATION COMMISSION 

4 SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this title: 

6 (1) COMMEMORATION.—The term ‘‘commemo7 ration’’ means the commemoration of the 400th an8 niversary of Samuel de Champlain’s voyage. 

9 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

10 means the Champlain Quadricentennial Commemo11 ration Commission established by section 202(a). 

12 (3) LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM.—The 

13 term ‘‘Lake Champlain Basin Program’’ means the 

14 partnership with Federal agencies established by the 

15 States of New York and Vermont under section 120 

16 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 

17 U.S.C. 1270) to implement the Lake Champlain 

18 management plan entitled ‘‘Opportunities for Ac19 tion’’. 

20 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of the Interior. 

22 (5) STATES.—The term ‘‘States’’— 

23 (A) means the States of New York and 

24 Vermont; and 


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1 (B) includes agencies and other entities of 

2 each such State. 

3 SEC. 202. CHAMPLAIN QUADRICENTENNIAL COMMEMORA4 TION COMMISSION. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

6 commission to be known as the ‘‘Champlain 

7 Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission’’. 

8 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be 

10 composed of 11 members, of whom— 

11 (A) 2 members shall be employees of the 

12 National Park Service, of whom— 

13 (i) one shall be the Director of the 

14 National Park Service (or a designee of the 

15 Director); and 

16 (ii) one shall be an employee of the 

17 National Park Service having experience 

18 relevant to the commemoration, who shall 

19 be appointed by the Secretary; 

20 (B) 4 members shall be appointed by the 

21 Secretary from among individuals who, on the 

22 date of the enactment of this Act, are serving 

23 as members of the State of New York’s Hud24 son-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial ComVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:10 Mar 15, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1520.IH H1520

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1 mission and are residents of the Champlain 

2 Valley; 

3 (C) 4 members shall be appointed by the 

4 Secretary from among individuals who, on the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, are serving 

6 as members of the State of Vermont’s Lake 

7 Champlain Quadricentennial Commission and 

8 are residents of Vermont; and 

9 (D) one member shall be appointed by the 

10 Secretary from among individuals who have an 

11 interest in, demonstrated their support for, and 

12 demonstrated expertise appropriate to, the com13 memoration, and are knowledgeable of the 

14 Champlain Valley. 

15 (2) TERM; VACANCIES.— 

16 (A) TERM.—Each member of the Commis17 sion shall be appointed for the life of the Com18 mission. 

19 (B) VACANCIES.— 

20 (i) IN GENERAL.—A vacancy on the 

21 Commission shall be filled in the same 

22 manner in which the original appointment 

23 was made. 

24 (ii) PARTIAL TERM.—A member ap25 pointed to fill a vacancy on the CommisVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:10 Mar 15, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1520.IH H1520

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1 sion shall serve for the remainder of the 

2 term for which the predecessor of the 

3 member was appointed. 

4 (3) MEETINGS.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

6 meet— 

7 (i) at least twice each year; or 

8 (ii) at the call of the chairperson or 

9 the majority of the members of the Com10 mission. 

11 (B) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 

12 days after the date on which all members of the 

13 Commission have been appointed, the Commis14 sion shall hold the initial meeting of the Com15 mission. 

16 (4) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

18 elect the chairperson and the vice chairperson 

19 of the Commission on an annual basis. 

20 (B) VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The vice chair21 person shall serve as the chairperson in the ab22 sence of the chairperson. 

23 (5) QUORUM.—A majority of voting members of 

24 the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a 

25 lesser number may hold meetings. 


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1 (6) VOTING.—The Commission shall act only 

2 on an affirmative vote of a majority of the voting 

3 members of the Commission. 

4 (c) DUTIES.— 

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

6 (A) plan, develop, and execute programs 

7 and activities appropriate to commemorate the 

8 400th anniversary of the voyage of Samuel de 

9 Champlain, the first European to discover and 

10 explore Lake Champlain; 

11 (B) facilitate Champlain-related activities 

12 throughout the United States; 

13 (C) coordinate its activities with State 

14 commemoration commissions and appropriate 

15 Federal Government entities, including the De16 partments of Agriculture, Defense, State, and 

17 Transportation, the Lake Champlain Basin 

18 Program, the National Endowment for the Hu19 manities and the National Endowment for the 

20 Arts, and the Smithsonian Institution; 

21 (D) encourage civic, patriotic, historical, 

22 educational, artistic, religious, economic, and 

23 other organizations throughout the United 

24 States to organize and participate in anniver25 sary activities to expand the understanding and 


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1 appreciation of the significance of the voyage of 

2 Samuel de Champlain; 

3 (E) provide technical assistance to States, 

4 localities, and nonprofit organizations to further 

5 the commemoration; 

6 (F) coordinate and facilitate for the public 

7 scholarly research on, publication about, and in8 terpretation of, the voyage of Samuel de Cham9 plain; 

10 (G) ensure that the Champlain 2009 anni11 versary provides a lasting legacy and long-term 

12 public benefit by assisting in the development of 

13 appropriate programs and facilities; 

14 (H) assist in ensuring that the observances 

15 of the voyage of Samuel de Champlain are in16 clusive and appropriately recognize the experi17 ences and heritage of all people present when 

18 Samuel de Champlain arrived in the Champlain 

19 Valley; and 

20 (I) consult and coordinate with the Lake 

21 Champlain Basin Program and other relevant 

22 organizations in the planning and development 

23 of programs and activities for the commemora24 tion of the voyage of Samuel de Champlain. 


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1 (2) STRATEGIC PLAN AND ANNUAL PERFORM2 ANCE PLANS.—The Commission shall prepare a 

3 strategic plan in accordance with section 306 of title 

4 5, United States Code, and annual performance 

5 plans in accordance with section 1115 of title 31, 

6 United States Code, for the activities of the Com7 mission carried out under this Act. 

8 (3) REPORTS.— 

9 (A) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Commission 

10 shall submit to the Congress an annual report 

11 that contains a list of each gift, bequest, or de12 vise with a value of more than $250, together 

13 with the identity of the donor of each such gift, 

14 bequest, or devise. 

15 (B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than Sep16 tember 30, 2010, the Commission shall submit 

17 to the Secretary a final report that contains— 

18 (i) a summary of the activities of the 

19 Commission; 

20 (ii) a final accounting of funds re21 ceived and expended by the Commission; 

22 and 

23 (iii) the findings and recommenda24 tions of the Commission. 

25 (d) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may— 

2 (A) solicit, accept, use, and dispose of 

3 gifts, bequests, or devises of money or other 

4 real or personal property for the purpose of aid5 ing or facilitating the work of the Commission; 

6 (B) appoint such advisory committees as 

7 the Commission determines to be necessary to 

8 carry out this Act; 

9 (C) authorize any member or employee of 

10 the Commission to take any action that the 

11 Commission is authorized to take by this Act; 

12 (D) subject to the availability of appropria13 tions, procure supplies, services, and property, 

14 and make or enter into contracts, leases, or 

15 other legal agreements, to carry out this Act, 

16 except that any contracts, leases, or other legal 

17 agreements made or entered into by the Com18 mission directly or with administrative assist19 ance from the Lake Champlain Basin Program 

20 shall not extend beyond the date of the termi21 nation of the Commission; 

22 (E) use the United States mails in the 

23 same manner and under the same conditions as 

24 other Federal agencies; 


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1 (F) subject to approval by the Commission 

2 and the availability of appropriations, make 

3 grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 to 

4 communities, nonprofit organizations, and com5 memorative commissions formed by the States 

6 to develop programs to assist in the commemo7 ration; 

8 (G) subject to the availability of appropria9 tions, make grants in amounts not to exceed 

10 $20,000 to research and scholarly organizations 

11 to research, publish, or distribute information 

12 relating to the early history of the voyage of 

13 Champlain; and 

14 (H) provide technical assistance to the 

15 States, localities, and nonprofit organizations to 

16 develop programs and facilities to further the 

17 commemoration. 

18 (2) COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION WITH

19 LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM.—The Commis20 sion shall coordinate and consult with the Lake 

21 Champlain Basin Program in providing grants and 

22 technical assistance under subparagraphs (F), (G), 

23 and (H) of paragraph (1) for the conduct of activi24 ties relating to the commemoration of the voyage of 

25 Samuel de Champlain. 


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1 (e) COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 

2 (1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS OF THE COM3 MISSION.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

5 subparagraph (B), a member of the Commis6 sion shall serve without compensation. 

7 (B) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of 

8 the Commission who is an officer or employee 

9 of the Federal Government shall serve without 

10 compensation in addition to the compensation 

11 received for the services of the member as an 

12 officer or employee of the Federal Government. 

13 (C) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the 

14 Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, in15 cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 

16 authorized for an employee of an agency under 

17 subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 

18 States Code, while away from the home or reg19 ular place of business of the member in the per20 formance of the duties of the Commission. 

21 (2) STAFF.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—The chairperson of the 

23 Commission may, without regard to the civil 

24 service laws (including regulations), appoint 

25 and terminate an executive director and such 


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1 other additional personnel as are necessary to 

2 enable the Commission to perform the duties of 

3 the Commission. 

4 (B) CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTIVE DIREC5 TOR.—The employment of an executive director 

6 shall be subject to confirmation by the Commis7 sion. 

8 (3) COMPENSATION.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

10 subparagraph (B), the chairperson of the Com11 mission may fix the compensation of the execu12 tive director and other personnel without regard 

13 to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter 

14 III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, 

15 relating to classification of positions and Gen16 eral Schedule pay rates. 

17 (B) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.—The rate of 

18 pay for the executive director and other per19 sonnel shall not exceed the rate payable for 

20 level V of the Executive Schedule under section 

21 5316 of title 5, United States Code. 

22 (4) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT AND LAKE CHAM23 PLAIN BASIN PROGRAM EMPLOYEES.— 

24 (A) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 


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1 (i) IN GENERAL.—At the request of 

2 the Commission, the head of any Federal 

3 agency may detail, on a reimbursable or 

4 nonreimbursable basis, any of the per5 sonnel of the agency to the Commission to 

6 assist the Commission in carrying out the 

7 duties of the Commission under this Act. 

8 (ii) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The de9 tail of an employee under clause (i) shall 

10 be without interruption or loss of civil serv11 ice status or privilege. 

12 (B) STATE EMPLOYEES.—The Commission 

13 may— 

14 (i) accept the services of personnel de15 tailed from States (including subdivisions 

16 of States); and 

17 (ii) reimburse States for services of 

18 detailed personnel. 

19 (C) LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN PROGRAM

20 EMPLOYEES.—The Commission may— 

21 (i) accept the services of personnel 

22 from the Lake Champlain Basin Program; 

23 and 


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1 (ii) reimburse the Lake Champlain 

2 Basin Program for services of detailed per3 sonnel. 

4 (5) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERV5 ICES.—Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, 

6 United States Code, the Commission may accept and 

7 use voluntary and uncompensated services as the 

8 Commission determines necessary. 

9 (6) SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Director of the 

10 National Park Service shall provide to the Commis11 sion, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative 

12 support services as the Commission may request. 

13 (f) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT14 TENT SERVICES.—Subject to the availability of appropria15 tions, the chairperson of the Commission may procure 

16 temporary and intermittent services in accordance with 

17 section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 

18 for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of 

19 the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the 

20 Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title. 

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

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

23 apply to the Commission. 


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1 (h) NO EFFECT ON AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this 

2 section supersedes the authority of the States or the Na3 tional Park Service concerning the commemoration. 

4 (i) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

5 on December 31, 2010, and shall transfer all documents 

6 and materials of the Commission to the National Archives 

7 or other appropriate Federal entity. 

8 SEC. 203. AUDIT OF COMMISSION. 

9 The Inspector General of the Department of the Inte10 rior shall perform an annual audit of the Commission, 

11 shall make the results of the audit available to the public, 

12 and shall transmit such results to the Committee on Gov13 ernment Reform of the House of Representatives. 

14 SEC. 204. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 There is authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for 

16 each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out this 

17 title, of which— 

18 (1) 45 percent shall be for New York activities 

19 relating to the Samuel de Champlain commemora20 tion; 

21 (2) 45 percent shall be for Vermont activities 

22 relating to the Samuel de Champlain commemora23 tion; and 


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1 (3) 10 percent shall be for distribution by the 

2 Commission in accordance with this Act for activities 

3 relating to the commemoration. 

4 TITLE III—HUDSON-FULTON 

5 400TH COMMEMORATION 

6 COMMISSION 

7 SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this title: 

9 (1) COMMEMORATION.—The term ‘‘commemo10 ration’’ means the commemoration of— 

11 (A) the 200th anniversary of Robert Ful12 ton’s voyage in the CLERMONT; and 

13 (B) the 400th anniversary of Henry Hud14 son’s voyage in the HALF MOON. 

15 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

16 means the Hudson-Fulton 400th Commemoration 

17 Commission established by section 302(a). 

18 (3) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means 

19 the Governor of the State of New York. 

20 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of the Interior. 

22 (5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’— 

23 (A) means the State of New York; and 

24 (B) includes agencies and entities of each 

25 such State. 


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1 SEC. 302. HUDSON-FULTON 400TH COMMEMORATION COM2 MISSION. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

4 commission to be known as the ‘‘Hudson-Fulton 400th 

5 Commemoration Commission’’. 

6 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be 

8 composed of 16 members, of whom— 

9 (A) 1 member shall be appointed by the 

10 Secretary, after consideration of the rec11 ommendation of the Governor; 

12 (B) 6 members shall be appointed by the 

13 Secretary, after consideration of the rec14 ommendations from the Members of the House 

15 of Representatives whose districts encompass 

16 the Hudson River Valley; 

17 (C) 2 members shall be appointed by the 

18 Secretary, after consideration of the rec19 ommendations from the Members of the Senate 

20 from New York; 

21 (D) 2 members shall be employees of the 

22 National Park Service, of whom— 

23 (i) one shall be the Director of the 

24 National Park Service (or a designee of the 

25 Director); and 


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1 (ii) one shall be an employee of the 

2 National Park Service having experience 

3 relevant to the commemoration, who shall 

4 be appointed by the Secretary; 

5 (E) 2 members shall be appointed by the 

6 Secretary from among individuals who have an 

7 interest in, demonstrated their support for, and 

8 demonstrated expertise appropriate to, the com9 memoration, of whom— 

10 (i) one shall be knowledgeable of the 

11 Hudson River Valley National Heritage 

12 Area; and 

13 (ii) one shall be knowledgeable of New 

14 York City as it relates to the commemora15 tion; 

16 (F) one member shall be the chairperson of 

17 any commemorative commission formed by New 

18 York, or the designee of the chairperson; and 

19 (G) two members shall be appointed by the 

20 Secretary, after consideration of the rec21 ommendation of the mayor of the City of New 

22 York and after consultation with Members of 

23 the House of Representatives whose districts 

24 encompass the City of New York. 

25 (2) TERM; VACANCIES.— 


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1 (A) TERM.—Each member of the Commis2 sion shall be appointed for the life of the Com3 mission. 

4 (B) VACANCIES.— 

5 (i) IN GENERAL.—A vacancy on the 

6 Commission shall be filled in the same 

7 manner in which the original appointment 

8 was made. 

9 (ii) PARTIAL TERM.—A member ap10 pointed to fill a vacancy on the Commis11 sion shall serve for the remainder of the 

12 term for which the predecessor of the 

13 member was appointed. 

14 (3) MEETINGS.— 

15 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

16 meet— 

17 (i) at least twice each year; or 

18 (ii) at the call of the chairperson or 

19 the majority of the members of the Com20 mission. 

21 (B) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 

22 days after the date on which all members of the 

23 Commission have been appointed, the Commis24 sion shall hold the initial meeting of the Com25 mission. 


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1 (4) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

3 elect the chairperson and the vice chairperson 

4 of the Commission on an annual basis. 

5 (B) VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The vice chair6 person shall serve as the chairperson in the ab7 sence of the chairperson. 

8 (5) QUORUM.—A majority of voting members 

9 shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may 

10 hold meetings. 

11 (6) VOTING.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

13 act only on an affirmative vote of a majority of 

14 the voting members of the Commission. 

15 (B) NONVOTING MEMBER.—The individual 

16 appointed under subparagraph (D)(ii) of para17 graph (1) shall be a nonvoting member, and 

18 shall serve only in an advisory capacity. 

19 (c) DUTIES.— 

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

21 (A) plan, develop, and execute programs 

22 and activities appropriate to commemorate the 

23 400th anniversary of the voyage of Henry Hud24 son, the first European to sail up the Hudson 

25 River, and the 200th anniversary of the voyage 


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1 of Robert Fulton, the first person to use steam 

2 navigation on a commercial basis; 

3 (B) facilitate Hudson-Fulton-related activi4 ties throughout the United States; 

5 (C) coordinate its activities with the State 

6 commemoration commission and appropriate 

7 Federal Government agencies, including the De8 partments of Agriculture, Defense, State, and 

9 Transportation, the National Park Service with 

10 respect to the Hudson River Valley National 

11 Heritage Area, and the American Heritage Riv12 ers Initiative Interagency Committee estab13 lished by Executive Order 13061, dated Sep14 tember 11, 1997, the National Endowment for 

15 the Humanities and the National Endowment 

16 for the Arts, and the Smithsonian Institution; 

17 (D) encourage civic, patriotic, historical, 

18 educational, artistic, religious, economic, and 

19 other organizations throughout the United 

20 States to organize and participate in anniver21 sary activities to expand the understanding and 

22 appreciation of the significance of the voyages 

23 of Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton; 


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1 (E) provide technical assistance to States, 

2 localities, and nonprofit organizations to further 

3 the commemoration; 

4 (F) coordinate and facilitate for the public 

5 scholarly research on, publication about, and in6 terpretation of, the voyages of Henry Hudson 

7 and Robert Fulton; 

8 (G) ensure that the Hudson-Fulton 2009 

9 commemorations provide a lasting legacy and 

10 long-term public benefit by assisting in the de11 velopment of appropriate programs and facili12 ties; and 

13 (H) assist in ensuring that the observances 

14 of the voyage of Henry Hudson are inclusive 

15 and appropriately recognize the experiences and 

16 heritage of all people present when Henry Hud17 son sailed the Hudson River. 

18 (2) STRATEGIC PLAN AND ANNUAL PERFORM19 ANCE PLANS.—The Commission shall prepare a 

20 strategic plan in accordance with section 306 of title 

21 5, United States Code, and annual performance 

22 plans in accordance with section 1115 of title 31, 

23 United States Code, for the activities of the Com24 mission carried out under this Act. 

25 (3) REPORTS.— 


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1 (A) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Commission 

2 shall submit to the Congress an annual report 

3 that contains a list of each gift, bequest, or de4 vise with a value of more than $250, together 

5 with the identity of the donor of each such gift, 

6 bequest, or devise. 

7 (B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than Sep8 tember 30, 2010, the Commission shall submit 

9 to the Secretary a final report that contains— 

10 (i) a summary of the activities of the 

11 Commission; 

12 (ii) a final accounting of funds re13 ceived and expended by the Commission; 

14 and 

15 (iii) the findings and recommenda16 tions of the Commission. 

17 (d) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may— 

19 (A) solicit, accept, use, and dispose of 

20 gifts, bequests, or devises of money or other 

21 real or personal property for the purpose of aid22 ing or facilitating the work of the Commission; 

23 (B) appoint such advisory committees as 

24 the Commission determines to be necessary to 

25 carry out this Act; 


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1 (C) authorize any member or employee of 

2 the Commission to take any action that the 

3 Commission is authorized to take by this Act; 

4 (D) subject to the availability of appropria5 tions, procure supplies, services, and property, 

6 and make or enter into contracts, leases, or 

7 other legal agreements, to carry out this Act ex8 cept that any contracts, leases, or other legal 

9 agreements made or entered into by the Com10 mission shall not extend beyond the date of the 

11 termination of the Commission; 

12 (E) use the United States mails in the 

13 same manner and under the same conditions as 

14 other Federal agencies; 

15 (F) subject to approval by the Commission 

16 and the availability of appropriations, make 

17 grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 to 

18 communities, nonprofit organizations, and com19 memorative commissions formed by the State to 

20 develop programs to assist in the commemora21 tion; 

22 (G) subject to the availability of appropria23 tions, make grants in amounts not to exceed 

24 $20,000 to research and scholarly organizations 

25 to research, publish, or distribute information 


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1 relating to the early history of the voyages of 

2 Hudson and Fulton; and 

3 (H) provide technical assistance to the 

4 State, localities, and nonprofit organizations to 

5 develop programs and facilities to further the 

6 commemoration. 

7 (e) COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 

8 (1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS OF THE COM9 MISSION.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

11 subparagraph (B), a member of the Commis12 sion shall serve without compensation. 

13 (B) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of 

14 the Commission who is an officer or employee 

15 of the Federal Government shall serve without 

16 compensation in addition to the compensation 

17 received for the services of the member as an 

18 officer or employee of the Federal Government. 

19 (C) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the 

20 Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, in21 cluding per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 

22 authorized for an employee of an agency under 

23 subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 

24 States Code, while away from the home or regVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:10 Mar 15, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1520.IH H1520

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1 ular place of business of the member in the per2 formance of the duties of the Commission. 

3 (2) STAFF.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—The chairperson of the 

5 Commission may, without regard to the civil 

6 service laws (including regulations), appoint 

7 and terminate an executive director and such 

8 other additional personnel as are necessary to 

9 enable the Commission to perform the duties of 

10 the Commission. 

11 (B) CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTIVE DIREC12 TOR.—The employment of an executive director 

13 shall be subject to confirmation by the Commis14 sion. 

15 (3) COMPENSATION.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

17 subparagraph (B), the chairperson of the Com18 mission may fix the compensation of the execu19 tive director and other personnel without regard 

20 to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter 

21 III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, 

22 relating to classification of positions and Gen23 eral Schedule pay rates. 

24 (B) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.—The rate of 

25 pay for the executive director and other perVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:10 Mar 15, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1520.IH H1520

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1 sonnel shall not exceed the rate payable for 

2 level V of the Executive Schedule under section 

3 5316 of title 5, United States Code. 

4 (4) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.— 

5 (A) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 

6 (i) IN GENERAL.—At the request of 

7 the Commission, the head of any Federal 

8 agency may detail, on a reimbursable or 

9 nonreimbursable basis, any of the per10 sonnel of the agency to the Commission to 

11 assist the Commission in carrying out the 

12 duties of the Commission under this Act. 

13 (ii) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The de14 tail of an employee under clause (i) shall 

15 be without interruption or loss of civil serv16 ice status or privilege. 

17 (B) STATE EMPLOYEES.—The Commission 

18 may— 

19 (i) accept the services of personnel de20 tailed from the State (including subdivi21 sions of the State); and 

22 (ii) reimburse the State for services of 

23 detailed personnel. 

24 (5) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERV25 ICES.—Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, 


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1 United States Code, the Commission may accept and 

2 use voluntary and uncompensated services as the 

3 Commission determines necessary. 

4 (6) SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Director of the 

5 National Park Service shall provide to the Commis6 sion, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative 

7 support services as the Commission may request. 

8 (f) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT9 TENT SERVICES.—Subject to the availability of appropria10 tions, the chairperson of the Commission may procure 

11 temporary and intermittent services in accordance with 

12 section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 

13 for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of 

14 the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the 

15 Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title. 

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

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

18 apply to the Commission. 

19 (h) NO EFFECT ON AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this 

20 section supersedes the authority of the States or the Na21 tional Park Service concerning the commemoration. 

22 (i) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

23 on December 31, 2010, and shall transfer all documents 

24 and materials of the Commission to the National Archives 

25 or other appropriate Federal entity. 


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1 SEC. 303. AUDIT OF COMMISSION. 

2 The Inspector General of the Department of the Inte3 rior shall perform an annual audit of the Commission, 

4 shall make the results of the audit available to the public, 

5 and shall transmit such results to the Committee on Gov6 ernment Reform of the House of Representatives. 

7 SEC. 304. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 There is authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for 

9 each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out this 

10 title, of which— 

11 (1) 80 percent shall be for Hudson Valley ac12 tivities relating to the commemoration; 

13 (2) 10 percent shall be for New York City ac14 tivities relating to the commemoration; and 

15 (3) 10 percent shall be for distribution by the 

16 Commission in accordance with this Act for activities 

17 relating to the commemoration. 

Æ 


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