I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5310 

To establish a National Commission on the Quincentennial of the discovery 

of Florida by Ponce de Leon. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 8, 2004 

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

Committee on Government Reform 

A BILL 

To establish a National Commission on the Quincentennial 

of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon. 

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 ‘‘Ponce de Leon Dis5 covery of Florida Quincentennial Commission Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) the Quincentennial of the founding of Flor9 ida by Ponce de Leon occurs in 2013, 500 years 
2 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 after Ponce de Leon landed on its shores and ex2 plored the Keys and the west coast of Florida; 

3 (2) evidence supports the theory that Ponce de 

4 Leon was the first European to land on the shores 

5 of Florida; 

6 (3) Florida means ‘‘the land of flowers’’ and 

7 the State owes its name to Ponce de Leon; 

8 (4) Ponce de Leon’s quest for the ‘‘fountain of 

9 youth’’ has become an established legend which has 

10 drawn fame and recognition to Florida and the 

11 United States; 

12 (5) the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon, 

13 the myth of the ‘‘fountain of youth’’, and the subse14 quent colonization of Florida encouraged other Eu15 ropean countries to explore the New World and to 

16 establish settlements in the territory that is cur17 rently the United States; 

18 (6) Florida was colonized under 5 flags; and 

19 (7) commemoration of the arrival in Florida of 

20 Ponce de Leon and the beginning of the colonization 

21 of the Americas would— 

22 (A) enhance public understanding of the 

23 impact of the discovery of Florida on the his24 tory of the United States; and 
3 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (B) provide lessons about the importance 

2 of exploration and discovery. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

6 means the National Commission on the Quincenten7 nial of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de Leon es8 tablished under section 4(a). 

9 (2) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means 

10 the Governor of the State of Florida. 

11 (3) QUINCENTENNIAL.—The term ‘‘Quin12 centennial’’ means the 500th anniversary of the dis13 covery of Florida by Ponce de Leon. 

14 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 

15 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com16 mission to be known as the ‘‘National Commission on the 

17 Quincentennial of the discovery of Florida by Ponce de 

18 Leon’’. 

19 (b) DUTIES.—The Commission shall plan, encourage, 

20 coordinate, and conduct the commemoration of the Quin21 centennial. 

22 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

23 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be 

24 composed of 10 members, including— 
4 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (A) 2 members, to be appointed by the 

2 President, on the recommendation of the Major3 ity Leader and the Minority Leader of the Sen4 ate; 

5 (B) 2 members, to be appointed by the 

6 President, on the recommendation of the 

7 Speaker of the House of Representatives and 

8 the Minority Leader of the House of Represent9 atives; and 

10 (C) 4 members, to be appointed by the 

11 President, taking into consideration the rec12 ommendations of the Governor, the Director of 

13 the National Park Service, and the Secretary of 

14 the Smithsonian Institution. 

15 (2) CRITERIA.—A member of the Commission 

16 shall be chosen from among individuals that have 

17 demonstrated a strong sense of public service, exper18 tise in the appropriate professions, scholarship, and 

19 abilities likely to contribute to the fulfillment of the 

20 duties of the Commission. 

21 (3) DATE OF APPOINTMENTS.—Not later than 

22 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

23 members of the Commission described in paragraph 

24 (1) shall be appointed. 

25 (d) TERM; VACANCIES.— 
5 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (1) TERM.—A member shall be appointed for 

2 the life of the Commission. 

3 (2) VACANCY.—A vacancy on the Commis4 sion— 

5 (A) shall not affect the powers of the Com6 mission; and 

7 (B) shall be filled in the same manner as 

8 the original appointment was made. 

9 (e) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after 

10 the date on which all members of the Commission have 

11 been appointed, the Commission shall hold the initial 

12 meeting of the Commission. 

13 (f) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet annually 

14 at the call of the co-chairpersons described under sub15 section (h). 

16 (g) QUORUM.—A quorum of the Commission for deci17 sion making purposes shall be 5 members, except that a 

18 lesser number of members, as determined by the Commis19 sion, may conduct meetings. 

20 (h) CO-CHAIRPERSONS.—The President shall des21 ignate 2 of the members of the Commission as co-chair22 persons of the Commission. 

23 SEC. 5. DUTIES. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall— 
6 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (1) plan and develop activities appropriate to 

2 commemorate the Quincentennial including a limited 

3 number of proposed projects to be undertaken by the 

4 appropriate Federal departments and agencies that 

5 commemorate the Quincentennial by seeking to har6 monize and balance the important goals of ceremony 

7 and celebration with the equally important goals of 

8 scholarship and education; 

9 (2) consult with and encourage appropriate 

10 Federal departments and agencies, State and local 

11 governments, Indian tribal governments, elementary 

12 and secondary schools, colleges and universities, for13 eign governments, and private organizations to orga14 nize and participate in Quincentennial activities 

15 commemorating or examining— 

16 (A) the history of Florida; 

17 (B) the discovery of Florida; 

18 (C) the life of Ponce de Leon; 

19 (D) the myths surrounding Ponce de 

20 Leon’s search for gold and for the ‘‘fountain of 

21 youth’’; 

22 (E) the exploration of Florida; and 

23 (F) the beginnings of the colonization of 

24 North America; and 
7 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (3) coordinate activities throughout the United 

2 States and internationally that relate to the history 

3 and influence of the discovery of Florida. 

4 (b) REPORTS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

6 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission 

7 shall submit to the President and the Committee on 

8 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and 

9 the Committee on Resources of the House of Rep10 resentatives a comprehensive report that includes 

11 specific recommendations for— 

12 (A) the allocation of financial and adminis13 trative responsibility among participating enti14 ties and persons with respect to commemoration 

15 of the Quincentennial; and 

16 (B) the commemoration of the Quincenten17 nial and related events through programs and 

18 activities, including— 

19 (i) the production, publication, and 

20 distribution of books, pamphlets, films, 

21 electronic publications, and other edu22 cational materials focusing on the history 

23 and impact of the discovery of Florida on 

24 the United States and the world; 
8 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (ii) bibliographical and documentary 

2 projects, publications, and electronic re3 sources; 

4 (iii) conferences, convocations, lec5 tures, seminars, and other programs; 

6 (iv) the development of programs by 

7 and for libraries, museums, parks and his8 toric sites, including international and na9 tional traveling exhibitions; 

10 (v) ceremonies and celebrations com11 memorating specific events; 

12 (vi) the production, distribution, and 

13 performance of artistic works, and of pro14 grams and activities, focusing on the na15 tional and international significance of the 

16 discovery of Florida; and 

17 (vii) the issuance of commemorative 

18 coins, medals, certificates of recognition, 

19 and stamps. 

20 (2) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Commission shall 

21 submit an annual report that describes the activities, 

22 programs, expenditures, and donations of or received 

23 by the Commission to— 

24 (A) the President; and 
9 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (B) the Committee on Energy and Natural 

2 Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 

3 Resources of the House of Representatives. 

4 (3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than December 

5 31, 2013, the Commission shall submit a final re6 port that describes the activities, programs, expendi7 tures, and donations of or received by the Commis8 sion to— 

9 (A) the President; and 

10 (B) the Committee on Energy and Natural 

11 Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 

12 Resources of the House of Representatives. 

13 (c) ASSISTANCE.—In carrying out this Act, the Com14 mission shall consult, cooperate with, and seek advice and 

15 assistance from appropriate Federal departments and 

16 agencies, including the Department of the Interior. 

17 (d) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out 

18 the duties of the Commission, the Commission, in con19 sultation with the Secretary of State, may coordinate with 

20 the Government of Spain and political subdivisions in 

21 Spain for the purposes of exchanging information and re22 search and otherwise involving the Government of Spain, 

23 as appropriate, in the commemoration of the Quincenten24 nial. 
10 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

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

3 for— 

4 (1) the preparation, distribution, dissemination, 

5 exhibition, and sale of historical, commemorative, 

6 and informational materials and objects that will 

7 contribute to public awareness of, and interest in, 

8 the Quincentennial, except that any commemorative 

9 coin, medal, or postage stamp recommended to be 

10 issued by the United States shall be sold only by a 

11 Federal department or agency; 

12 (2) competitions and awards for historical, 

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

14 programs, and projects relating to the Quincenten15 nial; 

16 (3) a Quincentennial calendar or register of 

17 programs and projects; 

18 (4) a central clearinghouse for information and 

19 coordination regarding dates, events, places, docu20 ments, artifacts, and personalities of Quincentennial 

21 historical and commemorative significance; and 

22 (5) the design and designation of logos, sym23 bols, or marks for use in connection with the com24 memoration of the Quincentennial and shall estab25 lish procedures regarding their use. 
11 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (b) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The Commission may 

2 appoint such advisory committees as the Commission de3 termines necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. 

4 SEC. 7. ADMINISTRATION. 

5 (a) LOCATION OF OFFICE.— 

6 (1) PRINCIPAL OFFICE.—The principal office of 

7 the Commission shall be in St. Augustine, Florida. 

8 (2) SATELLITE OFFICE.—The Commission may 

9 establish a satellite office in Washington, D.C. 

10 (b) STAFF.— 

11 (1) APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY

12 DIRECTOR.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—The co-chairpersons, 

14 with the advice of the Commission, may appoint 

15 and terminate a director and deputy director 

16 without regard to the civil service laws (includ17 ing regulations). 

18 (B) DELEGATION TO DIRECTOR.—The 

19 Commission may delegate such powers and du20 ties to the director as may be necessary for the 

21 efficient operation and management of the 

22 Commission. 

23 (2) STAFF PAID FROM FEDERAL FUNDS.—The 

24 Commission may use any available Federal funds to 

25 appoint and fix the compensation of not more than 
12 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 4 additional personnel staff members, as the Com2 mission determines necessary. 

3 (3) STAFF PAID FROM NON-FEDERAL FUNDS.— 

4 The Commission may use any available non-Federal 

5 funds to appoint and fix the compensation of addi6 tional personnel. 

7 (4) COMPENSATION.— 

8 (A) MEMBERS.— 

9 (i) IN GENERAL.—A member of the 

10 Commission shall serve without compensa11 tion. 

12 (ii) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member 

13 of the Commission shall be allowed travel 

14 expenses, including per diem in lieu of sub15 sistence, at rates authorized for an em16 ployee of an agency under subchapter I of 

17 chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, 

18 while away from the home or regular place 

19 of business of the member in the perform20 ance of the duties of the Commission. 

21 (B) STAFF.— 

22 (i) IN GENERAL.—The co-chair23 persons of the Commission may fix the 

24 compensation of the director, deputy direc25 tor, and other personnel without regard to 
13 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 the provisions of chapter 51 and sub2 chapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United 

3 States Code, relating to classification of 

4 positions and General Schedule pay rates. 

5 (ii) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.— 

6 (I) DIRECTOR.—The rate of pay 

7 for the director shall not exceed the 

8 rate payable for level IV of the Execu9 tive Schedule under section 5315 of 

10 title 5, United States Code. 

11 (II) DEPUTY DIRECTOR.—The 

12 rate of pay for the deputy director 

13 shall not exceed the rate payable for 

14 level V of the Executive Schedule 

15 under section 5316 of title 5, United 

16 States Code. 

17 (III) STAFF MEMBERS.—The 

18 rate of pay for staff members ap19 pointed under paragraph (2) shall not 

20 exceed the rate payable for grade GS– 

21 15 of the General Schedule under sec22 tion 5332 of title 5, United States 

23 Code. 

24 (c) DETAIL OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOY25 EES.— 
14 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—On request of the Commis2 sion, the head of any Federal agency or department 

3 may detail any of the personnel of the agency or de4 partment to the Commission to assist the Commis5 sion in carrying out this Act. 

6 (2) REIMBURSEMENT.—A detail of personnel 

7 under this subsection shall be without reimburse8 ment by the Commission to the agency from which 

9 the employee was detailed. 

10 (3) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The detail of the 

11 employee shall be without interruption or loss of civil 

12 service status or privilege. 

13 (d) OTHER REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may pro15 cure supplies, services, and property, enter into con16 tracts, and expend funds appropriated, donated, or 

17 received to carry out contracts. 

18 (2) DONATIONS.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may 

20 solicit, accept, use, and dispose of donations of 

21 money, property, or personal services. 

22 (B) LIMITATIONS.—Subject to subpara23 graph (C), the Commission shall not accept do24 nations— 
15 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 (i) the value of which exceeds $50,000 

2 annually, in the case of donations from an 

3 individual; or 

4 (ii) the value of which exceeds 

5 $250,000 annually, in the case of dona6 tions from a person other than an indi7 vidual. 

8 (C) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The lim9 itations in subparagraph (B) shall not apply in 

10 the case of an organization that is— 

11 (i) described in section 501(c)(3) of 

12 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and 

13 (ii) exempt from taxation under sec14 tion 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code 

15 of 1986. 

16 (3) ACQUIRED ITEMS.—Any book, manuscript, 

17 miscellaneous printed matter, memorabilia, relic, and 

18 other material or property relating to the time pe19 riod of the discovery of Florida acquired by the 

20 Commission may be deposited for preservation in na21 tional, State, or local libraries, museums, archives, 

22 or other agencies with the consent of the depositary 

23 institution. 

24 (e) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 

25 the United States mail to carry out this Act in the same 
16 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 manner and under the same conditions as other agencies 

2 of the Federal Government. 

3 (f) VOLUNTARY SERVICES.—Notwithstanding section 

4 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission may 

5 accept and use voluntary and uncompensated services as 

6 the Commission determines to be necessary. 

7 SEC. 8. STUDY. 

8 The Secretary of the Interior shall— 

9 (1) in accordance with section 8(c) of Public 

10 Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)), conduct a study 

11 to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating 

12 an area in the State of Florida as a unit of the Na13 tional Park System to commemorate the discovery of 

14 Florida by Ponce de Leon; and 

15 (2) not later than 3 years after the date on 

16 which funds are made available to carry out the 

17 study, submit to the Committee on Energy and Nat18 ural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 

19 Resources of the House of Representatives a report 

20 that describes— 

21 (A) the findings of the study; and 

22 (B) any conclusions and recommendations 

23 of the Secretary of the Interior with respect to 

24 the study. 
17 

•HR 5310 IH 

1 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), there 

3 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes 

4 of this Act $250,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 

5 2013. 

6 (b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro7 priated under this section for any fiscal year shall remain 

8 available until December 31, 2013. 

9 SEC. 10. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY. 

10 The authority provided by this Act terminates effec11 tive December 31, 2013. 

Æ