(B) working with the Department of
State’s Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues to
review the degree to which foreign governments
have implemented the principles adopted at the
Washington Conference on Holocaust-era As-
sets and the Vilnius International Forum on
Holocaust-era Looted Cultural Property, and
should encourage the signatories that have not
yet implemented those principles to do so; and
(C) collecting and disseminating informa-
tion about restitution programs around the
world;
(2) to create tools to assist individuals and in-
stitutions to determine the ownership of Holocaust
victims’ assets and to enable claimants to obtain the
speedy resolution of their personal property claims
by—
(A) ensuring the implementation of the
agreements entered into by the Presidential Ad-
visory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the
United States with the American Association of
Museums and the Association of Art Museum
Directors to provide for the establishment and
maintenance of a searchable central registry of
Holocaust-era cultural property in the United
States, beginning with European paintings and
Judaica;
(B) funding grants to museums, libraries,
universities, and other institutions that hold
Holocaust-era cultural property and adhere to
the agreements referred to in subparagraph
(A), to conduct provenance research;
(C) encouraging the creation and mainte-
nance of mechanisms such as a computerized,
searchable database of Holocaust victims’
claims for the restitution of personal property;
(D) funding a cross match of records de-
veloped by the 50 States of escheated property
from the Holocaust era against databases of
victims’ names and publicizing the results of
this effort;
(E) assisting State governments in the
preservation and automation of records of un-
claimed property that may include Holocaust-
era property; and
(F) regularly publishing lists of Holocaust-
era artwork returned to claimants by museums
in the United States;
(3) to work with private sector institutions to
develop and promote common standards and best
practices for research and information gathering on
Holocaust-era assets by—
(A) promoting and monitoring banks’ im-
plementation of the suggested best practices de-
veloped by the Presidential Advisory Commis-
sion on Holocaust Assets in the United States
and the New York Bankers’ Association; and
(B) promoting the development of common
standards and best practices for research by
United States corporations into their records
concerning whether they conducted business
with Nazi Germany in the period preceding the
onset of hostilities in December 1941; and
(4) other purposes the Board considers appro-
priate.
SEC. 4. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
(a) MEMBERSHIP
AND TERMS.—The Foundation
shall have a Board of Directors (in this Act referred to
as the ‘‘Board’’), which shall consist of 17 members, each
of whom shall be a United States citizen.
(b) APPOINTMENT.—Members of the Board shall be
appointed as follows:
(1) Nine members of the Board shall be individ-
uals appointed by the President, by and with the ad-
vice and consent of the Senate.
(2) Eight members of the Board shall be indi-
viduals appointed by the President, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, after consideration
of the recommendations of the Congressional leader-
ship, as follows:
(A) Two members each shall be appointed
after consideration of the recommendations of
the Majority Leader of the Senate and after
consideration of the recommendations of the
Minority Leader of the Senate.
(B) Two members each shall be appointed
after consideration of the recommendations of
the Speaker of the House of Representatives
and after consideration of the recommendations
of the Minority Leader of the House of Rep-
resentatives.
(c) CHAIRMAN.—The President shall appoint a Chair
from among the members of the Board.
(d) QUORUM AND VOTING.—A majority of the mem-
bership of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business. Voting shall be by simple majority
of those members voting.
(e) MEETINGS AND CONSULTATIONS.—The Board
shall meet at the call of the Chairman at least twice a
year. Where appropriate, members of the Board shall con-
sult with relevant agencies of the Federal Government,
and with the United States Holocaust Memorial Council
and Museum.
(f) REIMBURSEMENTS.—Members of the Board shall
serve without pay, but shall be reimbursed for the actual
and necessary traveling and subsistence expenses incurred
by them in the performance of the duties of the Founda-
tion.
SEC. 5. OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.
(a) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The Foundation shall
have an Executive Director appointed by the Board and
such other officers as the Board may appoint. The Execu-
tive Director and the other officers of the Foundation shall
be compensated at rates fixed by the Board and shall serve
at the pleasure of the Board.
(b) EMPLOYEES.—Subject to the approval of the
Board, the Foundation may employ such individuals at
such rates of compensation as the Executive Director de-
termines appropriate.
(c) VOLUNTEERS.—Subject to the approval of the
Board, the Foundation may accept the services of volun-
teers in the performance of the functions of the Founda-
tion.
SEC. 6. FUNCTION AND CORPORATE POWERS.
The Foundation—
(1) may conduct business in the United States
and abroad;
(2) shall have its principal offices in the Dis-
trict of Columbia or its environs; and
(3) shall have the power—
(A) to accept, receive, solicit, hold, admin-
ister, and use any gift, devise, or bequest, either
absolutely or in trust, of real or personal prop-
erty or any income therefrom or other interest
therein;
(B) to acquire by purchase or exchange
any real or personal property or interest there-
in;
(C) to sell, donate, lease, invest, reinvest,
retain, or otherwise dispose of any real or per-
sonal property or income therefrom;
(D) to enter into contracts or other ar-
rangements with public agencies, private orga-
nizations, and other persons, and to make such
payments as may be necessary to carry out its
purposes; and
(E) to do any and all acts necessary and
proper to carry out the purposes of the Founda-
tion.
SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
The Foundation shall, as soon as practicable after the
end of each fiscal year, transmit to Congress a report of
its proceedings and activities during that fiscal year, in-
cluding a full and complete statement of its receipts, ex-
penditures, and investments, and a description of all ac-
quisition and disposal of real property.
SEC. 8. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND SUPPORT.
The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Edu-
cation, the Secretary of State, and the heads of any other
Federal agencies may provide personnel, facilities, and
other administrative services to the Foundation.
SEC. 9. SUNSET PROVISION.
The Foundation shall exist until September 30, 2011,
at which time the Foundation’s functions and research
materials and products shall be transferred to the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum, or to other appro-
priate entities, as determined by the Board.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Foundation such sums as may be nec-
essary to carry out this Act.
(b) LIMITATION.—No funds appropriated to carry
out this Act may be used to pay attorneys fees in the pur-
suit of private claims.
Æ