In the Senate of the United States,
November 19, 1999.
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representa-
tives (H.R. 1451) entitled ‘‘An Act to establish the Abraham
Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.’’, do pass with the fol-
lowing
AMENDMENT:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abraham Lincoln Bicen-
tennial Commission Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was
one of the Nation’s most prominent leaders, dem-
onstrating true courage during the Civil War, one of
the greatest crises in the Nation’s history.
(2) Born of humble roots in Hardin County,
Kentucky, on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln
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rose to the Presidency through a legacy of honesty, in-
tegrity, intelligence, and commitment to the United
States.
(3) With the belief that all men were created
equal, Abraham Lincoln led the effort to free all slaves
in the United States.
(4) Abraham Lincoln had a generous heart, with
malice toward none and with charity for all.
(5) Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice
for the country Lincoln loved, dying from an assas-
sin’s bullet on April 15, 1865.
(6) All Americans could benefit from studying
the life of Abraham Lincoln, for Lincoln’s life is a
model for accomplishing the ‘‘American Dream’’
through honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of
education.
(7) The year 2009 will be the bicentennial anni-
versary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, and a com-
mission should be established to study and recommend
to Congress activities that are fitting and proper to
celebrate that anniversary in a manner that appro-
priately honors Abraham Lincoln.
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (referred to in
this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’).
SEC. 4. DUTIES.
The Commission shall have the following duties:
(1) To study activities that may be carried out
by the Federal Government to determine whether the
activities are fitting and proper to honor Abraham
Lincoln on the occasion of the bicentennial anniver-
sary of Lincoln’s birth, including—
(A) the minting of an Abraham Lincoln bi-
centennial penny;
(B) the issuance of an Abraham Lincoln bi-
centennial postage stamp;
(C) the convening of a joint meeting or joint
session of Congress for ceremonies and activities
relating to Abraham Lincoln;
(D) a redesignation of the Lincoln Memo-
rial, or other activity with respect to the Memo-
rial; and
(E) the acquisition and preservation of arti-
facts associated with Abraham Lincoln.
(2) To recommend to Congress the activities that
the Commission considers most fitting and proper to
honor Abraham Lincoln on such occasion, and the en-
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tity or entities in the Federal Government that the
Commission considers most appropriate to carry out
such activities.
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission
shall be composed of 15 members appointed as follows:
(1) Two members, each of whom shall be a quali-
fied citizen described in subsection (b), appointed by
the President.
(2) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen
described in subsection (b), appointed by the Presi-
dent on the recommendation of the Governor of Illi-
nois.
(3) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen
described in subsection (b), appointed by the Presi-
dent on the recommendation of the Governor of Indi-
ana.
(4) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen
described in subsection (b), appointed by the Presi-
dent on the recommendation of the Governor of Ken-
tucky.
(5) Three members, at least one of whom shall be
a Member of the House of Representatives, appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.