I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1568
To establish the National Military Museum Foundation, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 8, 1997
Mr. HOYER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on National Security
A BILL
To establish the National Military Museum Foundation, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL MILITARY MU-
SEUM FOUNDATION.
There is established a nonprofit corporation to be
known as the National Military Museum Foundation (in
this Act referred to as the ‘‘Foundation’’). The Founda-
tion is not an agency or instrumentality of the United
States.
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SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The Foundation shall have the following purposes:
(1) To encourage and facilitate the preservation
of military artifacts having historical or techno-
logical significance.
(2) To promote innovative solutions to the prob-
lems associated with the preservation of such arti-
facts.
(3) To facilitate research on and educational
activities relating to military history.
(4) To promote voluntary partnerships between
the Federal Government and the private sector for
the preservation of such artifacts and of military
history.
(5) To facilitate the display of such artifacts for
the education and benefit of the public.
(6) To develop publications and other interpre-
tive materials pertinent to the historical collections
of the Armed Forces that will supplement similar
publications and materials available from public, pri-
vate, and corporate sources.
(7) To provide financial support for edu-
cational, interpretive, and conservation programs of
the Armed Forces relating to such artifacts.
(8) To broaden public understanding of the role
of the military in United States history.
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(9) To recognize and honor the individuals who
have served in the Armed Forces of the United
States.
SEC. 3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
(a) BOARD
OF DIRECTORS.—(1) The Foundation
shall have a Board of Directors (in this Act referred to
as the ‘‘Board’’) composed of nine individuals appointed
by the Secretary of Defense from among individuals who
are United States citizens.
(2) Of the individuals appointed under paragraph
(1)—
(A) at least one shall have an expertise in his-
toric preservation;
(B) at least one shall have an expertise in mili-
tary history;
(C) at least one shall have an expertise in the
administration of museums; and
(D) at least one shall have an expertise in mili-
tary technology and materiel.
(b) CHAIRPERSON.—(1) The Secretary shall des-
ignate one of the individuals first appointed to the Board
under subsection (a) as the chairperson of the Board. The
individual so designated shall serve as chairperson for a
term of 2 years.
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(2) Upon the expiration of the term of chairperson
of the individual designated as chairperson under para-
graph (1), or of the term of a chairperson elected under
this paragraph, the members of the Board shall elect a
chairperson of the Board from among its members.
(c) TERM.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), members
appointed to the Board shall serve on the Board for a term
of 4 years.
(2) If a member of the Board misses three consecu-
tive meetings of the Board, the Board may remove the
member from the Board for that reason.
(d) VACANCY.—Any vacancy in the Board shall not
affect its powers but shall be filled, not later than 60 days
after the vacancy, in the same manner in which the origi-
nal appointment was made.
(e) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of the
Board shall constitute a quorum.
(f) MEETINGS.—The Board shall meet at the call of
the chairperson of the Board. The Board shall meet at
least once a year.
SEC. 4. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS.
The members of the Board first appointed under sec-
tion 3(a) shall—
(1) adopt a constitution and bylaws for the
Foundation;
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(2) serve as incorporators of the Foundation;
and
(3) take whatever other actions the Board de-
termines appropriate in order to establish the Foun-
dation as a nonprofit corporation.
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, and
at such rates of compensation, as the executive director
determines 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.
(d) SERVICE OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A person
who is a full-time or part-time employee of the Federal
Government may not serve as a full-time or part-time em-
ployee of the Foundation and shall not be considered for
any purpose an employee of the Foundation.
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SEC. 6. POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
In order to carry out the purposes of this Act, the
Foundation is authorized to—
(1) accept, hold, administer, invest, and spend
any gift, devise, or bequest of real or personal prop-
erty made to the Foundation;
(2) enter into contracts with individuals, public
or private organizations, professional societies, and
government agencies for the purpose of carrying out
the functions of the Foundation; and
(3) enter into such other contracts, leases, coop-
erative agreements, and other transactions as the ex-
ecutive director of the Foundation considers appro-
priate to carry out the activities of the Foundation.
SEC. 7. AUDITS.
(a) AUDITS.—The first section of the Act entitled
‘‘An Act to provide for the audit of accounts of private
corporations established under Federal law,’’ approved
August 30, 1964 (36 U.S.C. 1101), is amended by adding
at the end the following:
‘‘(79) The National Military Museum Founda-
tion.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that the chair-
person of the Board notifies the Secretary of Defense of
the incorporation of the Foundation under this Act.
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SEC. 8. REPORTS.
As soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal
year of the Foundation, the Board shall submit to Con-
gress and to the Secretary of Defense a report on the ac-
tivities of the Foundation during the preceding fiscal year,
including a full and complete statement of the receipts,
expenditures, investment activities, and other financial ac-
tivities of the Foundation during such fiscal year.
SEC. 9. INITIAL SUPPORT.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated for the Department of De-
fense for fiscal year 1998 $1,000,000 for the purpose of
making a grant to the Foundation in order to assist the
Foundation in defraying the costs of its activities. Such
amount shall be available for such purpose until expended.
(b) ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.—In each of fiscal years
1998 through 2000, the Secretary of Defense may provide,
without reimbursement, personnel, facilities, and other ad-
ministrative services of the Department to the Founda-
tion.
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