IIB
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1451
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
OCTOBER 5, 1999
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
AN ACT
To establish the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abraham Lincoln Bi-
centennial Commission Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The 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
rose to the Presidency through a legacy of honesty,
integrity, 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 he loved, dying from an assassin’s
bullet on April 15, 1865.
(6) All Americans could benefit from studying
the life of Abraham Lincoln, for his life is a model
for accomplishing the ‘‘American Dream’’ through
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honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of edu-
cation.
(7) The Year 2009 will be the bicentennial an-
niversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, and a
commission should be established to study and rec-
ommend to the Congress activities that are fitting
and proper to celebrate that anniversary in a man-
ner that appropriately honors Abraham Lincoln.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (in this Act
referred to 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
they are fitting and proper to honor Abraham Lin-
coln on the occasion of the bicentennial anniversary
of his birth, including—
(A) the minting of an Abraham Lincoln bi-
centennial penny;
(B) the issuance of an Abraham Lincoln
bicentennial postage stamp;
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(C) the convening of a joint meeting or
joint session of the 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 ar-
tifacts associated with Abraham Lincoln.
(2) To recommend to the Congress the activi-
ties that the Commission considers most fitting and
proper to honor Abraham Lincoln on such occasion,
and the entity 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) Three members, each of whom shall be a
qualified citizen described in subsection (b), ap-
pointed by the President.
(2) Two members, each of whom shall be a
qualified citizen described in subsection (b), ap-
pointed by the President on the recommendation of
the Governor of Illinois.