H. R. 1242 
One Hundred Fifteenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen 
An Act 
To establish the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘400 Years of African-American 
History Commission Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMEMORATION.—The term ‘‘commemoration’’ means 
the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival 
of Africans in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia, 
in 1619. 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ means the 400 
Years of African-American History Commission established by 
section 3(a). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a commission, to be 
known as the ‘‘400 Years of African-American History Commission’’. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be composed of 
15 members, of whom— 
(A) three members shall be appointed by the Secretary 
after considering recommendations of Governors, including 
the Governor of Virginia; 
(B) six members shall be appointed by the Secretary 
after considering recommendations of civil rights organiza-
tions and historical organizations; 
(C) one member shall be an employee of the National 
Park Service having experience relative to the historical 
and cultural resources related to the commemoration, to 
be appointed by the Secretary; 
(D) two members shall be appointed by the Secretary 
after considering the recommendations of the Secretary 
of the Smithsonian Institution; and 
(E) three members shall be individuals who have an 
interest in, support for, and expertise appropriate to the 
commemoration, appointed by the Secretary after consid-
ering the recommendations of Members of Congress.
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(2) TIME OF APPOINTMENT.—Each appointment of an initial 
member of the Commission shall be made before the expiration 
of the 120-day period beginning on the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
(3) TERM; VACANCIES.— 
(A) TERM.—A member of the Commission shall be 
appointed for the life of the Commission. 
(B) VACANCIES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—A vacancy on the Commission 
shall be filled in the same manner in which the original 
appointment was made. 
(ii) PARTIAL TERM.—A member appointed to fill 
a vacancy on the Commission shall serve for the 
remainder of the term for which the predecessor of 
the member was appointed. 
(C) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If a member of 
the Commission was appointed to the Commission as an 
employee of the National Park Service, and ceases to be 
an employee of the National Park Service, that member 
may continue to serve on the Commission for not longer 
than the 30-day period beginning on the date on which 
that member ceases to be an employee of the National 
Park Service. 
(c) DUTIES.—The Commission shall— 
(1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities 
throughout the United States— 
(A) appropriate for the commemoration; 
(B) to recognize and highlight the resilience and con-
tributions of African-Americans since 1619; 
(C) to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws 
that enforced racial discrimination had on the United 
States; and 
(D) to educate the public about— 
(i) the arrival of Africans in the United States; 
and 
(ii) the contributions of African-Americans to the 
United States; 
(2) encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, 
artistic, religious, economic, and other organizations throughout 
the United States to organize and participate in anniversary 
activities to expand understanding and appreciation of— 
(A) the significance of the arrival of Africans in the 
United States; and 
(B) the contributions of African-Americans to the 
United States; 
(3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 
nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration; 
(4) coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly 
research on, publication about, and interpretation of— 
(A) the arrival of Africans in the United States; and 
(B) the contributions of African-Americans to the 
United States; 
(5) ensure that the commemoration provides a lasting 
legacy and long-term public benefit by assisting in the develop-
ment of appropriate programs; and 
(6) help ensure that the observances of the commemoration 
are inclusive and appropriately recognize the experiences and
H. R. 1242—3 
heritage of all individuals present at the arrival of Africans 
in the United States. 
SEC. 4. COMMISSION MEETINGS. 
(a) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
on which all members of the Commission have been appointed, 
the Commission shall hold the initial meeting of the Commission. 
(b) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet— 
(1) at least three times each year; or 
(2) at the call of the Chairperson or the majority of the 
members of the Commission. 
(c) QUORUM.—A majority of the voting members shall constitute 
a quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings. 
(d) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.— 
(1) ELECTION.—The Commission shall elect the Chairperson 
and the Vice Chairperson of the Commission on an annual 
basis. 
(2) ABSENCE OF THE CHAIRPERSON.—The Vice Chairperson 
shall serve as the Chairperson in the absence of the Chair-
person. 
(e) VOTING.—The Commission shall act only on an affirmative 
vote of a majority of the members of the Commission. 
SEC. 5. COMMISSION POWERS. 
(a) GIFTS.—The Commission may solicit, accept, use, and dis-
pose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money or other property for 
aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission. 
(b) APPOINTMENT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—The Commission 
may appoint such advisory committees as the Commission deter-
mines to be necessary to carry out this Act. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF ACTION.—The Commission may authorize 
any member or employee of the Commission to take any action 
that the Commission is authorized to take under this Act. 
(d) PROCUREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may procure supplies, 
services, and property, and make or enter into contracts, leases, 
or other legal agreements, to carry out this Act (except that 
a contract, lease, or other legal agreement made or entered 
into by the Commission shall not extend beyond the date of 
termination of the Commission). 
(2) LIMITATION.—The Commission may not purchase real 
property. 
(e) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use the United 
States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions 
as other agencies of the Federal Government. 
(f) GRANTS
AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Commission 
may— 
(1) provide grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 per 
grant to communities and nonprofit organizations for use in 
developing programs to assist in the commemoration; 
(2) provide grants to research and scholarly organizations 
to research, publish, or distribute information relating to the 
arrival of Africans in the United States; and 
(3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 
nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration. 
SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS. 
(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 
member of the Commission shall serve without compensation. 
(2) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of the Commission 
who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall 
serve without compensation other than the compensation 
received for the services of the member as an officer or employee 
of the Federal Government. 
(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the Commission shall 
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 
at rates authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter 
I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from 
the home or regular place of business of the member in the perform-
ance of the duties of the Commission. 
(c) DIRECTOR AND STAFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the Commission may, 
without regard to the civil service laws (including regulations), 
nominate an executive director to enable the Commission to 
perform the duties of the Commission. 
(2) CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.—The employ-
ment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation 
by the Commission. 
(d) COMPENSATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
Commission may fix the compensation of the executive director 
and other personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
Code, relating to classification of positions and General 
Schedule pay rates. 
(2) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.—The rate of pay for the execu-
tive director and other personnel shall not exceed the rate 
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 
5316 of title 5, United States Code. 
(e) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.— 
(1) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 
(A) DETAIL.—At the request of the Commission, the 
head of any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable 
or nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the 
agency to the Commission to assist the Commission in 
carrying out the duties of the Commission under this Act. 
(B) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The detail of an employee 
under subparagraph (A) shall be without interruption or 
loss of civil service status or privilege. 
(2) STATE EMPLOYEES.—The Commission may— 
(A) accept the services of personnel detailed from the 
State; and 
(B) reimburse the State for services of detailed per-
sonnel. 
(f) PROCUREMENT
OF TEMPORARY
AND INTERMITTENT SERV-
ICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary 
and intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of 
title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do not 
exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay pre-
scribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 
of such title.
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(g) VOLUNTEER
AND
UNCOMPENSATED
SERVICES.—Notwith-
standing section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commis-
sion may accept and use such voluntary and uncompensated serv-
ices as the Commission determines to be necessary. 
(h) SUPPORT SERVICES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative sup-
port services as the Commission may request. 
(2) REIMBURSEMENT.—Any reimbursement under this para-
graph shall be credited to the appropriation, fund, or account 
used for paying the amounts reimbursed. 
(i) NO EFFECT ON AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this section super-
sedes the authority of the National Park Service with respect to 
the commemoration. 
SEC. 7. PLANS; REPORTS. 
(a) STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Commission shall prepare a strategic 
plan for the activities of the Commission carried out under this 
Act. 
(b) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than July 1, 2020, the Commis-
sion shall complete and submit to Congress a final report that 
contains— 
(1) a summary of the activities of the Commission; 
(2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by 
the Commission; and 
(3) the findings and recommendations of the Commission. 
SEC. 8. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION. 
(a) DATE OF TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 
on July 1, 2020. 
(b) TRANSFER OF DOCUMENTS AND MATERIALS.—Before the date 
of termination specified in subsection (a), the Commission shall 
transfer all documents and materials of the Commission to the 
National Archives or another appropriate Federal entity. 
SEC. 9. EXPENDITURES OF COMMISSION. 
All expenditures of the Commission shall be made solely from 
donated funds. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.