I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1230
To authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a Capitol Visitor
Center under the East Plaza of the United States Capitol, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 14, 1995
Mr. MICA (for himself, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. HAMILTON, Mr.
EMERSON, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. RAHALL,
Mr. BLUTE, Mrs. SEASTRAND, Mr. FAZIO of California, Mr. MANZULLO,
Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. HOYER, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. BREWSTER,
Mr. CLEMENT, Mr. MCHUGH, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. LEWIS
of California, Mr. HYDE, Mr. MOORHEAD, Mr. HASTERT, Mr.
MCINTOSH, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. MILLER of Flor-
ida, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. KNOLLENBERG) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a
Capitol Visitor Center under the East Plaza of the
United States Capitol, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Capitol Visitor Center
Authorization Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Architect of the Capitol,
under the direction of the United States Capitol Preserva-
tion Commission, is authorized—
(1) to plan, construct, equip, administer, and
maintain a Capitol Visitor Center under the East
Plaza of the United States Capitol with associated
improvements to the Capitol to provide access there-
to; and
(2) to reconstruct the environs of the East
Plaza of the United States Capitol to enhance its
attractiveness, safety, and security.
(b) PURPOSE.—It shall be the purpose of the Capitol
Visitor Center to provide reception facilities, educational
exhibits, amenities, auditoriums, and other programs and
facilities for members of the public visiting the United
States Capitol.
SEC. 3. ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.
(a) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—As soon as practicable
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Architect
of the Capitol shall complete engineering and architectural
designs and cost estimates for construction of the Capitol
Visitor Center and transmit a report on the results thereof
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Rules
and Administration of the Senate, and the United States
Capitol Preservation Commission.
(b) CONTENTS.—The report to be transmitted under
subsection (a) shall include detailed plans, specifications,
and cost estimates for construction of the Capitol Visitor
Center.
(c) PLANS FOR EXHIBITS.—Plans and specifications
for the exhibits and equipping of the Capitol Visitor Cen-
ter shall be completed by the Architect of the Capitol as
soon as practicable after the commencement of construc-
tion.
SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION.
(a) GENERAL RULE.—The Architect of the Capitol
may not begin construction of the Capitol Visitor Center
until plans, designs, and cost estimates transmitted under
section 3 are approved by resolutions adopted by the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Ad-
ministration of the Senate, respectively.
(b) BUILDING CODES.—The Capitol Visitor Center
and associated improvements shall meet design standards
applicable under nationally recognized building codes, as
determined by the Architect of the Capitol. During con-
struction, the Architect shall conduct periodic inspections
of the Capitol Visitor Center for the purpose of assuring
that such standards are being met.
(c) APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAWS.—The Capitol
Visitor Center and associated improvements and the con-
struction thereof shall not be subject to any Federal or
State law (including laws of the District of Columbia) re-
lating to taxes, building codes, permits, or inspections.
SEC. 5. GIFTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of carrying out
section 2(a)(1), the Architect of the Capitol may solicit,
receive, accept, hold, and dispose of gifts or donations of
services or property.
(b) DEPOSIT OF RECEIPTS.—The Architect of the
Capitol shall deposit into the account established by sec-
tion 6(a) all monetary gifts received under subsection (a)
and all proceeds from the disposition of nonmonetary gifts
received under subsection (a).
(c) TREATMENT UNDER TAX LAWS.—Any gift ac-
cepted by the Architect of the Capitol under subsection
(a) shall be considered a gift to the United States for the
purposes of income, estate, and gift tax laws of the United
States.
SEC. 6. ACCOUNT IN THE TREASURY.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the
Treasury of the United States a separate account entitled
‘‘Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Buildings and Grounds,
Capitol Visitor Center, Gifts and Donations’’ which shall
consist of amounts deposited into the account by the Ar-
chitect of the Capitol under section 5(b) and amounts
credited to the account pursuant to this section.
(b) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Funds in the ac-
count established by subsection (a) shall be available to
the Architect of the Capitol for carrying out section
2(a)(1) in such amounts as are specified in appropriations
Acts. Such funds shall not be subject to any fiscal year
limitation.
(c) REPORTING OF TRANSACTIONS.—Receipts, obli-
gations, and expenditures of funds in the account estab-
lished by subsection (a) shall be reported in annual esti-
mates submitted to Congress by the Architect of the Cap-
itol for the operation and maintenance of the Capitol
Buildings and Grounds.
(d) INVESTMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas-
ury shall invest such portion of the account estab-
lished by subsection (a) as is not, in the judgment
of the Secretary, required to meet current withdraw-
als. Such investments may be made only in interest-
bearing obligations of the United States. For such
purpose, such obligations may be acquired—
(A) on original issue at the issue price; or
(B) by purchase of outstanding obligations
at the market price.
(2) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac-
quired by the account may be sold at the market
price.
(3) INTEREST
ON
CERTAIN
PROCEEDS.—The
interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or re-
demption of, any obligations held in the account
shall be credited to and form part of the account.
SEC. 7. AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT.
The Architect of the Capitol may enter into contracts,
using procedures other than competitive procedures, in
carrying out section 2(a)(1).
SEC. 8. SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF UNITED STATES CAPITOL
PRESERVATION COMMISSION.
(a) DELEGATION
OF
FUNCTIONS.—The United
States Capitol Preservation Commission is authorized to
delegate to the Special Committee appointed pursuant to
the amendment made by subsection (b) the functions of
the Commission under this Act.
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 801 of the Arizona-
Idaho Conservation Act of 1988 (40 U.S.C. 188a) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(f) SPECIAL COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Commission is au-
thorized to establish a Special Committee consisting
of 3 Members of Congress as follows:
‘‘(A) One Member of the House of Rep-
resentatives to be appointed by the Commission.
‘‘(B) One Member of the Senate to be ap-
pointed by the Commission.
‘‘(C) One Member of the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Senate to be appointed by
the 2 members appointed pursuant to subpara-
graphs (A) and (B).
‘‘(2) CHAIRMAN; 
FUNCTIONS.—The Special
Committee established pursuant to paragraph (1)
shall elect its own chairperson and shall provide the
Architect of the Capitol with all necessary oversight
and direction in the exercise of the authority granted
to the Architect under the Capitol Visitor Center
Authorization Act of 1995.’’.
SEC. 9. FUNDING LIMITATION.
(a) GENERAL RULE.—Funds for the payment of ex-
penses incurred by the Architect of the Capitol in carrying
out section 2(a)(1) shall be derived solely from the account
established by section 6(a).
(b) STATUTORY
CONSTRUCTION.—Subsection (a)
shall not be construed as limiting the use of any funds
for the repair, reconstruction, or improvement of any ex-
isting structure of the United States Capitol.
Æ