I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1451
To establish the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 15, 1999
Mr. LAHOOD (for himself, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mr.
PHELPS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. PORTER, Mr. RUSH, Mr. MANZULLO,
Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HYDE, Mr. WELLER,
Mr. EWING, Mr. CRANE, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, and
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Government Reform
A BILL
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,
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
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
(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 9 members appointed as follows:
(1) 3 members, each of whom shall be a quali-
fied citizen described in subsection (b), appointed by
the President.
(2) 2 members, each of whom shall be a quali-
fied citizen described in subsection (b), appointed by
the President on the recommendation of the Gov-
ernor of Illinois.
(3) 2 members, each of whom shall be Members
of the House of Representatives from the State of
Illinois, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(4) 1 member, who shall be a Senator from the
State of Illinois, appointed by the Majority Leader
of the Senate.
(5) 1 member, who shall be a Senator, ap-
pointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate.
(b) QUALIFIED CITIZEN.—A qualified citizen de-
scribed in this subsection is a private citizen of the United
States with—
(1) a demonstrated dedication to educating oth-
ers about the importance of historical figures and
events; and
(2) substantial knowledge and appreciation of
Abraham Lincoln.
(c) TIME OF APPOINTMENT.—Each initial appoint-
ment of a member of the Commission shall be made before
the expiration of the 120-day period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act.
(d) WAIVER OF LIMITATION ON EXECUTIVE SCHED-
ULE POSITIONS.—Appointments may be made under this
section without regard to section 5311(b) of title 5, United
States Code.
(e) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If a member
was appointed to the Commission as a Member of Con-
gress and the member ceases to be a Member of Congress,
that member may continue as a member for not longer
than the 30-day period beginning on the date that member
ceases to be a Member of Congress.
(f) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed for the
life of the Commission.
(g) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall
be filled in the manner in which the original appointment
was made.
(h) BASIC PAY.—Members shall serve without pay.
(i) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member shall receive
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence,
in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5,
United States Code.
(j) QUORUM.—5 members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hear-
ings.
(k) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson shall be des-
ignated by the President from among the members of the
Commission appointed under section 5(a)(1). The term of
office of the Chairperson shall be for the life of the Com-
mission.
(l) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at the
call of the Chairperson. Periodically, the Commission shall
hold its meeting in Springfield, Illinois.
SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.
(a) DIRECTOR.—The Commission may appoint and
fix the pay of a Director and any additional personnel as
the Commission considers appropriate.
(b) APPLICABILITY
OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE
LAWS.—The Director and staff of the Commission may
be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5,
United States Code, governing appointments in the com-
petitive service, and may be paid without regard to the
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53
of that title relating to classification and General Schedule
pay rates.
SEC. 7. POWERS.
(a) HEARINGS
AND SESSIONS.—The Commission
may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hear-
ings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and
receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate.
(b) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any mem-
ber or agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the
Commission, take any action which the Commission is au-
thorized to take by this section.
(c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission
may secure directly from any department or agency of the
United States information necessary to enable it to carry
out this Act. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Com-
mission, the head of that department or agency shall fur-
nish that information to the Commission.
(d) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES.—The Commis-
sion may accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or
devises of services or property, both real and personal, for
the purpose of aiding or facilitating the work of the Com-
mission. Gifts, bequests, or devises of money and proceeds
from sales of other property received as gifts, bequests,
or devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be
available for disbursement upon order of the Commission.
For purposes of Federal income, estate, and gift taxes,
property accepted under this subsection shall be consid-
ered as a gift, bequest, or devise to the United States.
(e) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as other departments and agencies of the United
States.
(f) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon the
request of the Commission, the Administrator of General
Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reimburs-
able basis, the administrative support services necessary
for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities under
this Act.
SEC. 8. REPORTS.
(a) INTERIM REPORTS.—The Commission may sub-
mit to the Congress interim reports as the Commission
considers appropriate.
(b) FINAL REPORT.—The Commission shall transmit
a final report to the Congress not later than the expiration
of the 4-year period beginning on the date of the formation
of the Commission. The final report shall contain—