Robert Fulton, the first person to use steam
navigation on a commercial basis, the 400th an-
niversary of the voyage of Samuel de Cham-
plain, the first European to discover and ex-
plore Lake Champlain;
(B) facilitate Hudson-Fulton-Champlain-
related activities throughout the United States;
(C) coordinate its activities with State
commemoration commissions and appropriate
Federal Government agencies, including the De-
partments of Agriculture, Defense, State, and
Transportation, the National Park Service with
respect to the Hudson River Valley National
Heritage Area, and the American Heritage Riv-
ers Initiative Interagency Committee estab-
lished by Executive Order 13061, dated Sep-
tember 11, 1997;
(D) encourage civic, patriotic, historical,
educational, religious, economic, and other or-
ganizations throughout the United States to or-
ganize and participate in anniversary activities
to expand the understanding and appreciation
of the significance of the voyages of Henry
Hudson, Robert Fulton, and Samuel de Cham-
plain;
(E) provide technical assistance to States,
localities, and nonprofit organizations to further
the commemoration;
(F) coordinate and facilitate for the public
scholarly research on, publication about, and in-
terpretation of, the voyages of Henry Hudson,
Robert Fulton, and Samuel de Champlain; and
(G) ensure that the Hudson-Fulton-Cham-
plain 2009 anniversaries provide a lasting leg-
acy and long-term public benefit by assisting in
the development of appropriate programs and
facilities.
(2) STRATEGIC PLAN AND ANNUAL PERFORM-
ANCE
PLANS.—The Commission shall prepare a
strategic plan in accordance with section 306 of title
5, United States Code, and annual performance
plans in accordance with section 1115 of title 31,
United States Code, for the activities of the Com-
mission carried out under this Act.
(3) REPORTS.—
(A) ANNUAL
REPORT.—The Commission
shall submit to Congress an annual report that
contains a list of each gift, bequest, or devise
with a value of more than $250, together with
the identity of the donor of each such gift, be-
quest, or devise.
(B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2010, the Commission shall submit
to the Secretary a final report that contains—
(i) a summary of the activities of the
Commission;
(ii) a final accounting of funds re-
ceived and expended by the Commission;
and
(iii) the findings and recommenda-
tions of the Commission.
(d) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.—The Commission
may—
(1) solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, be-
quests, or devises of money or other real or personal
property for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the
work of the Commission;
(2) appoint such advisory committees as the
Commission determines to be necessary to carry out
this Act;
(3) authorize any member or employee of the
Commission to take any action that the Commission
is authorized to take by this Act;
(4) procure supplies, services, and property, and
make or enter into contracts, leases, or other legal
agreements, to carry out this Act (except that any
contracts, leases, or other legal agreements made or
entered into by the Commission shall not extend be-
yond the date of the termination of the Commis-
sion);
(5) use the United States mails in the same
manner and under the same conditions as other
Federal agencies;
(6) subject to approval by the Commission,
make grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 to
communities, nonprofit organizations, and com-
memorative commissions formed by the States to de-
velop programs to assist in the commemoration; and
(7) make grants in amounts not to exceed
$20,000 to research and scholarly organizations to
research, publish, or distribute information relating
to the early history of the voyages of Hudson, Ful-
ton, and Champlain.
(e) COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.—
(1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS OF THE COM-
MISSION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), a member of the Commis-
sion shall serve without compensation.
(B) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of
the Commission who is an officer or employee
of the Federal Government shall serve without
compensation in addition to the compensation
received for the services of the member as an
officer or employee of the Federal Government.
(C) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the
Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, in-
cluding 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 reg-
ular place of business of the member in the per-
formance of the duties of the Commission.
(2) STAFF.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the
Commission may, without regard to the civil
service laws (including regulations), appoint
and terminate an executive director and such
other additional personnel as are necessary to
enable the Commission to perform the duties of
the Commission.
(B) CONFIRMATION OF EXECUTIVE DIREC-
TOR.—The employment of an executive director
shall be subject to confirmation by the Commis-
sion.
(3) COMPENSATION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), the Chairperson of the Com-
mission may fix the compensation of the execu-
tive 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 Gen-
eral Schedule pay rates.
(B) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.—The rate of
pay for the executive director and other per-
sonnel shall not exceed the rate payable for
level V of the Executive Schedule under section
5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(4) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—
(A) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—
(i) IN GENERAL.—At the request of
the Commission, the head of any Federal
agency may detail, on a reimbursable or
nonreimbursable basis, any of the per-
sonnel of the agency to the Commission to
assist the Commission in carrying out the
duties of the Commission under this Act.
(ii) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The de-
tail of an employee under clause (i) shall
be without interruption or loss of civil serv-
ice status or privilege.
(B) STATE EMPLOYEES.—The Commission
may—
(i) accept the services of personnel de-
tailed from States (including subdivisions
of States); and
(ii) reimburse States for services of
detailed personnel.
(5) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERV-
ICES.—Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31,
United States Code, the Commission may accept and
use voluntary and uncompensated services as the
Commission determines necessary.
(6) SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Director of the
National Park Service shall provide to the Commis-
sion, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative
support services as the Commission may request.
(f) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT-
TENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission
may procure temporary and intermittent services in ac-