(B) 2 shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives.
(C) 2 shall be appointed by the Majority
Leader of the Senate.
(D) 2 shall be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate.
(E) 3 shall be appointed by the President,
one of whom shall have substantial experience in
firefighting, one of whom shall have substantial
experience in law enforcement, and one of whom
shall have substantial experience in emergency
services.
(2) PERSONS
ELIGIBLE.—The members of the
Board shall be individuals who have knowledge or ex-
pertise, whether by experience or training, in the field
of public safety.
(3) TERM.—The term of a Board member is 4
years.
(4) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the member-
ship of the Board shall not affect the powers of the
Board and shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment.
(5) OPERATION OF THE BOARD.—
(A) MEETINGS.—The Board shall meet at
the call of the Chairman and not less than twice
each year. The initial meeting of the Board shall
be conducted not later than 30 days after the ap-
pointment of the last member of the Board.
(B) QUORUM; VOTING; RULES.—A majority
of the members of the Board shall constitute a
quorum to conduct business, but the Board may
establish a lesser quorum for conducting hearings
scheduled by the Board. The Board may establish
by majority vote any other rules for the conduct
of the Board’s business, if such rules are not in-
consistent with this Act or other applicable law.
(c) DUTIES.—The Board shall select candidates as re-
cipients of the Medal of Valor from among those applica-
tions received by the National Medal Office. Not more often
than once each year, the Board shall present to the Attorney
General the name or names of those it recommends as Medal
of Valor recipients. In a given year, the Board is not re-
quired to choose any names, but is limited to a maximum
number of 6 recipients. The Board shall set an annual time-
table for fulfilling its duties under this Act.
(d) HEARINGS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Board may hold such
hearings, sit and act at such times and places, ad-
minister such oaths, take such testimony, and receive
such evidence as the Board considers advisable to
carry out its duties.
(2) WITNESS EXPENSES.—Witnesses requested to
appear before the Board may be paid the same fees
as are paid to witnesses under section 1821 of title
28, United States Code. The per diem and mileage al-
lowances for witnesses shall be paid from funds ap-
propriated to the Board.
(e) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The
Board may secure directly from any Federal department
or agency such information as the Board considers nec-
essary to carry out its duties. Upon the request of the
Board, the head of such department or agency may furnish
such information to the Board.
(f) INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.—The
Board shall not disclose any information which may com-
promise an ongoing law enforcement investigation or is oth-
erwise required by law to be kept confidential.
SEC. 4. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—(1) Except as pro-
vided in paragraph (2), each member of the Board shall
be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of
the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the
Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United
States Code, for each day (including travel time) during
which such member is engaged in the performance of the
duties of the Board.
(2) All members of the Board who serve as officers or
employees of the United States, a State, or a local govern-
ment, shall serve without compensation in addition to that
received for those services.
(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Board
shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu
of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of
business in the performance of service for the Board.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act:
(1) PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER.—The term ‘‘Public
Safety Officer’’ has the same meaning given that term
in section 1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968.
(2) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the
several States of the United States, the District of Co-
lumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attor-
ney General such sums as may be necessary to carry out
this Act.
SEC. 7. OFFICE.
There is established within the Department of Justice
a national medal office. The office shall staff the Medal of
Valor Review Board and establish criteria and procedures
for the submission of recommendations of nominees for the
Medal of Valor.
SEC. 8. CONFORMING REPEAL.
Section 15 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control
Act of 1974 is repealed.
SEC. 9. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.
The Attorney General shall consult with the Institute
of Heraldry within the Department of Defense regarding
the design and artistry of the Medal of Valor. The Attorney
General shall also consider suggestions received by the De-
partment of Justice regarding the design of the medal, in-
cluding those made by persons not employed by the
Department.
Union Calendar No. 375
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4090
[Report No. 105–667]
A BILL
To provide for a national medal for public safety of-
ficers who act with extraordinary valor above and
beyond the call of duty.
JULY 31, 1998
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commit-
tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
ordered to be printed