To establish the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary 
Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
        (1) Benjamin Franklin was one of the most extraordinary men of 
    the generation that founded the United States. Around the world, he 
    remains one of the best-known Americans who has ever lived.
        (2) Benjamin Franklin's achievements include his literary work, 
    his creation of philanthropic and educational institutions, his 
    significant scientific explorations, and his service to the Nation 
    as a statesman and diplomat.
        (3) Benjamin Franklin was the only American to sign all 5 
    enabling documents of the United States.
        (4) All people in the United States could benefit from studying 
    the life of Benjamin Franklin and gaining a deeper appreciation of 
    his legacy to the Nation.
        (5) January 17, 2006, is the 300th anniversary of the birth of 
    Benjamin Franklin, and a commission should be established to study 
    and recommend to the Congress activities that are fitting and 
    proper to celebrate that anniversary in a manner that appropriately 
    honors Benjamin Franklin.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the Benjamin 
Franklin Tercentenary Commission (referred to in this Act as the 
``Commission'').

SEC. 4. DUTIES.

    (a) Study.--The Commission shall have the following duties:
        (1) To study activities by the Government that would be fitting 
    and proper to honor Benjamin Franklin on the occasion of the 
    tercentenary of his birth, including but not limited to the 
    following:
            (A) The minting of a Benjamin Franklin tercentenary coin.
            (B) The rededication of the Benjamin Franklin National 
        Memorial at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, 
        Pennsylvania, or other activities with respect to that 
        memorial.
            (C) The acquisition and preservation of artifacts 
        associated with Benjamin Franklin.
            (D) The sponsorship of publications, including catalogs and 
        scholarly work, concerning Benjamin Franklin.
            (E) The sponsorship of conferences, exhibitions, or other 
        public meetings concerning Benjamin Franklin.
            (F) The sponsorship of high school and collegiate essay 
        contests concerning the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin.
        (2) To recommend to the Congress in one or more of the interim 
    reports submitted under section 9(a)--
            (A) the activities that the Commission considers most 
        fitting and proper to honor Benjamin Franklin on the occasion 
        of the tercentenary of his birth; and
            (B) the entity or entities in the Federal Government that 
        the Commission considers most appropriate to carry out such 
        activities.
    (b) Point of Contact.--The Commission, acting through its 
secretariat, shall serve as the point of contact of the Government for 
all State, local, international, and private sector initiatives 
regarding the tercentenary of Benjamin Franklin's birth, with the 
purpose of coordinating and facilitating all fitting and proper 
activities honoring Benjamin Franklin.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
members as follows:
        (1) The Librarian of Congress.
        (2) Fourteen qualified citizens, appointed as follows:
            (A) Two members appointed by the President.
            (B) Two members appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of the Commonwealth of 
        Pennsylvania.
            (C) Two members appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of the Commonwealth of 
        Massachusetts.
            (D) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Senator, 
        appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.
            (E) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Senator, 
        appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.
            (F) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Member of 
        the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives.
            (G) Two members, at least one of whom shall be a Member of 
        the House of Representatives, appointed by the minority leader 
        of the House of Representatives.
    (b) Qualified Citizen.--For purposes of this section, a qualified 
citizen is a citizen of the United States with--
        (1) a substantial knowledge and appreciation of the work and 
    legacy of Benjamin Franklin; and
        (2) a commitment to educating people in the United States about 
    the historical importance of Benjamin Franklin.
    (c) Time of Appointment.--Each initial appointment 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) Continuation of Membership.--If a member of the Commission was 
appointed to the Commission as a Member of the Congress, and ceases to 
be a Member of the Congress, 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 a Member of the Congress.
    (e) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of the 
Commission.
    (f) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the 
powers of the Commission and shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made.
    (g) Basic Pay.--Members shall serve on the Commission without pay.
    (h) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with 
applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code.
    (i) Quorum.--Five members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (j) Chair.--The Commission shall select a Chair from among the 
members of the Commission.
    (k) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chair.

SEC. 6. ORGANIZATION.

    (a) Honorary Members.--The President--
        (1) shall serve as an honorary, nonvoting member of the 
    Commission; and
        (2) may invite the President of France and the Prime Minister 
    of the United Kingdom to serve as honorary, nonvoting members of 
    the Commission.
    (b) Advisory Committee.--The Commission shall form an advisory 
committee, to be composed of representatives of the major extant 
institutions founded by or dedicated to Benjamin Franklin, including 
the following:
        (1) The Executive Director of the American Philosophical 
    Society.
        (2) The President of the Franklin Institute.
        (3) The Librarian of the Library Company.
        (4) The Director and Chief Executive Officer of the 
    Philadelphia Museum of Art.
        (5) The President of the University of Pennsylvania.
    (c) Administrative Secretariat.--The Commission shall seek to enter 
into an arrangement with the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, under which the Institute shall do the following:
        (1) Serve as the secretariat of the Commission, including by 
    serving as the point of contact under section 4(b).
        (2) House the administrative offices of the Commission.

SEC. 7. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act at such times 
and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the 
Commission considers appropriate.
    (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the 
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action that 
the Commission is authorized to take by this Act.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information 
necessary to enable the Commission to carry out this Act. Upon request 
of the Chair of the Commission, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the Commission.
    (d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.
    (e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act.
    (f) Procurement.--The Commission may enter into contracts for 
supplies, services, and facilities to carry out the Commission's duties 
under this Act.
    (g) Donations.--The Commission may accept and use donations of--
        (1) money;
        (2) personal services; and
        (3) real or personal property related to Benjamin Franklin or 
    the occasion of the tercentenary of his birth.

SEC. 8. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

    (a) Appointment.--The Commission may appoint a Director and such 
additional personnel as the Commission considers to be 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 competitive 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. 9. REPORTS.

    (a) Interim Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the Congress 
such interim reports as the Commission considers to be appropriate.
    (b) Final Report.--The Commission shall submit a final report to 
the Congress not later than January 16, 2007. The final report shall 
contain--
        (1) a detailed statement of the activities of the Commission; 
    and
        (2) any other information that the Commission considers to be 
    appropriate.

SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate 120 days after submitting its final 
report pursuant to section 9(b).

SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2002 through 2007 to carry out this Act, to remain 
available until expended.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.

Summary: Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission Act - Establishes the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission to: (1) study and recommend Government activities to honor Benjamin Franklin on the tercentenary of his birth, including the minting of a Benjamin Franklin tercentenary coin; (2) serve as the contact point for State, local, international, and private sector initiatives regarding tercentenary activities; (3) form an advisory committee composed of representatives of the major institutions founded by or dedicated to Benjamin Franklin, including the Executive Director of the American Philosophical Society and the President of the Franklin Institute; and (4) seek to enter into an arrangement for the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia to serve as the secretariat of the Commission and to house the Commission's administrative offices.Authorizes appropriations.