COVID–19 Memorial Quilt Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3019 | Sponsor: Rep. Carson, Andre (D-IN)
Policy area: Arts, Culture, Religion

Summary:
COVID-19 Memorial Quilt Act of 2021
This bill directs the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out a project to be known as the "COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project" to honor and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
The bill establishes the Congressional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The panel shall develop and submit a plan to carry out the memorial quilt project.

To direct the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center 
 at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out the COVID-19 Pandemic 
 Memorial Quilt Project to honor and remember Americans who have lost 
     their lives to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 Memorial Quilt Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. COVID-19 PANDEMIC MEMORIAL QUILT PROJECT.

    (a) Establishment and Operation.--The Secretary of the Smithsonian 
Institution and the Director of the American Folklife Center at the 
Library of Congress shall jointly carry out a project to be known as 
the ``COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project'' to honor and remember 
Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
    (b) Scope of Project.--Under the Project, the Secretary and the 
Director shall--
            (1) provide for the design, creation, and display of a 
        memorial quilt consisting of individual panels in memory of 
        those who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 Pandemic; and
            (2) carry out other commemorative programming and exhibits 
        to honor the victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
    (c) Specifics of Memorial Quilt.--
            (1) Specifics.--In providing for the design, creation, and 
        display of the memorial quilt described in subsection (b)(1), 
        the Secretary and Director shall provide for the following:
                    (A) The design and creation of the quilt.
                    (B) Agreements with the Architect of the Capitol 
                for the first display of the quilt to be held on the 
                United States Capitol Grounds.
                    (C) Agreements with the National Park Service for 
                the second display of the quilt to be held on the 
                National Mall.
                    (D) Agreements with museums, institutions of higher 
                education, and other appropriate persons to display 
                portions of the quilt, and to provide such museums, 
                institutions, and other persons with educational 
                materials relating to the creation of the quilt and the 
                history of the Pandemic.
                    (E) Making information on the quilt available on 
                the official public website of the Smithsonian 
                Institution and the American Folklife Center at the 
                Library of Congress.
                    (F) The provision for the appropriate storage and 
                preservation of the quilt.
            (2) Assistance to artists from national endowment for the 
        arts.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the National 
        Endowment for the Arts such sums as may be necessary for the 
        Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts to make 
        grants-in-aid to individual artists under section 5(c) of the 
        National Foundation of the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 954(c)) to assist such artists with the design and 
        preparation of panels for the quilt described in subsection 
        (b)(1).
    (d) Plan of Congressional Advisory Panel.--The Secretary and the 
Director shall carry out the Project in accordance with the plan 
submitted by the Congressional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of 
the COVID-19 Pandemic under section 3.
    (e) Ensuring Participation of Native Americans and Residents of 
Territories.--In carrying out the Project, the Secretary and the 
Director shall take steps to ensure the participation of Native 
Americans, tribal nations, and residents of territories and possessions 
of the United States.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY PANEL ON HONORING VICTIMS OF COVID-19 
              PANDEMIC.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Congressional Advisory 
Panel on Honoring Victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Advisory Panel shall be composed of--
                    (A) 25 members appointed by the chair of the 
                Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
                House of Representatives in consultation with the 
                ranking minority member of the Committee and the chair 
                and ranking minority member of the Committee on House 
                Administration of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 
                and the Director of the American Folklife Center at the 
                Library of Congress, who shall each serve as an ex 
                officio member.
            (2) Qualifications.--The members of the Advisory Panel who 
        are appointed under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) shall 
        include public health experts, public health advocates, 
        educators, researchers, families and individuals affected by 
        the COVID-19 Pandemic, public health workers including 
        physicians and nurses, elected leaders of local governments, 
        representatives of communities that are heavily affected by the 
        Pandemic, and front-line personnel.
            (3) Deadline.--The members of the Advisory Panel shall be 
        appointed not later than 90 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
            (4) Compensation.--Members of the Advisory Panel shall 
        serve without pay, but 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.
            (5) Vacancy.--A vacancy in the Advisory Panel shall be 
        filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.
    (c) Staff.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Advisory Panel shall appoint and fix 
        the pay of such personnel as it considers appropriate.
            (2) Nonapplicability of certain civil service laws.--The 
        staff of the Advisory Panel 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, except that an individual so 
        appointed may not receive pay in excess of the annual rate of 
        basic pay for GS-15 of the General Schedule.
            (3) Experts and consultants.--The Advisory Panel may 
        procure temporary and intermittent services under section 
        3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
            (4) Staff of federal agencies.--Upon request of the 
        Advisory Panel, the head of any Federal department or agency 
        may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of 
        that department or agency to the Advisory Panel to assist it in 
        carrying out its duties under this Act
    (d) Plan for Carrying Out Project.--
            (1) Plan.--The Advisory Panel shall develop and submit to 
        the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and the Director 
        of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress a 
        plan for the Secretary and Director to carry out the COVID-19 
        Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project under section 2.
            (2) Deadline.--The Advisory Panel shall submit the plan 
        under this subsection to the Secretary and the Director not 
        later than 1 year after the appointment of all of its members.
    (e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Advisory Panel, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to 
the Advisory Panel, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Advisory Panel to carry out its 
responsibilities under this Act.
    (f) Termination.--The Advisory Panel shall terminate 6 months after 
submitting the plan under this section.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    In addition to the sums authorized to be appropriated to the 
National Endowment for the Arts under section 2(c)(2), there are 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out this Act.
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