Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center Act

Bill: 108-s-1076
Sponsor: Sen. Hagel, Chuck [R-NE]
Introduced: 2003-05-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
Commemorations
District of Columbia
Education
Maintenance and repair
National monuments
National parks
Vietnam veterans

Summary:
action_date: 2003-05-19
text: 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center Act - Authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., to construct at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site an education center for informing and educating the public about the Memorial. Considers the Center a commemorative work, but waives location and final approval requirements.
 
Requires the center size to be limited to the minimum necessary to: (1) provide for appropriate educational and interpretive functions; (2) prevent interference with or encroachment on the Memorial; and (3) protect open space and visual sightlines on the Mall.
 
Requires the center to be operated and maintained by the Secretary of the Interior.

action_date: 2003-07-11
text: 

Title I: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center 
- Authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., to construct at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site an education center for informing and educating the public about the Memorial. Considers the Center a commemorative work, but waives location and final approval requirements.
 
Requires the center size to be limited to the minimum necessary to: (1) provide for appropriate educational and interpretive functions; (2) prevent interference with or encroachment on the Memorial; and (3) protect open space and visual sightlines on the Mall.
 
Requires the center to be operated and maintained by the Secretary of the Interior. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for center planning, design, or construction. 
 

Title II: Commemorative Works Act Amendments - 
Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act of 2003 - Prohibits the location of any commemorative work (work) within the Reserve (defined as the great cross-axis area of the Mall in the District of Columbia, which generally extends from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial) after enactment of this Act.
 
Revises conditions which must be met in order to extend the legislative authority for a work in the District beyond its normal seven-year limit to include determinations of the Secretary and the Administrator of General Services that final design approvals have been obtained from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), and that 75 percent of the amount estimated to be required to complete the memorial has been raised, in which case the seven-year authority may be extended for not to exceed three years.
 
Redesignates the National Capital Memorial Commission as the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission.
 
Requires money provided after enactment of this Act by a sponsor of a work to be credited to a separate account with the National Park Foundation.
 
Prohibits a work primarily designed as a museum from being located on lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary in Area I or in East Potomac Park. Authorizes the NCPC and the CFA to develop criteria specific to each site to ensure that the design of a work meets specified comparability requirements. Prohibits donor contributions to works from being acknowledged in any manner as part of the work or site.
 
Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees concerning the relocation of stable, maintenance, and concession facilities that are within the Reserve, as well as on limitations on the sale or distribution of permitted merchandise.

action_date: 2003-07-17
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on July 11, 2003. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 

Title I: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Education Center
 - Authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., to construct at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site an education center for informing and educating the public about the Memorial. Considers the Center a commemorative work, but waives location and final approval requirements.
 
Requires the center size to be limited to the minimum necessary to: (1) provide for appropriate educational and interpretive functions; (2) prevent interference with or encroachment on the Memorial; and (3) protect open space and visual sightlines on the Mall.
 
Requires the center to be operated and maintained by the Secretary of the Interior. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for center planning, design, or construction. 
 

Title II: Commemorative Works Act Amendments
 - Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act of 2003 - Prohibits the location of any commemorative work (work) within the Reserve (defined as the great cross-axis area of the Mall in the District of Columbia, which generally extends from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial) after enactment of this Act.
 
Revises conditions which must be met in order to extend the legislative authority for a work in the District beyond its normal seven-year limit to include determinations of the Secretary and the Administrator of General Services that final design approvals have been obtained from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), and that 75 percent of the amount estimated to be required to complete the memorial has been raised, in which case the seven-year authority may be extended for not to exceed three years.
 
Redesignates the National Capital Memorial Commission as the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission.
 
Requires money provided after enactment of this Act by a sponsor of a work to be credited to a separate account with the National Park Foundation.
 
Prohibits a work primarily designed as a museum from being located on lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary in Area I or in East Potomac Park. Authorizes the NCPC and the CFA to develop criteria specific to each site to ensure that the design of a work meets specified comparability requirements. Prohibits donor contributions to works from being acknowledged in any manner as part of the work or site.
 
Requires the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees concerning the relocation of stable, maintenance, and concession facilities that are within the Reserve, as well as on limitations on the sale or distribution of permitted merchandise.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
action_date: 2003-07-24
text: Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
action_date: 2003-07-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2003-07-18
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2003-07-18
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2003-07-17
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S9605-9618; text as passed Senate: CR S9616-9617; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S9616)
action_date: 2003-07-17
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S9605-9618; text as passed Senate: CR S9616-9617; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S9616)
action_date: 2003-07-11
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 206.
action_date: 2003-07-11
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 108-98.
action_date: 2003-07-11
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 108-98.
action_date: 2003-06-25
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2003-06-03
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 108-65.
action_date: 2003-05-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2003-05-19
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S6626-6627)
action_date: 2003-05-19
text: Introduced in Senate