A bill to grant a Federal charter to the American GI Forum of the United States.
PL 105-231 (S.1759), enacted 08/13/1998

112 STAT. 1530 
PUBLIC LAW 105-231—AUG. 13, 1998 
Public Law 105-231 
105th Congress 
An Act 
———'• 
To grant a Federal charter to the American GI Forum of the United States. 
[S. 1759] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
Texas. 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. RECOGNITION AND GRANT OF FEDERAL CHARTER. 
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The American GI Forum of the United States, a nonprofit 
corporation organized under the laws of the State of Texas, is 
recognized as such and granted a Federal charter. 
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SEC. 2. POWERS. 
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The American GI Forum of the United States (in this Act 
referred to as the "corporation") shall have only those powers 
granted to it through its bylaws and articles of incorporation filed 
in the State of Texas and subject to the laws of the State of 
Texas. 
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SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
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The purposes of the corporation are those provided in its bylaws 
and articles of incorporation and shall include the following: 
(1) To secure the blessing of American democracy at every 
level of local. State, and national life for all United States 
citizens. 
(2) To uphold and defend the Constitution and the United 
States flag. 
(3) To foster and perpetuate the principles of American 
democracy based on religious and political freedom for the 
individual £ind equal opportunity for all. 
(4) To foster and enlarge equal educational opportunities, 
equal economic opportunities, equal justice under the law, and 
equal political opportunities for all United States citizens, 
regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. 
(5) To encourage greater participation of the ethnic minor-
ity represented by the corporation in the policy-making and 
administrative activities of all departments, agencies, and other 
governmental units of local and State governments and the 
Federal Government. 
(6) To combat all practices of a prejudicial or discriminatory 
nature in local. State, or national life which curtail, hinder, 
or deny to any United States citizen an equal opportunity 
to develop full potential as an individual. 
(7) To foster and promote the broader knowledge and appre-
ciation by all United States citizens of their cultural heritage 
and language. 
PUBLIC LAW 105-231—AUG. 13, 1998 
112 STAT. 1531 
SEC. 4. SERVICE OF PROCESS. 
36 USC 
With respect to service of process, the corporation shall comply 
with the laws of the State of Texas and those States in which 
it carries on its activities in furtherance of its corporate purposes. 
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP. 
36 USC 
onn 5905 
Except as provided in section 8(g), eligibility for membership 
in the corporation and the rights and privileges of members shall 
be as provided in the bylaws and articles of incorporation of the 
corporation. 
SEC. 6. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 
36 USC 
Except as provided in section 8(g), the composition of the board 
of directors of the corporation and the responsibilities of the board 
shall be as provided in the bylaws and articles of incorporation 
of the corporation and in conformity with the laws of the State 
of Texas. 
SEC. 7. OFFICERS. 
36 USC 
Except as provided in section 8(g), the positions of officers 
of the corporation and the election of members to such positions 
shall be as provided in the bylaws and articles of incorporation 
of the corporation and in conformity with the laws of the State 
of Texas. 
SEC. 8. RESTRICTIONS. 
36 USC 
(a) INCOME AND COMPENSATION.—No part of the income or ^^^ 
assets of the corporation may inure to the benefit of any member, 
officer, or director of the corporation or be distributed to any such 
individual during the life of this charter. Nothing in this subsection 
may be construed to prevent the payment of reasonable compensa-
tion to the officers and employees of the corporation or reimburse-
ment for actual and necessary expenses in amounts approved by 
the board of directors. 
(b) LOANS.—The corporation may not make any loan to any 
member, officer, director, or employee of the corporation. 
(c) ISSUANCE OF STOCK AND PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS.—The cor-
poration may not issue any shares of stock or declare or pay 
any dividends. 
(d) DISCLAIMER OF CONGRESSIONAL OR FEDERAL APPROVAL.— 
The corporation may not claim the approval of Congress or the 
authorization of the Federal Government for any of its activities 
_by virtue of this Act. 
(e) CORPORATE STATUS.—The corporation shall maintain its 
status as a corporation organized and incorporated under the laws 
of the State of Texas. 
(f) CORPORATE FUNCTION.—The corporation shall function as 
an educational, patriotic, civic, historical, and research organization 
under the laws of the State of Texas. 
(g) NONDISCRIMINATION.—In establishing the conditions of 
membership in the corporation and in determining the requirements 
for serving on the board of directors or as an officer of the corpora-
tion, the corporation may not discriminate on the basis of race, 
color, religion, sex, disability, age, or national origin. 
112 STAT. 1532 
PUBLIC LAW 105-231—AUG. 13, 1998 
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SEC. 9. LIABILITY. 
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The corporation shall be liable for the acts of its officers, direc-
tors, employees, and agents whenever such individuals act within 
the scope of their authority. 
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SEC. 10. MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF BOOKS AND RECORDS. 
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^ 
(a) BOOKS AND RECORDS OF ACCOUNT.—The corporation shall 
keep correct and complete books and records of account and minutes 
of any proceeding of the corporation involving any of its members, 
the board of directors, or any committee having authority imder 
the board of directors. 
(b) NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF MEMBERS.—The corporation shall 
keep at its principal office a record of the names £ind addresses 
of all members having the right to vote in any proceeding of the 
corporation. 
(c) RIGHT TO INSPECT BOOKS AND RECORDS.—All books and 
records of the corporation may be inspected by any member having 
the right to vote in any proceeding of the corporation, or by any 
agent or attorney of such member, for any proper purpose at any 
reasonable time. 
(d) APPLICATION OF STATE LAW.—^This section may not be con-
strued to contravene any applicable State law. 
SEC 11. AUDIT OF FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS. 
The first section of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for 
audit of accounts of private corporations established under Federal 
law", approved August 30, 1964 (36 U.S.C. 1101), is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
"(80) American GI Forum of the United States.". 
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SEC. 12. ANNUAL REPORT. 
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The corporation shall annually submit to Congress a report 
concerning the activities of the corporation during the preceding 
fiscal year. The annual report shall be submitted on the same 
date as the report of the audit required by reason of the amendment 
made in section 11. The annual report shall not be printed as 
a public document. 
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SEC. 13. RESERVATION OF RIGHT TO ALTER, AMEND, OR REPEAL 
app. 5912. 
CHARTER. 
The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is expressly 
reserved to Congress. 
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SEC. 14. TAX-EXEMPT STATUS REQUIRED AS CONDITION OF CHARTER. 
If the corporation fails to maintain its status as a corporation 
exempt from taxation as provided in the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 the charter granted in this Act shall terminate. 
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SEC. 15. TERMINATION. 
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The charter granted in this Act shall expire if the corporation 
fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act. 
PUBLIC LAW 105-231—AUG. 13, 1998 
112 STAT. 1533 
SEC. 16. DEFINITION OF STATE. 
36 USC 
3DD 5915 
For purposes of this Act, the term "State" includes the District 
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories and possessions 
of the United States. 
Approved August 13, 1998. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1759: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 144 (1998): 
July 31, considered and passed Senate. 
Aug. 3, considered and passed House.