[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4315 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4315

 To designate a site for the relocation of the public facility of the 
    National Museum of Health and Medicine, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 1994

  Ms. Norton (for herself, Mr. Dellums, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of 
 Texas, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Mineta, Mr. Moakley, 
 Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Porter, Mr. Traficant, and Mr. Waxman) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Public Works 
                           and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To designate a site for the relocation of the public facility of the 
    National Museum of Health and Medicine, 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. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States faces critical health care problems, 
        solutions for which will arise from an attentive and educated 
        citizenry;
            (2) there is a great need for an increased emphasis to be 
        placed on public health education and the development of 
        scientific literacy concerning health care issues;
            (3) when the National Museum of Health and Medicine, 
        formerly the Army Medical Museum, was located on the Mall in 
        Washington, District of Columbia, from 1888 to 1968, it was one 
        of the most popular and well-visited museums in the Nation's 
        capital;
            (4) with the removal of the Museum from the Mall to the 
        grounds of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1968, there 
        was no longer a national education facility devoted to this 
        purpose located within the District of Columbia within easy 
        access to the up to 25,000,000 individuals who visit the Mall 
        each year; and
            (5) the American taxpayer, through the United States 
        Government, pays approximately 30 percent of the costs of all 
        health care services, costs which could be dramatically reduced 
        with the advent of better educated, informed Americans.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to designate a site for 
the relocation of the public facility of the National Museum of Health 
and Medicine so that it may serve as a central resource of instruction 
about, and be involved in, the critical health issues which confront 
all American citizens.

SEC. 2. SITE OF FACILITY.

    The public facility of the National Museum of Health and Medicine 
shall be located on the following adjacent areas of land owned by the 
Federal Government in the District of Columbia:
            (1) The east plaza of the Hubert Humphrey Building, 
        presently occupied by the Department of Health and Human 
        Services.
            (2) The entire portion of 2nd Street, Southwest, that is 
        located between C Street and Washington Avenue, Southwest.
            (3) A triangular park, known as ``Square N-580'', which 
        lies immediately to the east of 2nd Street, Southwest.

SEC. 3. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION.

    In accordance with procedures of the District of Columbia, the 
Administrator of General Services is authorized to apply for the 
closing and transfer of jurisdiction over the entire portion of 2nd 
Street, Southwest, located between C Street and Washington Avenue, 
Southwest, and the transfer of jurisdiction over Square N-580, from the 
District of Columbia to the General Services Administration for the 
purpose of locating the National Museum of Health and Medicine.

SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed as limiting the authority or 
responsibilities of the National Capital Planning Commission or the 
Commission of Fine Arts.

SEC. 5. DEFINITION.

    As used in this Act, the term ``Mall'' means--
            (1) the land designated as ``Union Square'', District of 
        Columbia Reservation 6A;
            (2) the land designated as the ``Mall'', District of 
        Columbia Reservations 3, 4, 5, and 6;
            (3) the land designated as the ``Monument Grounds'', 
        District of Columbia Reservation 2; and
            (4) the land designated as ``West Potomac Park'', District 
        of Columbia Reservations 3, 3, and 2.

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