[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2340 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2340

 To recognize and grant a Federal charter to the National Alliance for 
                           the Mentally Ill.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                July 29 (legislative day, July 20), 1994

 Mr. DeConcini introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To recognize and grant a Federal charter to the National Alliance for 
                           the Mentally Ill.

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

SECTION 1. FEDERAL CHARTER.

    The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, a nonprofit corporation 
organized under the laws of the State of Missouri (hereafter in this 
Act referred to as the ``corporation''), is recognized as such and is 
granted a Federal charter.

SEC. 2. OBJECTS AND PURPOSES OF CORPORATION.

    The objects and purposes of the corporation are those provided in 
its articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policy platform and shall 
include the following:
            (1) Promoting a system of treatment and rehabilitation for 
        chronically mentally ill veterans in VA hospitals and in the 
        community.
            (2) Promoting increased emphasis on biomedical and services 
        research for chronically mentally ill veterans.
            (3) Conducting educational programs and activities with the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs to facilitate increased 
        knowledge about mental illness and reducing stigma and 
        misinformation about these disorders.
            (4) Developing community support groups within the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers for chronically 
        mentally ill veterans and their families.
            (5) Fostering expertise and resource allocation in 
        treatment and supportive services for chronically mentally ill 
        veterans who are homeless or in jeopardy of becoming homeless.
            (6) Improving the interface of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs with other important governmental and private entities 
        serving chronically mentally ill veterans.

SEC. 3. 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 corporation, the corporation may not 
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, age, 
or national origin.

SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS.

    (a) Loans.--The corporation may not make any loan to any officer, 
director, or employee of the corporation.
    (b) Stock.--The corporation shall have no power to issue any shares 
of stock or to declare or pay any dividends.
    (c) Congressional Approval.--The corporation shall not claim 
congressional approval or the authorization of the Federal Government 
for any of its activities.

SEC. 5. 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 thereof the following:
            ``The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.''.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.

    The corporation shall report annually to the Congress concerning 
the activities of the corporation during the preceding fiscal year. 
Such annual report shall be submitted at the same time as the report of 
the audit required by section 5 of this Act. The report shall not be 
printed as a public document.

SEC. 7. TAX-EXEMPT STATUS.

    The corporation shall maintain its status as an organization exempt 
from taxation as provided in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. If the 
corporation fails to maintain such status, the charter granted by this 
Act shall expire.

SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

    The charter granted by this Act shall expire if the corporation 
fails to comply with--
            (1) any restriction or other provision of this Act,
            (2) any provision of its bylaws or articles of 
        incorporation, or
            (3) any provision of the laws of the District of Columbia.
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