[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3884 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3884

     To provide for the disposition of Governors Island, New York.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 1998

  Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. Manton, Mr. 
   Hinchey, Mr. Towns, Mr. LaFalce, and Mr. Schumer) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government 
 Reform and Oversight, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To provide for the disposition of Governors Island, New York.

    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 ``Governors Island Preservation and 
Development Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. GOVERNORS ISLAND COMMISSION.

    Title I of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 
1949 (40 U.S.C. 751 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 113. GOVERNORS ISLAND COMMISSION.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the `Governors Island Commission' (referred to in this section as 
the `Commission').
    ``(b) Membership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 11 
        members, of whom--
                    ``(A) 1 shall be the Administrator of General 
                Services (or a designee);
                    ``(B) 1 shall be the Secretary of the Interior (or 
                a designee);
                    ``(C) 1 shall be the Commandant of the Coast Guard 
                (or a designee); and
                    ``(D) 8 shall be individuals appointed by the 
                President not later than 60 days after the date of 
                enactment of this section, of whom--
                            ``(i) 2 shall be appointed from among 
                        individuals recommended, not later than 30 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this section, by 
                        the Governor of the State of New York;
                            ``(ii) 2 shall be appointed from among 
                        individuals recommended, not later than 30 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this section, by 
                        the mayor of the city of New York, New York;
                            ``(iii) 1 shall be appointed from among 
                        individuals recommended, not later than 30 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this section, by 
                        the speaker of the city council of the city of 
                        New York, New York;
                            ``(iv) 1 shall be a representative of a 
                        national historic preservation organization; 
                        and
                            ``(v) 2 shall be other individuals that 
                        meet the qualifications stated in paragraph 
                        (3).
            ``(2) Failure to make recommendations.--If the Governor of 
        the State of New York, mayor of the city of New York, New York, 
        or speaker of the city council of the city of New York, New 
        York, fails to submit recommendations under clause (i), (ii), 
        or (iii) of paragraph (1)(D) on or before the date that is 30 
        days after the date of enactment of this section, the President 
        shall proceed expeditiously to appoint a member or members, as 
        the case may be, under that clause and may do so without regard 
        to any recommendation that may be made under that clause after 
        that date.
            ``(3) Qualifications to be considered.--In appointing 
        members of the Commission under paragraph (1), the President 
        shall consider New York State residents residing in the 
        metropolitan New York City area with expertise in economic 
        development, the real estate industry, the environment, 
        tourism, education, historic properties, and civic 
        undertakings.
    ``(c) Chairperson.--The Administrator of General Services shall 
serve as chairperson of the Commission.
    ``(d) Compensation; Travel Expenses.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a member of 
        the Commission shall serve without compensation.
            ``(2) Travel expenses.--A member of the Commission shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 
        under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
        Code, while away from the home or regular place of business of 
        the member in the performance of the duties of the Commission.
    ``(e) Administrative Support Services.--The Administrator of 
General Services and the heads of other Federal, State, and local 
public agencies represented on the Commission shall provide such 
administrative and other support services and facilities as the 
Commission may require to perform the duties of the Commission.
    ``(f) Duties.--The Commission shall--
            ``(1) conduct meetings and hold hearings in accordance with 
        subsection (g);
            ``(2) consider each plan for the disposition of Governors 
        Island, New York, that any person or entity may submit to the 
        Commission; and
            ``(3) not later than 180 days after the date on which all 
        of the members of the Commission have been appointed, submit to 
        the President a recommendation for the disposition of Governors 
        Island, New York.
    ``(g) Meetings; Hearings.--
            ``(1) Meetings.--The Commission shall conduct its first 
        meeting not later than the date that is 15 days after the date 
        on which all of the members of the Commission have been 
        appointed and at such other times as the chairperson shall 
        direct.
            ``(2) Hearings.--The Commission shall conduct at least 4 
        hearings at which members of the public shall be entitled to 
        present views on the appropriate disposition of Governors 
        Island.
            ``(3) Location.--All meetings and hearings conducted by the 
        Commission shall be conducted in the city of New York, New 
        York.
    ``(h) Recommendation.--The recommendation of the Commission for 
disposition of Governors Island shall include specific proposals for--
            ``(1) the retention of ownership, in whole or in part, by 
        the United States or the sale or transfer to State, city, or 
        local public or private entities of all of or portions of the 
        Island;
            ``(2) the rehabilitation, maintenance, and management of 
        structures of national historic significance by the National 
        Park Service or other public or private entities;
            ``(3) the use of portions of the Island for commercial 
        activities, recreational activities, or private or public 
        educational or residential purposes and other uses;
            ``(4) the appropriate proportions of Federal, State, and 
        local public and private transitional funding and other 
        assistance that will be required to make the recommended 
        disposition economically feasible;
            ``(5) waiver of any provision of this Act or any other law 
        the application of which the Commission determines would 
        preclude or unduly interfere with the optimum future use of 
        Governors Island; and
            ``(6) any Federal, State, or local legislation or 
        regulation that may be necessary to allow implementation of the 
        recommendation.
    ``(i) Implementation.--Notwithstanding or any other provision of 
this Act or any other law--
            ``(1) the President shall have authority to implement a 
        recommendation under subsection (f)(2); and
            ``(2) not later than 30 days after the date on which the 
        Commission submits the recommendation, the President shall 
        proceed to implement the recommendation, with such 
        modifications as the President considers appropriate.
    ``(j) Termination.--The Commission shall cease to exist on the date 
that is 30 days after the date on which the Commission submits a 
recommendation under subsection (f)(2).''.

SEC. 3. REPEAL.

    The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 is amended by striking section 9101 
(111 Stat. 670).

SEC. 4. TRANSFER OF SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC STRUCTURES TO THE NATIONAL 
              PARK SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--Administrative jurisdiction over the structures 
described in subsection (b) and adjacent grounds is transferred to the 
Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
Park Service (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'').
    (b) Historic Structures.--The structures referred to in subsection 
(a) are the following structures on Governors Island, New York:
            (1) Castle Williams.
            (2) Fort Jay.
            (3) The Admiral's Headquarters.
            (4) The Governor's House.
            (5) The Block House.
    (c) Plan.--Not later than the date on which the Governors Island 
Commission submits its recommendation to the President under section 
113(f)(2) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 
1949, as added by section 2, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
plan for inclusion of the structures described in subsection (b) in the 
National Park System.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated, for maintenance and 
preservation of Governors Island and its structures by the Coast Guard 
and the National Park Service--
            (1) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 1999; and
            (2) such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2000 and 
        each fiscal year thereafter.
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