[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 686 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 686

  To establish the National Military Museum Foundation, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 1, 1997

    Mr. Sarbanes (for himself, Mr. Hutchinson, and Mr. Torricelli) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the National Military Museum Foundation, 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. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL MILITARY MUSEUM FOUNDATION.

    There is established a nonprofit corporation to be known as the 
National Military Museum Foundation (in this Act referred to as the 
``Foundation''). The Foundation is not an agency or instrumentality of 
the United States.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The Foundation shall have the following purposes:
            (1) To encourage and facilitate the preservation of 
        military artifacts having historical or technological 
        significance.
            (2) To promote innovative solutions to the problems 
        associated with the preservation of such artifacts.
            (3) To facilitate research on and educational activities 
        relating to military history.
            (4) To promote voluntary partnerships between the Federal 
        Government and the private sector for the preservation of such 
        artifacts and of military history.
            (5) To facilitate the display of such artifacts for the 
        education and benefit of the public.
            (6) To develop publications and other interpretive 
        materials pertinent to the historical collections of the Armed 
        Forces that will supplement similar publications and materials 
        available from public, private, and corporate sources.
            (7) To provide financial support for educational, 
        interpretive, and conservation programs of the Armed Forces 
        relating to such artifacts.
            (8) To broaden public understanding of the role of the 
        military in United States history.
            (9) To recognize and honor the individuals who have served 
        in the Armed Forces of the United States.

SEC. 3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

    (a) Board of Directors.--(1) The Foundation shall have a Board of 
Directors (in this Act referred to as the ``Board'') composed of nine 
individuals appointed by the Secretary of Defense from among 
individuals who are United States citizens.
    (2) Of the individuals appointed under paragraph (1)--
            (A) at least one shall have an expertise in historic 
        preservation;
            (B) at least one shall have an expertise in military 
        history;
            (C) at least one shall have an expertise in the 
        administration of museums; and
            (D) at least one shall have an expertise in military 
        technology and materiel.
    (b) Chairperson.--(1) The Secretary shall designate one of the 
individuals first appointed to the Board under subsection (a) as the 
chairperson of the Board. The individual so designated shall serve as 
chairperson for a term of 2 years.
    (2) Upon the expiration of the term of chairperson of the 
individual designated as chairperson under paragraph (1), or of the 
term of a chairperson elected under this paragraph, the members of the 
Board shall elect a chairperson of the Board from among its members.
    (c) Term.--(1) Subject to paragraph (2), members appointed to the 
Board shall serve on the Board for a term of 4 years.
    (2) If a member of the Board misses three consecutive meetings of 
the Board, the Board may remove the member from the Board for that 
reason.
    (d) Vacancy.--Any vacancy in the Board shall not affect its powers 
but shall be filled, not later than 60 days after the vacancy, in the 
same manner in which the original appointment was made.
    (e) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Board shall 
constitute a quorum.
    (f) Meetings.--The Board shall meet at the call of the chairperson 
of the Board. The Board shall meet at least once a year.

SEC. 4. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS.

    The members of the Board first appointed under section 3(a) shall--
            (1) adopt a constitution and bylaws for the Foundation;
            (2) serve as incorporators of the Foundation; and
            (3) take whatever other actions the Board determines 
        appropriate in order to establish the Foundation as a nonprofit 
        corporation.

SEC. 5. OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.

    (a) Executive Director.--The Foundation shall have an executive 
director appointed by the Board and such other officers as the Board 
may appoint. The executive director and the other officers of the 
Foundation shall be compensated at rates fixed by the Board and shall 
serve at the pleasure of the Board.
    (b) Employees.--Subject to the approval of the Board, the 
Foundation may employ such individuals, and at such rates of 
compensation, as the executive director determines appropriate.
    (c) Volunteers.--Subject to the approval of the Board, the 
Foundation may accept the services of volunteers in the performance of 
the functions of the Foundation.
    (d) Service of Federal Employees.--A person who is a full-time or 
part-time employee of the Federal Government may not serve as a full-
time or part-time employee of the Foundation and shall not be 
considered for any purpose an employee of the Foundation.

SEC. 6. POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

    In order to carry out the purposes of this Act, the Foundation is 
authorized to--
            (1) accept, hold, administer, invest, and spend any gift, 
        devise, or bequest of real or personal property made to the 
        Foundation;
            (2) enter into contracts with individuals, public or 
        private organizations, professional societies, and government 
        agencies for the purpose of carrying out the functions of the 
        Foundation; and
            (3) enter into such other contracts, leases, cooperative 
        agreements, and other transactions as the executive director of 
        the Foundation considers appropriate to carry out the 
        activities of the Foundation.

SEC. 7. AUDITS.

    (a) Audits.--The first section of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
provide for the 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:
            ``(79) The National Military Museum Foundation.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date that the chairperson of the Board notifies the 
Secretary of Defense of the incorporation of the Foundation under this 
Act.

SEC. 8. REPORTS.

    As soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year of the 
Foundation, the Board shall submit to Congress and to the Secretary of 
Defense a report on the activities of the Foundation during the 
preceding fiscal year, including a full and complete statement of the 
receipts, expenditures, investment activities, and other financial 
activities of the Foundation during such fiscal year.

SEC. 9. INITIAL SUPPORT.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 1998 
$1,000,000 for the purpose of making a grant to the Foundation in order 
to assist the Foundation in defraying the costs of its activities. Such 
amount shall be available for such purpose until expended.
    (b) Additional Support.--In each of fiscal years 1998 through 2000, 
the Secretary of Defense may provide, without reimbursement, personnel, 
facilities, and other administrative services of the Department to the 
Foundation.
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