[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 962 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 962

   To authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a Capitol 
 Visitor Center under the East Plaza of the United States Capitol, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 3, 1999

 Ms. Norton (for herself, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Wise,  and Mr. Traficant) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on 
     House Administration, and Ways and Means, 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 authorize the Architect of the Capitol to establish a Capitol 
 Visitor Center under the East Plaza of the United States Capitol, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Jacob Joseph Chestnut-John Michael 
Gibson United States Capitol Visitor Center Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER.

    (a) In General.--The Architect of the Capitol is authorized--
            (1) to plan, construct, equip, administer, and maintain a 
        Capitol Visitor Center under the East Plaza of the United 
        States Capitol with associated improvements to the Capitol to 
        provide access thereto; and
            (2) to reconstruct the East Plaza of the United States 
        Capitol and its environs to enhance its attractiveness, safety, 
        and security.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the activities authorized under this 
section shall be primarily--
            (1) to enhance security at the perimeter of the Capitol 
        Grounds; and
            (2) to ensure the health and comfort of visitors to the 
        Capitol.
    (c) Gifts.--
            (1) In general.--For the purposes of carrying out this 
        section, the Architect of the Capitol is authorized to solicit, 
        accept, receive, and hold gifts or donations of money, 
        services, and property and to expend or otherwise utilize such 
        gifts or donations.
            (2) Treatment under tax laws.--Any gift or donation made 
        under paragraph (1) shall be considered a gift to the United 
        States for the purposes of income, estate, and gift tax laws of 
        the United States.
    (d) Plans and Designs.--
            (1) In general.--The Architect of the Capitol shall develop 
        plans and designs for carrying out the activities authorized 
        under this section.
            (2) Considerations.--In developing plans and designs under 
        paragraph (1), the Architect of the Capitol shall--
                    (A) give due consideration to the Final Design 
                Report of the Architect, dated November 10, 1995, 
                relating to construction of the Capitol Visitor Center; 
                and
                    (B) identify alternatives for construction of the 
                Capitol Visitor Center that will reduce the costs of 
                construction of the Center.
            (3) Transmittal.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Architect of the Capitol shall 
        transmit a report containing the plans and designs developed 
        under paragraph (1) to the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and to each of 
        the Committees specified under the heading of Public Law 105-
        277 referred to in subsection (e).
    (e) Applicability of Requirements to Appropriated Funds.--Amounts 
appropriated under the heading ``Architect of the Capitol--capitol 
visitor center'' under chapter 5 of title II of division B of Public 
Law 105-277 may be expended only in accordance with the requirements of 
this Act.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF JACOB JOSEPH CHESTNUT-JOHN MICHAEL GIBSON UNITED 
              STATES CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER.

    (a) Designation.--To honor the memory of Private First Class Jacob 
Joseph Chestnut and Detective John Michael Gibson of the United States 
Capitol Police for the selfless acts of heroism they displayed on July 
24, 1998, in sacrificing their lives in the line of duty so that others 
might live, the Capitol Visitor Center authorized to be constructed 
under section 2 shall be known and designated as the ``Jacob Joseph 
Chestnut-John Michael Gibson United States Capitol Visitor Center''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the Capitol Visitor 
Center referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference 
to the ``Jacob Joseph Chestnut-John Michael Gibson United States 
Capitol Visitor Center''.
                                 <all>