[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1623 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1623

                To select a National Health Museum site.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 23 (legislative day, September 22), 1999

  Mr. Specter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
           referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                To select a National Health Museum site.

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

SECTION 1. NATIONAL HEALTH MUSEUM PROPERTY.

    (a) Short Title and Purpose.--
            (1) Short title.--This section may be cited as the 
        ``National Health Museum Site Selection Act''.
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to further 
        section 703 of the National Health Museum Development Act (20 
        U.S.C. 50 note; Public Law 105-78), which provides that the 
        National Health Museum shall be located on or near the Mall on 
        land owned by the Federal Government or the District of 
        Columbia.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of General Services.
            (2) Museum.--The term ``Museum'' means the National Health 
        Museum, Inc., a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation 
        exempt from Federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) of 
        the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
            (3) Property.--The term ``property'' means--
                    (A) a parcel of land identified as Lot 24 and a 
                closed interior alley in Square 579 in the District of 
                Columbia, generally bounded by 2nd, 3rd, C, and D 
                Streets, S.W.; and
                    (B) all improvements on and appurtenances to the 
                land and alley.
    (c) Conveyance of Property.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall convey to the 
        Museum all rights, title, and interest of the United States in 
        and to the property.
            (2) Purpose of conveyance.--The purpose of the conveyance 
        is to provide a site for the construction and operation of a 
        new building to serve as the National Health Museum, including 
        associated office, educational, conference center, visitor and 
        community services, and other space and facilities appropriate 
        to promote knowledge and understanding of health issues.
            (3) Date of conveyance.--
                    (A) Notification.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Museum shall notify 
                the Administrator in writing of the date on which the 
                Museum will accept conveyance of the property.
                    (B) Date.--The date of conveyance shall be--
                            (i) not less than 270 days and not more 
                        than 1 year after the date of the notice; but
                            (ii) not earlier than April 1, 2001, unless 
                        the Administrator and the Museum agree to an 
                        earlier date.
                    (C) Effect of failure to notify.--If the Museum 
                fails to provide the notice to the Administrator by the 
                date described in subparagraph (A), the Museum shall 
                have no further right to the property.
            (4) Quitclaim deed.--The property shall be conveyed to the 
        Museum vacant and by quitclaim deed.
            (5) Purchase price.--
                    (A) In general.--The purchase price for the 
                property shall be the fair market value of the property 
                as of the date of enactment of this Act.
                    (B) Timing; appraisers.--The determination of fair 
                market value shall be made not later than 180 days 
                after the date of enactment of this Act by qualified 
                appraisers jointly selected by the Administrator and 
                the Museum.
                    (D) Report to congress.--Promptly upon the 
                determination of the purchase price, and in any event 
                at least sixty days in advance of the conveyance of the 
                property, the Administrator shall report to Congress as 
                to the purchase price.
                    (E) Deposit of purchase price.--The Administrator 
                shall deposit the purchase price into the Federal 
                Buildings Fund established by section 210(f) of the 
                Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 
                1949 (40 U.S.C. 490(f)).
    (d) Reversionary Interest in the United States.--
            (1) In general.--The property shall revert to the United 
        States if--
                    (A) during the 50-year period beginning on the date 
                of conveyance of the property, the property is used for 
                a purpose not authorized by subsection (c)(2);
                    (B) during the 3-year period beginning on the date 
                of conveyance of the property, the Museum does not 
                commence construction on the property, other than for a 
                reason not within the control of the Museum; or
                    (C) the Museum ceases to be exempt from Federal 
                income taxation as an organization described in section 
                501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
            (2) Repayment.--If the property reverts to the United 
        States, the United States shall repay the Museum the full 
        purchase price for the property, without interest.
    (e) Authority of Museum Over Property.--The Museum may--
            (1) demolish or renovate any existing or future improvement 
        on the property;
            (2) build, own, operate, and maintain new improvements on 
        the property;
            (3) finance and mortgage the property on customary terms 
        and conditions; and
            (4) manage the property in furtherance of this section.
    (f) Land Use Approvals.--
            (1) Effect on other authority.--Nothing in this section 
        shall be construed to limit the authority of the National 
        Capital Planning Commission or the Commission of Fine Arts.
            (2) Cooperation concerning zoning.--
                    (A) In general.--The United States shall cooperate 
                with the Museum with respect to any zoning or other 
                matter relating to--
                            (i) the development or improvement of the 
                        property; or
                            (ii) the demolition of any improvement on 
                        the property as of the date of enactment of 
                        this Act.
                    (B) Zoning applications.--Cooperation under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include making, joining in, or 
                consenting to any application required to facilitate 
                the zoning of the property.
    (g) Environmental Hazards.--Costs of remediation of any 
environmental hazards existing on the property, including all asbestos-
containing materials, shall be borne by the United States. 
Environmental remediation shall commence immediately upon the vacancy 
of the building and shall be completed not later than 270 days from the 
date of the notice to the Administrator described in subsection 
(c)(3)(A).
    (h) Reports.--Following the date of enactment of this Act and 
ending on the date that the National Health Museum opens to the public, 
the Museum shall submit annual reports to the Administrator and 
Congress, regarding the status of planning, development, and 
construction of the National Health Museum.
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