[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3640 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3640

To establish the James Madison Memorial Commission to develop a plan of 
    action for the establishment and maintenance of a James Madison 
          memorial in Washington, DC, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 24, 2007

   Mr. Hill introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the James Madison Memorial Commission to develop a plan of 
    action for the establishment and maintenance of a James Madison 
          memorial in Washington, DC, 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 ``James Madison Memorial Commission 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) President James Madison is often referred to as 
        ``Father of the Constitution'' for his influence on the 
        nation's fundamental laws.
            (2) At age 29, James Madison was the youngest delegate at 
        the Continental Congress.
            (3) In Congress, Representative James Madison drafted the 
        legislation to enact the Bill of Rights.
            (4) President James Madison declared war on Great Britain, 
        igniting the War of 1812.
            (5) President James Madison approved the Treaty of Ghent 
        which ended the War of 1812.
            (6) President James Madison was the first United States 
        Congressman to become President.
            (7) President James Madison signed a congressional 
        resolution admitting Louisiana to the Union as the eighteenth 
        state on April 30, 1812.
            (8) President James Madison signed a congressional 
        resolution admitting Indiana to the Union as the nineteenth 
        state on December 11, 1816.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--There is established the James Madison Memorial 
Commission (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Commission'') to 
plan for the design and construction of a memorial in Washington, DC to 
be a tribute to the many accomplishments of James Madison.
    (b) Membership.--The Commission shall consist of 23 members 
appointed not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act as follows:
            (1) The President shall appoint 7 voting members.
            (2) The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the 
        minority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority 
        leader of the Senate, and the minority leader of the Senate 
        shall each appoint 3 voting members.
            (3) In addition to the members appointed under paragraph 
        (2), the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority 
        leader of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of 
        the Senate, and the minority leader of the Senate shall each 
        appoint 1 nonvoting member.
    (c) Qualifications.--Members of the Commission shall be chosen from 
among individuals, or representatives of institutions or entities, who 
possess either--
            (1) a demonstrated commitment to the research, study, or 
        promotion of the work and life of former President James 
        Madison or Presidential history in general, and--
                    (A) expertise in museum administration;
                    (B) expertise in fundraising for nonprofit or 
                cultural institutions;
                    (C) experience in the study and teaching of 
                Presidential history at the post-secondary level; or
                    (D) extensive experience in public or elected 
                service; or
            (2) experience in the administration of, or the planning 
        for the establishment of, museums devoted to the study and 
        promotion of the history of government.

SEC. 4. REPORT; TERMINATION.

    (a) Deadline.--Not later than 24 months after the date of the 
Commission's first meeting, the Commission shall submit to the 
Secretary of the Interior a report containing a plan for the design and 
construction of a memorial in Washington, DC to be a tribute to the 
many accomplishments of James Madison.
    (b) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate not later than 30 
days after submitting the report pursuant to subsection (a).

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 
Interior such funds as are necessary to carrying out the activities of 
the Commission.
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