[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 131 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 131
To establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 6, 2009
Mr. Gallegly (for himself, Mr. Blunt, and Mr. Foster) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission.
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 ``Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission
Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is established a commission to be known as the ``Ronald
Reagan Centennial Commission'' (in this Act referred to as the
``Commission'').
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
The Commission shall--
(1) plan, develop, and carry out such activities as the
Commission considers fitting and proper to honor Ronald Reagan
on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth;
(2) provide advice and assistance to Federal, State, and
local governmental agencies, as well as civic groups to carry
out activities to honor Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the
100th anniversary of his birth;
(3) develop activities that may be carried out by the
Federal Government to determine whether the activities are
fitting and proper to honor Ronald Reagan on the occasion of
the 100th anniversary of his birth; and
(4) submit to the President and Congress reports pursuant
to section 7.
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.
(a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 11
members as follows:
(1) The Secretary of the Interior.
(2) Four members appointed by the President after
considering the recommendations of the Board of Trustees of the
Ronald Reagan Foundation.
(3) Two Members of the House of Representatives appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(4) One Member of the House of Representatives appointed by
the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
(5) Two Members of the Senate appointed by the majority
leader of the Senate.
(6) One Member of the Senate appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate.
(b) Ex Officio Member.--The Archivist of the United States shall
serve in an ex officio capacity on the Commission to provide advice and
information to the Commission.
(c) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of the
Commission.
(d) Deadline for Appointment.--All members of the Commission shall
be appointed not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
(e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall--
(1) not affect the powers of the Commission; and
(2) be filled in the manner in which the original
appointment was made.
(f) Rates of Pay.--Members shall serve without pay.
(g) Travel Expenses.--Each member of the Commission shall be
reimbursed for travel and per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses
during the performance of duties of the Commission while away from home
or his or her regular place of business, in accordance with applicable
provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code.
(h) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
(i) Chairperson.--The chairperson of the Commission shall be
elected by a majority vote of the members of the Commission.
SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.
(a) Director.--The Commission may appoint an executive director.
The executive director may be paid at a rate not to exceed the maximum
rate of basic pay for GS-15 of the General Schedule.
(b) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of
additional personnel as it considers appropriate except that an
individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of the maximum
rate of basic pay for GS-13 of the General Schedule.
(c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The executive
director and staff of the Commission may be appointed without regard to
the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments
in the competitive service, and may be paid without regard to the
provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, except as
provided in subsections (a) and (b).
(d) Detail of Federal Employees.--Upon request of the Commission,
the Secretary of the Interior or the Archivist of the United States may
detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that
department or agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its
duties under this Act.
(e) Experts and Consultants.--The Commission may procure temporary
and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United
States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily
equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay for GS-14 of the
General Schedule.
(f) Volunteer and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding section
1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission may accept and use
voluntary and uncompensated services as the Commission determines
necessary.
SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings.--The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out
this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take
testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers
appropriate.
(b) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and
agencies of the United States.
(c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly
from any department or agency of the United States information
necessary to enable it to carry out its duties under this Act. Upon
request of the chairperson of the Commission, the head of that
department or agency shall furnish that information to the Commission.
(d) Gifts, Bequests, Devises.--The Commission may solicit, accept,
use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money, services, or
property, both real and personal, for the purpose of aiding or
facilitating its work.
(e) Available Space.--Upon the request of the Commission, the
Administrator of General Services shall make available nationwide to
the Commission, at a normal rental rate for Federal agencies, such
assistance and facilities as may be necessary for the Commission to
carry out its duties under this Act.
(f) Contract Authority.--To the extent or in the amounts provided
in advance in appropriations Acts, the Commission may enter into
contracts with and compensate government and private agencies or
persons to enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this
Act, without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C.
5).
SEC. 7. REPORTS.
(a) Annual Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the President
and the Congress annual reports on the revenue and expenditures of the
Commission, including a list of each gift, bequest, or devise to the
Commission with a value of more than $250, together with the identity
of the donor of each gift, bequest, or devise.
(b) Interim Reports.--The Commission may submit to the President
and Congress interim reports as the Commission considers appropriate.
(c) Final Report.--Not later than April 30, 2011, the Commission
shall submit a final report to the President and the Congress
containing--
(1) a summary of the activities of the Commission;
(2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by
the Commission; and
(3) the findings, conclusions, and final recommendations of
the Commission.
SEC. 8. TERMINATION.
(a) In General.--The Commission may terminate on such date as the
Commission may determine after it submits its final report pursuant to
section 7(c), but not later than May 30, 2011.
(b) FACA Nonapplicability.--Section 14(b) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2) shall not apply to the Commission.
SEC. 9. ANNUAL AUDIT.
For any fiscal year for which the Commission receives an
appropriation of funds, the Inspector General of the Department of the
Interior shall perform an audit of the Commission, shall make the
results of the audit available to the public, and shall transmit such
results to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
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