[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4346 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4346

To establish a commission to commemorate the ending of chattel slavery 
             in the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 16, 2009

  Mr. Conyers (for himself, Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California, Ms. 
   Jackson-Lee of Texas, and Mr. Hastings of Florida) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a commission to commemorate the ending of chattel slavery 
             in the United States, 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 ``National Emancipation Commemoration 
Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to establish the National Emancipation 
Commemoration Commission in order to--
            (1) ensure a suitable national observance of the 150th 
        anniversary of the ending of chattel slavery in the United 
        States through the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth 
        Amendment of the Constitution;
            (2) highlight the protections of the living 13th Amendment 
        against modern slavery in all its forms and explore why 
        servitude still exists in the United States and elsewhere;
            (3) provide assistance to the development of programs, 
        curricula, and activities concerning both antebellum and modern 
        slavery, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of 
        Emancipation and thereafter; and
            (4) support and facilitate efforts for events, a 
        commemorative coin, stamp, and related activities for the 
        observances of the 150th anniversary of Emancipation and the 
        adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commemoration.--The term ``commemoration'' means the 
        commemoration of the 150th anniversaries of the Preliminary 
        Emancipation Proclamation, the Emancipation Proclamation, the 
        Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and its 
        ongoing application to modern slavery, passage of Federal anti-
        peonage legislation and the extension of the Thirteenth 
        Amendment protections to all races and ethnicities, and the 
        activities of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned 
        Lands (``Freedman's Bureau'') in attempting to meet the needs 
        of newly freed persons in the years following the Civil War.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 
        Commission established by this Act.
            (3) Modern slavery.--The term ``modern slavery'' means 
        activities that violate the Federal statutory prohibitions 
        against slavery and human trafficking set forth in chapter 77 
        of title 18, United States Code.

SEC. 4. ATTORNEY GENERAL TO ASSIST THE COMMEMORATION.

    In order to ensure that the 150th anniversary of Emancipation 
provides a lasting legacy and long-term public benefit by assisting in 
the development of appropriate programs and facilities, the Attorney 
General, through the Office of Justice Programs, may make grants and 
provide technical assistance to appropriate Federal, State, and local 
entities and nonprofit organizations--
            (1) to plan and carry out programs and activities 
        appropriate to for the commemoration;
            (2) to generally facilitate commemoration-related 
        activities throughout the United States;
            (3) to encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, 
        religious, economic, and other organizations throughout the 
        United States to organize and participate in anniversary 
        activities to expand the understanding and appreciation of the 
        significance of the events commemorated by the commemoration;
            (4) to coordinate and facilitate public scholarly research 
        on, publication about, and interpretation of: chattel slavery, 
        the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the lives and work of such 
        historical figures as Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, 
        Sojourner Truth, Levi and Catherine Coffin, and Harriet Tubman, 
        the Emancipation, success and failures in implementing the 
        Emancipation, expansion of the protections of the Thirteenth 
        Amendment to all persons in the United States, modern effects 
        of chattel slavery and the Emancipation on American culture and 
        society, and the continued application of the Thirteenth 
        Amendment and enabling legislation in combating modern slavery 
        in the United States and abroad;
            (5) to encourage efforts for a commemorative coin, stamp, 
        and related activities for the commemoration;
            (6) to assist in the appropriate development of 
        commemoration-related heritage tourism and the economic 
        benefits of that tourism to the United States; and
            (7) to facilitate commemoration-related activities and 
        informational displays at sites and locations that are part of 
        the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to 
        Freedom Program and the National Underground Railroad Freedom 
        Center.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL EMANCIPATION COMMEMORATION COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--There is established a commission to be known as 
the ``National Emancipation Commemoration Commission''.
    (b) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall--
                    (A) advise the Attorney General with regard to 
                making grants and giving technical assistance under 
                this Act; and
                    (B) conduct a study on modern slavery in all its 
                forms that--
                            (i) addresses why slavery in all its forms 
                        still exists globally;
                            (ii) analyzes the persistence of modern 
                        slavery in the United States from 1865 to the 
                        present; and
                            (iii) makes recommendations to address 
                        issues and concerns highlighted by the study.
            (2) Reports.--
                    (A) Interim report.--Not later than January 1, 
                2013, the Commission shall complete an interim report 
                that contains--
                            (i) a summary of the activities of the 
                        Commission;
                            (ii) any interim results, findings, or 
                        recommendations of the study conducted under 
                        paragraph (1)(B); and
                            (iii) an accounting of funds received and 
                        expended by the Commission through September 
                        30, 2012.
                    (B) Final report.--Not later than March 2, 2017, 
                the Commission shall complete a final report that 
                contains--
                            (i) a summary of the activities of the 
                        Commission;
                            (ii) the results of the study conducted 
                        under paragraph (1)(B);
                            (iii) a final accounting of funds received 
                        and expended by the Commission; and
                            (iv) any findings and recommendations of 
                        the Commission.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall be composed of 18 
        members, of whom--
                    (A) one shall be the Assistant Attorney General for 
                Civil Rights, who shall be the Chair of the Commission;
                    (B) one shall be the Ambassador at Large, Director 
                of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 
                Persons, who shall be the Vice-Chair of the Commission;
                    (C) one shall be the Librarian of Congress, or a 
                designee of the Librarian of Congress;
                    (D) one shall be the Director of the National Park 
                Service, or a designee of the Director;
                    (E) one shall be the Director of the National 
                Museum of American History of the Smithsonian 
                Institution, or a designee of the Director;
                    (F) one shall be the Director of the National 
                Underground Railroad Freedom Center (or any successor 
                institution), or a designee of the Director;
                    (G) one shall be the Director of the National Civil 
                Rights Museum, or a designee of the Director;
                    (H) one shall be the Executive Director of the 
                National Hispanic Cultural Center, or a designee of the 
                Executive Director;
                    (I) one shall be the Executive Director of the 
                Asian Law Alliance, or a designee of the Executive 
                Director;
                    (J) four shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
                House in consultation with the minority leader; and
                    (K) four shall be appointed by the majority leader 
                of the Senate in consultation with the minority leader.
            (2) Term; vacancies.--
                    (A) Term.--The term of an appointed member of the 
                Commission is for the life of the Commission.
                    (B) Vacancies.--
                            (i) In general.--A vacancy among the 
                        appointed members of the Commission shall be 
                        filled in the same manner in which the original 
                        appointment was made.
                            (ii) Partial term.--A member appointed to 
                        fill a vacancy on the Commission shall serve 
                        for the remainder of the term for which the 
                        predecessor of the member was appointed.
            (3) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission shall meet--
                            (i) at least twice each year; and
                            (ii) additionally, at the call of the 
                        Chairperson or the majority of the members of 
                        the Commission.
                    (B) Initial meeting.--Not later than 30 days after 
                the date on which all appointed members of the 
                Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall 
                hold the initial meeting of the Commission.
            (4) Voting.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission shall act only on 
                an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the 
                Commission.
                    (B) Quorum.--A majority of the Commission shall 
                constitute a quorum.
    (d) Powers of the Commission.--The Commission may--
            (1) accept donations and make dispersions of money, 
        personal services, and real and personal property related to 
        its duties;
            (2) appoint such advisory committees of its members as the 
        Commission determines to be necessary to carry out its duties;
            (3) authorize any member or employee of the Commission to 
        take any action that the Commission is authorized to take by 
        this Act;
            (4) procure supplies, services, and property, and make or 
        enter into contracts, leases, or other legal agreements, to 
        carry out its duties (except that any contracts, leases, or 
        other legal agreements made or entered into by the Commission 
        shall not extend beyond the date of termination of the 
        Commission); and
            (5) use the United States mails in the same manner and 
        under the same conditions as a Federal agency.
    (e) Commission Personnel Matters.--
            (1) Compensation of members of the commission.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in this 
                paragraph, a member of the Commission shall serve 
                without compensation.
                    (B) Federal employees.--A member of the Commission 
                who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government 
                shall serve without compensation in addition to the 
                compensation received for the services of the member as 
                an officer or employee of the Federal Government.
                    (C) Travel expenses.--A member or employee of the 
                Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including 
                per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized 
                for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of 
                chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away 
                from the home or regular place of business of the 
                member or employee in the performance of the duties of 
                the Commission.
            (2) Staff.--
                    (A) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission 
                may, without regard to the civil service laws 
                (including regulations), appoint and terminate an 
                executive director and such other additional personnel 
                as are necessary to enable the Commission to perform 
                the duties of the Commission.
                    (B) Approval of executive director.--The employment 
                of an executive director shall require approval by a 
                majority of the Commission members.
            (3) Compensation.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the Chairperson of the Commission may fix the 
                compensation of the executive director and other 
                personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 
                51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United 
                States Code, relating to classification of positions 
                and General Schedule pay rates.
                    (B) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the 
                executive director and other personnel shall not exceed 
                the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule 
                under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
            (4) Detail of government employees.--
                    (A) Federal employees.--
                            (i) In general.--On the request of the 
                        Commission, the head of any Federal agency may 
                        detail, on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable 
                        basis, any of the personnel of the agency to 
                        the Commission to assist the Commission in 
                        carrying out the duties of the Commission under 
                        this Act.
                            (ii) Civil service status.--The detail of 
                        an employee under clause (I) shall be without 
                        interruption or loss of civil service status or 
                        privilege.
                    (B) State employees.--The Commission may--
                            (i) accept the services of personnel 
                        detailed from States (including subdivisions of 
                        States); and
                            (ii) reimburse States for services of 
                        detailed personnel.
            (5) 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.
            (6) Support services.--The Attorney General shall provide 
        to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative 
        support services as the Commission may request.
    (f) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent 
services in accordance with section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent 
of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of that title.
    (g) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on September 30, 
2017. Any advisory committee established under this Act that is not 
previously terminated by the Commission shall also terminate on that 
date.
                                 <all>