II Calendar No. 694 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5282 [Report No. 111–367] IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 16, 2010 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works December 14, 2010 Reported by Mrs. Boxer, without amendment AN ACT To provide funds to the Army Corps of Engineers to hire veterans and members of the Armed Forces to assist the Corps with curation and historic preservation activities, and for other purposes.

1.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The Corps of Engineers and other Federal agencies are required to preserve and catalogue artifacts and other items of national historical significance that are uncovered during the course of their work. (2)Uncatalogued artifacts within the care of Federal agencies are stored in hundreds of repositories and museums across the Nation. (3)In October 2009, the Corps of Engineers, Center of Expertise for Curation and Management of Archeological Collections, used $3,500,000 in temporary funds made available in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–5) to begin the Veterans’ Curation Program to employ and train Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in archaeological processing. (4)The Veterans’ Curation Program employs veterans and members of the Armed Forces in the sorting, cleaning, and cataloguing of artifacts managed by the Corps of Engineers. (5)Employees of the Veterans’ Curation Program gain valuable work skills, including computer database management, records management, photographic and scanning techniques, computer software proficiency, vocabulary and writing skills, and interpersonal communication skills, as well as knowledge and training in archaeology and history. (6)Experience in archaeological curation gained through the Veterans’ Curation Program is valuable training and experience for the museum, forensics, administrative, records management, and other fields. (7)Veterans’ Curation Program participants may assist the Corps of Engineers in developing a more efficient and comprehensive collections management program and also may provide the workforce to meet the records management needs at other agencies and departments, including the Department of Veterans Affairs.

2.

Training and employment for veterans and members of Armed Forces in curation and historic preservation

(a)

Training and employment

The Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, shall develop a Veterans’ Curation Program to hire veterans and members of the Armed Forces to assist the Secretary in carrying out curation and historic preservation activities. (b)

Authorization of appropriation

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— (1)$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; (2)$6,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; (3)$7,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; (4)$8,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and (5)$9,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.

December 14, 2010 Reported without amendment