[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1537 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1537

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to accept from the Board of 
Directors of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World 
 Trade Center Foundation, Inc., the donation of title to The National 
  September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 9, 2011

 Mr. Inouye (for himself, Mr. Schumer, and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                    on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to accept from the Board of 
Directors of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World 
 Trade Center Foundation, Inc., the donation of title to The National 
  September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, 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 September 11 Memorial and 
Museum Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) on September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked 
        and our world was changed forever when terrorists murdered 
        nearly 3,000 innocent people at the World Trade Center, at the 
        Pentagon, and in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in the 
        largest terrorist attack ever committed in the United States;
            (2) millions of people from every State and every country 
        have visited Ground Zero to pay their respects;
            (3) established in 2003, the National September 11 Memorial 
        and Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation, Inc., a 
        nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986, has been dedicated to raising 
        funds for and overseeing the design, construction, and 
        operation of the Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center 
        site;
            (4) the Memorial will ensure that future generations never 
        forget the thousands of people who were killed by the terrorist 
        attack on September 11th, 2001, in New York, Pennsylvania, and 
        Virginia as well as those who died in the terrorist bombing at 
        the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993;
            (5) the Memorial--
                    (A) will further recognize the thousands who 
                survived the terrorist attacks and all who demonstrated 
                extraordinary compassion in the aftermath;
                    (B) will ensure, through educational programs, that 
                the history of September 11, 2011, and the implications 
                of that day, continue to be told, especially to the 
                youth of the United States; and
                    (C) will be a resource to the more than 600 
                September 11 Memorials being established throughout the 
                United States;
            (6) the Memorial is scheduled to open on the 10th 
        anniversary of the terrorist attacks, while the Museum is 
        scheduled to open in 2012;
            (7) it is projected that the Memorial will be one of the 
        most visited venues in the United States, with millions of 
        visitors each year, reflecting the enormous impact the 
        terrorist attacks had on the United States and the world;
            (8) throughout the history of the United States, Congress 
        has stepped forward to authorize operating funds, in public and 
        private partnership with private donors, for memorials and 
        museums of national significance;
            (9) the Memorial is a true public and private partnership, 
        recognized as a public charity under the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986; and
            (10) of the funds raised for the Memorial and Museum--
                    (A) nearly 60 percent have come from over 300,000 
                private donations; and
                    (B) 40 percent have come from public sources.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to promote the purposes of 
the Memorial, including--
            (1) remembering and honoring the thousands of innocent men, 
        women, and children murdered by terrorists in the horrific 
        attacks of February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001;
            (2) respecting the site made sacred through tragic loss;
            (3) recognizing--
                    (A) the endurance of the individuals who survived 
                the terrorist attacks;
                    (B) the courage of the individuals who risked their 
                lives to save others; and
                    (C) the compassion of the individuals who supported 
                the people of the United States in our darkest hours;
            (4) ensuring, through educational programs, that the 
        history of September 11, 2001, and the implications of that day 
        continue to be told, especially to the youth of the United 
        States; and
            (5) ensuring that the Memorial will be a resource to the 
        more than 600 September 11 Memorials being established 
        throughout the United States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board of Directors 
        of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World 
        Trade Center Foundation, Inc.
            (2) Memorial.--The term ``Memorial'' means The National 
        September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center in 
        New York City, New York.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 4. DONATION OF MEMORIAL.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may accept from the Board the 
donation of title to the Memorial, subject to--
            (1) any terms and conditions that the Secretary and the 
        Board may mutually agree to;
            (2) the approval of the donation by the Governor of the 
        State of New York, the Governor of the State of New Jersey, and 
        the Mayor of the City of New York; and
            (3) the requirement that title to the Memorial be in a form 
        satisfactory to the Secretary.
    (b) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may provide technical and 
        financial assistance to the Board relating to the operation of 
        the Memorial.
            (2) Consultation.--The Secretary may consult with, and seek 
        technical assistance from, the Secretary of Defense, Secretary 
        of Education, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of 
        Housing and Urban Development, and Administrator of General 
        Services in providing assistance to the Board under paragraph 
        (1).

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act not 
more than $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year 
thereafter, subject to the requirement that any funds appropriated to 
carry out this Act shall be matched with funds from non-Federal 
sources.
                                 <all>