[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2615 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2615

    To establish the Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial 
                              Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 2, 2015

 Ms. Plaskett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the Virgin Islands of the United States 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 ``Virgin Islands of the United States 
Centennial Commission Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``State'' means each of the 
several States, the District of Columbia, each territory or possession 
of the United States, and each federally recognized Indian tribe.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``Virgin 
Islands of the United States Centennial Commission'' (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall--
            (1) plan, develop, and carry out such activities as the 
        Commission considers fitting and proper to commemorate the 
        100th anniversary of the Virgin Islands of the United States 
        becoming an unincorporated territory of the United States;
            (2) provide advice and assistance to Federal, State, and 
        local governmental agencies, as well as civic groups to carry 
        out activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 
        Virgin Islands of the United States becoming an unincorporated 
        territory of the United States; and
            (3) submit to the President and Congress reports pursuant 
        to section 8.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 8 
members as follows:
            (1) The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular 
        Affairs or his designee.
            (2) One member appointed by the Governor of the Virgin 
        Islands of the United States or his designee.
            (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) Alternative Appointment.--If the Governor of the Virgin Islands 
of the United States or his designee declines to make such appointment 
under subsection (a)(2), such member shall be appointed by the Delegate 
of the Virgin Islands of the United States.
    (c) Terms.--Each member of the Commission 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 not receive compensation for the 
performance of their duties on behalf of the Commission.
    (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 to conduct business, but two or more members may 
hold hearings.
    (i) Chairperson.--The chairperson of the Commission shall be 
selected by the Delegate of the United States Virgin Islands.

SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Director and Staff.--The Commission shall appoint an executive 
director considering the recommendation of the Delegate of the Virgin 
Islands of the United States, and shall appoint such other additional 
personnel as are necessary to enable the Commission to perform its 
duties.
    (b) 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 that 
the rate of pay for the executive director and other staff may not 
exceed the rate payable for level III of the Executive Schedule under 
section 5316 of such title.
    (c) 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.
    (d) Experts and Consultants.--The Commission may procure such 
temporary and intermittent services from experts and consultants as are 
necessary to enable the Commission to perform its duties.
    (e) 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. 7. 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 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.--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.

SEC. 8. REPORTS.

    (a) Annual Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the President 
and the Congress annual reports on the activities of the Commission as 
well as 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) Final Report.--Not later than January 31, 2018, the Commission 
shall submit a final report to the President and the Congress 
containing--
            (1) a summary of the activities of the Commission; and
            (2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by 
        the Commission.

SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

    The Commission may terminate on such date as the Commission may 
determine after it submits its final report under section 8(b), but not 
later than September 30, 2018.

SEC. 10. ANNUAL AUDIT.

    The Inspector General of the Department of the Interior may perform 
an audit of the Commission, shall make the results of any audit 
performed 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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