[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2615 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2615


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2016

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    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. 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. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    The Commission shall--
            (1) plan, develop, and carry out such activities as the 
        Commission determines to be appropriate 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 the reports 
        required pursuant to section 7.

SEC. 4. 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 a designee of the Assistant Secretary.
            (2) One member appointed by the Governor of the Virgin 
        Islands of the United States or a designee of the Governor.
            (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) Terms.--Each member of the Commission shall be appointed for 
the life of the Commission.
    (c) 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.
    (d) 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.
    (e) Rates of Pay.--Members shall not receive compensation for the 
performance of duties on behalf of the Commission.
    (f) 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 regular place of business of the member, in accordance with 
applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code.
    (g) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum to conduct business, but two or more members may 
hold hearings.
    (h) Chairperson.--The chairperson of the Commission shall be 
selected by a majority vote of the members of the Commission.

SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.

    (a) Director and Staff.--The Commission shall appoint an executive 
director and such other additional personnel as are necessary to enable 
the Commission to perform the duties of the Commission.
    (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 5314 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 the Department 
of the Interior or the National Archives and Records Administration, 
respectively to the Commission to assist the Commission to perform the 
duties of the Commission.
    (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 the duties of the 
Commission.
    (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. 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 Federal agencies.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any Federal agency information necessary to enable the Commission 
to perform the duties of the Commission. Upon request of the 
chairperson of the Commission, the head of that Federal 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 the work of the Commission.
    (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 
perform the duties of the Commission.
    (f) Contract Authority.--The Commission may enter into contracts 
with and compensate the Federal Government, State and local 
governments, private entities, or individuals to enable the Commission 
to perform the duties of the Commission.

SEC. 7. REPORTS.

    (a) Annual Reports.--Not later than January 31 of each year, and 
annually thereafter until the final report is submitted pursuant to 
subsection (b), the Commission shall submit to the President and the 
Congress a report on--
            (1) the activities of the Commission; and
            (2) 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, including 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. 8. ANNUAL AUDIT.

    The Inspector General of the Department of the Interior--
            (1) may perform an audit of the Commission;
            (2) shall make the results of any such audit available to 
        the public; and
            (3) 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.

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``agency'' in section 551 of title 5, 
        United States Code.
            (2) State.--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. 10. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate on September 30, 2018, or may 
terminate at an earlier date determined by the Commission after the 
final report is submitted pursuant to section 7(b).

SEC. 11. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

    No Federal funds are authorized or may be obligated to carry out 
this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives April 26, 2016.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.