[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1242 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1242

                     One Hundred Fifteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen


                                 An Act


 
 To establish the 400 Years of African-American History Commission, 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 ``400 Years of African-American 
History Commission Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
    In this Act:
        (1) Commemoration.--The term ``commemoration'' means the 
    commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans 
    in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619.
        (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 400 Years of 
    African-American History Commission established by section 3(a).
        (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
    the Interior.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
    (a) In General.--There is established a commission, to be known as 
the ``400 Years of African-American History Commission''.
    (b) Membership.--
        (1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
    members, of whom--
            (A) three members shall be appointed by the Secretary after 
        considering recommendations of Governors, including the 
        Governor of Virginia;
            (B) six members shall be appointed by the Secretary after 
        considering recommendations of civil rights organizations and 
        historical organizations;
            (C) one member shall be an employee of the National Park 
        Service having experience relative to the historical and 
        cultural resources related to the commemoration, to be 
        appointed by the Secretary;
            (D) two members shall be appointed by the Secretary after 
        considering the recommendations of the Secretary of the 
        Smithsonian Institution; and
            (E) three members shall be individuals who have an interest 
        in, support for, and expertise appropriate to the 
        commemoration, appointed by the Secretary after considering the 
        recommendations of Members of Congress.
        (2) Time of appointment.--Each appointment of an initial member 
    of the Commission shall be made before the expiration of the 120-
    day period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act.
        (3) Term; vacancies.--
            (A) Term.--A member of the Commission shall be appointed 
        for the life of the Commission.
            (B) Vacancies.--
                (i) In general.--A vacancy on 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.
            (C) Continuation of membership.--If a member of the 
        Commission was appointed to the Commission as an employee of 
        the National Park Service, and ceases to be an employee of the 
        National Park Service, that member may continue to serve on the 
        Commission for not longer than the 30-day period beginning on 
        the date on which that member ceases to be an employee of the 
        National Park Service.
    (c) Duties.--The Commission shall--
        (1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities 
    throughout the United States--
            (A) appropriate for the commemoration;
            (B) to recognize and highlight the resilience and 
        contributions of African-Americans since 1619;
            (C) to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that 
        enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; and
            (D) to educate the public about--
                (i) the arrival of Africans in the United States; and
                (ii) the contributions of African-Americans to the 
            United States;
        (2) encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, 
    artistic, religious, economic, and other organizations throughout 
    the United States to organize and participate in anniversary 
    activities to expand understanding and appreciation of--
            (A) the significance of the arrival of Africans in the 
        United States; and
            (B) the contributions of African-Americans to the United 
        States;
        (3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 
    nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration;
        (4) coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly research 
    on, publication about, and interpretation of--
            (A) the arrival of Africans in the United States; and
            (B) the contributions of African-Americans to the United 
        States;
        (5) ensure that the commemoration provides a lasting legacy and 
    long-term public benefit by assisting in the development of 
    appropriate programs; and
        (6) help ensure that the observances of the commemoration are 
    inclusive and appropriately recognize the experiences and heritage 
    of all individuals present at the arrival of Africans in the United 
    States.
SEC. 4. COMMISSION MEETINGS.
    (a) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission 
shall hold the initial meeting of the Commission.
    (b) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet--
        (1) at least three times each year; or
        (2) at the call of the Chairperson or the majority of the 
    members of the Commission.
    (c) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members shall constitute a 
quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings.
    (d) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--
        (1) Election.--The Commission shall elect the Chairperson and 
    the Vice Chairperson of the Commission on an annual basis.
        (2) Absence of the chairperson.--The Vice Chairperson shall 
    serve as the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson.
    (e) Voting.--The Commission shall act only on an affirmative vote 
of a majority of the members of the Commission.
SEC. 5. COMMISSION POWERS.
    (a) Gifts.--The Commission may solicit, accept, use, and dispose of 
gifts, bequests, or devises of money or other property for aiding or 
facilitating the work of the Commission.
    (b) Appointment of Advisory Committees.--The Commission may appoint 
such advisory committees as the Commission determines to be necessary 
to carry out this Act.
    (c) Authorization of Action.--The Commission may authorize any 
member or employee of the Commission to take any action that the 
Commission is authorized to take under this Act.
    (d) Procurement.--
        (1) In general.--The Commission may procure supplies, services, 
    and property, and make or enter into contracts, leases, or other 
    legal agreements, to carry out this Act (except that a contract, 
    lease, or other legal agreement made or entered into by the 
    Commission shall not extend beyond the date of termination of the 
    Commission).
        (2) Limitation.--The Commission may not purchase real property.
    (e) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States 
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
agencies of the Federal Government.
    (f) Grants and Technical Assistance.--The Commission may--
        (1) provide grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 per grant 
    to communities and nonprofit organizations for use in developing 
    programs to assist in the commemoration;
        (2) provide grants to research and scholarly organizations to 
    research, publish, or distribute information relating to the 
    arrival of Africans in the United States; and
        (3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 
    nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration.
SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
    (a) Compensation of Members.--
        (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a member 
    of the Commission shall serve without compensation.
        (2) Federal employees.--A member of the Commission who is an 
    officer or employee of the Federal Government shall serve without 
    compensation other than the compensation received for the services 
    of the member as an officer or employee of the Federal Government.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--A member 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 in the performance of the duties of the 
Commission.
    (c) Director and Staff.--
        (1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission may, without 
    regard to the civil service laws (including regulations), nominate 
    an executive director to enable the Commission to perform the 
    duties of the Commission.
        (2) Confirmation of executive director.--The employment of an 
    executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the 
    Commission.
    (d) Compensation.--
        (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 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.
        (2) 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.
    (e) Detail of Government Employees.--
        (1) Federal employees.--
            (A) Detail.--At the request of the Commission, the head of 
        any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable or 
        nonreimbursable 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.
            (B) Civil service status.--The detail of an employee under 
        subparagraph (A) shall be without interruption or loss of civil 
        service status or privilege.
        (2) State employees.--The Commission may--
            (A) accept the services of personnel detailed from the 
        State; and
            (B) reimburse the State for services of detailed personnel.
    (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 such title.
    (g) Volunteer and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding section 
1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission may accept and use 
such voluntary and uncompensated services as the Commission determines 
to be necessary.
    (h) Support Services.--
        (1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide to the Commission, 
    on a reimbursable basis, such administrative support services as 
    the Commission may request.
        (2) Reimbursement.--Any reimbursement under this paragraph 
    shall be credited to the appropriation, fund, or account used for 
    paying the amounts reimbursed.
    (i) No Effect on Authority.--Nothing in this section supersedes the 
authority of the National Park Service with respect to the 
commemoration.
SEC. 7. PLANS; REPORTS.
    (a) Strategic Plan.--The Commission shall prepare a strategic plan 
for the activities of the Commission carried out under this Act.
    (b) Final Report.--Not later than July 1, 2020, the Commission 
shall complete and submit to Congress a final report that contains--
        (1) a summary of the activities of the Commission;
        (2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by the 
    Commission; and
        (3) the findings and recommendations of the Commission.
SEC. 8. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
    (a) Date of Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on July 1, 
2020.
    (b) Transfer of Documents and Materials.--Before the date of 
termination specified in subsection (a), the Commission shall transfer 
all documents and materials of the Commission to the National Archives 
or another appropriate Federal entity.
SEC. 9. EXPENDITURES OF COMMISSION.
    All expenditures of the Commission shall be made solely from 
donated funds.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.