[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3167 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3167

    To provide competitive grants for the operation, security, and 
maintenance of certain memorials to victims of the terrorist attacks of 
                          September 11, 2001.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 28, 2018

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide competitive grants for the operation, security, and 
maintenance of certain memorials to victims of the terrorist attacks of 
                          September 11, 2001.

    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 ``9/11 Memorial Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered memorial.--The term ``covered memorial'' means 
        a memorial located in the United States established to 
        commemorate the events of, and honor the victims of, the 
        terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and 
        United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, at the site of 
        the attacks.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means 
        the official organization, as in existence on the date of 
        enactment of this Act--
                    (A) the focus of which is the operations and 
                preservation of a covered memorial; and
                    (B) which is an organization described in section 
                501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
                exempt from taxation under 501(a) of that Code.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 3. COMPETITIVE GRANTS FOR COVERED MEMORIALS.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
Secretary shall award to eligible entities competitive grants of 
varying amounts, as determined by the Secretary, to be used by the 
eligible entity solely for the purposes described in subsection (b).
    (b) Purposes.--A grant awarded under subsection (a) shall be used 
by an eligible entity for the operation, security, and maintenance of a 
covered memorial.
    (c) Deadline for Award.--If the Secretary, after review of an 
application from an eligible entity, determines to award a grant to the 
eligible entity, the Secretary shall award the grant not later than 60 
days after the date of receipt of the completed application.
    (d) Availability.--Grant funds made available under this section 
shall remain available until expended.
    (e) Criteria.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give greatest weight in the selection of eligible entities using 
the following criteria:
            (1) The needs of the eligible entity, and ability and 
        commitment of the eligible entity to use grant funds, with 
        respect to ensuring the security and safety of visitors of the 
        covered memorial.
            (2) The ability of the eligible entity to match the amount 
        of the grant, on at least a 1-to-1 basis, with non-Federal 
        assets from non-Federal sources, including cash or durable 
        goods and materials fairly valued, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            (3) The greatest number of visitors that would benefit.
            (4) The ability and commitment of an eligible entity to use 
        grant funds--
                    (A) to preserve the grounds at the covered 
                memorial; and
                    (B) to educate future generations.
            (5) The ability and commitment of an eligible entity to use 
        grant funds to increase the numbers of economically 
        disadvantaged visitors to the covered memorial.
    (f) Limitation.--No grant shall be awarded under this section--
            (1) for use at a covered memorial that does not provide 
        for--
                    (A) free admission to all facilities and museums 
                associated with the covered memorial for active and 
                retired members of the military, registered first 
                responders to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and 
                family members of victims of the attacks of September 
                11, 2001; and
                    (B) dedicated free admission hours for the general 
                public at least once a week; or
            (2) to an eligible entity that does not allow for annual 
        Federal audits of the financial statements of the eligible 
        entity, including revenues associated with ticket sales, 
        charitable donations, grants, and all expenditures on salaries 
        and operations, which shall be subject to review by the 
        Secretary and made available to the public.
    (g) Reports.--Not later than 90 days after the end of each calendar 
year for which an eligible entity obligates or expends any amounts made 
available under a grant under this section, the eligible entity shall 
submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress a 
report that--
            (1) specifies the amount of grant funds obligated or 
        expended for the preceding fiscal year;
            (2) specifies any purposes for which the funds were 
        obligated or expended; and
            (3) includes any other information that the Secretary may 
        require to more effectively administer the grant program under 
        this section.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $25,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
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