[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8741 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8741
To establish the Philadelphia Campaign Two Hundred and Fiftieth
Commemoration Commission.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 12, 2026
Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Philadelphia Campaign Two Hundred and Fiftieth
Commemoration 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 ``Philadelphia Campaign Two Hundred
and Fiftieth Commemoration Commission Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Philadelphia Campaign of 1777-1778, involving
events in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware, was
among the most significant set of events in the American
Revolution. It convinced France to ally with the American cause
and resulted in the development of the continental army into a
professionally disciplined force.
(2) Along with the American victory at the nearby battle of
Saratoga, which occurred concurrently, the continental army's
ability to fight throughout the Philadelphia campaign, helped
convince France that the American side could win the war. The
French officially entered the war as American allies in
February 1778.
(3) Following the French entry into the war, the British
retreated from Philadelphia in June 1778 to avoid a potential
confrontation with the French navy. The continental army was
then able to follow and engaged British forces at the Battle of
Monmouth.
(4) The Philadelphia campaign included tactical losses for
the American side, most notably America's first September 11th
at the Battle of Brandywine, but the survival of the American
force was a testament to General Washington's strategy and the
subsequent winter encampment at Valley Forge allowed the army
to be trained by Barron Von Steuben, transforming it into a
more professional and disciplined fighting force.
Simultaneously the Philadelphia campaign highlighted weaknesses
and missteps by British commanders, particularly General
William Howe, and contributed to the understanding that the
British military could be defeated.
(5) The people of the United States can benefit from
gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of the
Philadelphia Campaign and the entire early period of the
American war for independence.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 250th
anniversary of the Philadelphia Campaign should be officially
recognized.
SEC. 3. PHILADELPHIA CAMPAIGN TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH COMMEMORATION
COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known
as the Philadelphia Campaign Two Hundred and Fiftieth Commemoration
Commission (referred to in this Act as the ``Commission'').
(b) Duties.--
(1) Report.--The Commission shall submit to Congress a
report on activities that the Commission recommends be carried
out by the Federal Government to observe the 250th anniversary
of the Philadelphia Campaign that--
(A) identifies any such activities that the
Commission considers most fitting and proper to
commemorate such anniversary; and
(B) includes any legislative proposals, including
any proposals for appropriations, related to such
activities.
(2) Recommendations.--In recommending activities under the
report required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider
whether to recommend that the Federal Government--
(A) acquire and preserve artifacts associated with
the Philadelphia Campaign; or
(B) sponsor--
(i) a publicly available interactive
digital resource the Philadelphia Campaign that
including scholarly work concerning the
Philadelphia Campaign;
(ii) conferences, exhibitions, or other
public meetings concerning the Philadelphia
Campaign; or
(iii) nationally accessible educational
resources concerning the Philadelphia Campaign.
(3) Advisory committee.--In preparing the report under
subsection (a), the Commission shall consult with
representatives of historical and cultural institutions able to
contribute the mission of the Commission, including the
following:
(A) Maryland Center for History and Culture.
(B) Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
(C) Salem County Historical Society.
(D) Chester County Historical Society.
(E) Brandywine Conservancy.
(F) Delaware Historical Society.
(4) Coordination.--The Commission--
(A) shall seek to encourage coordination among
State, local, international and private sector entities
with initiatives to commemorate the 250th anniversary
of the Philadelphia Campaign; and
(B) acting through the Chief Executive Officer of
the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, establish a voluntary registry of such
initiatives.
(c) Membership.--
(1) Appointment.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall be composed
of 14 voting members as follows:
(i) The Librarian of Congress.
(ii) The Chief Operating Officer of the
Museum of the American Revolution in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(iii) Twelve qualified citizens, appointed
as follows:
(I) Two members appointed by the
President.
(II) Two members, at least one of
whom shall be a Senator, appointed by
the majority leader of the Senate.
(III) Two members appointed by the
President on the recommendation of the
Governor of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
(IV) Two members, at least one of
whom shall be a Senator, appointed by
the minority leader of the Senate.
(V) Two members, at least one of
whom shall be a Member of the House of
Representatives, appointed by the
Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(VI) Two members, at least one of
whom shall be a Member of the House of
Representatives, appointed by the
minority leader of the House of
Representatives.
(B) Time of appointment.--Each initial appointment
of a member of the Commission shall be made before the
expiration of the 60-day period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act.
(C) Continuation of membership.--If a member of the
Commission was appointed to the Commission as a Member
of the Congress, and ceases to be a Member of the
Congress, 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
a Member of the Congress.
(D) Qualified citizen.--In this subsection, the
term ``qualified citizen'' means a citizen of the
United States with--
(i) a substantial knowledge and
appreciation of the history of the American war
for independence; and
(ii) a commitment to educating people of
the United States about the historical
importance of the Philadelphia Campaign and the
early years of the American Revolution.
(2) Organization.--
(A) Honorary members.--The President--
(i) shall serve as an honorary, nonvoting
member of the Commission; and
(ii) may invite the President of France and
the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to
serve as honorary, nonvoting members of the
Commission.
(B) Administrative support.--The Commission shall
seek to enter into an arrangement with the Museum of
the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
for the Museum to provide to the Commission any
administrative support as may be determined necessary,
including by providing administrative offices for the
Commission at the Museum.
(3) Chair.--The Commission shall select a voting member of
the Commission to serve as the Chair the Commission.
(4) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of
the Commission, except that a member shall be removed from the
Commission for malfeasance or dereliction of duty, as
determined by a majority vote of the other members of the
Commission.
(5) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall not
affect the powers of the Commission and shall be filled in the
manner in which the original appointment was made.
(6) Basic pay.--Members shall serve on the Commission
without pay.
(7) Travel expenses.--Each voting member shall receive
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in
accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(8) Quorum.--Five voting members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
(9) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chair.
SEC. 4. POWERS.
(a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of
carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act at such times
and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the
Commission considers appropriate.
(b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any voting member or agent of
the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action
that the Commission is authorized to take by this Act.
(c) 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.
(d) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, any administrative support
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities
under this Act.
(e) Procurement.--The Commission may enter into contracts for
supplies, services, and facilities to carry out the duties of the
Commission under this Act.
(f) Donations.--The Commission may accept and use donations of--
(1) money; and
(2) personal services.
SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.
(a) Appointment.--The Commission may appoint a Director and such
additional personnel as the Commission considers to be appropriate.
(b) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The 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.
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
(a) Interim Reports.--The Commission shall submit to Congress
interim reports on the activities of the Commission on the dates that
are 6 months and 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Final Report.--Not later than September 30, 2028, the
Commission shall submit a final report to Congress that contains--
(1) a detailed statement of all activities carried out by
the Commission preceding the submission of the report; and
(2) any other information that the Commission considers to
be appropriate.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION.
The Commission shall terminate 120 days after the final report is
submitted to Congress pursuant to section 6(b).
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Commission,
$2,500,000 for fiscal year 2027 and $2,500,000 for fiscal year 2028 to
carry out this Act, to remain available until expended.
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