[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6864-H6865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE MEMORIAL FUND

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on House Oversight and the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged 
from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4354) to establish the 
United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund on behalf of the families of 
Detective John Michael Gibson and Private First Class Jacob Joseph 
Chestnut of the United States Capitol Police, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dreier). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from California?
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will not 
object, but under my reservation, I yield to the gentleman from 
California.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  As we were discussing last night, this is a resolution to create a 
memorial fund under the title ``United States Capitol Police Memorial 
Fund.'' It will initially be on behalf of the Gibson and Chestnut 
families for a period of 6 months, when it will continue in perpetuity 
as a United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund. It is to create an 
official fund in the United States Treasury. Therefore, the support and 
oversight of that is entirely appropriate in using Federal funds.
  In addition to that, any contributions to the fund are tax deductible 
as charitable donations, and because of the description and type of the 
fund, Federal campaign committees may be able to contribute to the 
funds as well.
  When the gentleman finishes his comments and withdraws his 
reservation, Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk which will 
allow us to conclude the resolution.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I said yesterday that for 
the past 2 days, all of America has paid its respect, its admiration, 
and its thanks to two heroic officers, two officers who themselves 
acted in the defense of freedom and this institution, but who also 
symbolize those who every day place themselves in harm's way to ensure 
civil order in our democracy, civil order which is absolutely essential 
if our democracy is to function as our Founding Fathers conceived it.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution, if adopted as I expect it to be 
unanimously, will provide an additional way in which we can honor those 
two officers through contributions to this fund that will ensure that 
the families who have sustained an inestimable loss will nevertheless 
be, to the extent that we can as a generous Nation provide for them 
from an economic standpoint, that the loss that they sustained will be 
to that small degree diminished. It is an appropriate resolution, an 
appropriate action, and I would be pleased to again, under my 
reservation, Mr. Speaker, to yield to the distinguished gentleman from 
California (Mr. Thomas), chairman of the Committee on House Oversight.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, it is entirely appropriate that at the time 
that the Chestnut family is, in fact, remembering their father and 
husband and friend and relative, that we establish this fund. At this 
time I would also like to thank the gentleman from Maryland for the 
courtesies and cooperation that he exhibited; indeed, all of the 
Members of this House, in terms

[[Page H6865]]

of the level of intensity of their response to an extremely tragic and 
unfortunate situation. In all likelihood, this will be the last 
resolution on this particular subject to come before the House, and I 
did want to indicate that the House is an institution and each 
individual in it, I believe, can be extremely proud of the way in which 
the Capitol community responded to such a tragic incident affecting two 
of its own.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 4354

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE 
                   MEMORIAL FUND.

       There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United 
     States the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund 
     (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Fund''). All 
     amounts received by the Capitol Police Board which are 
     designated for deposit into the Fund shall be deposited into 
     the Fund.

     SEC. 2. PAYMENTS FROM FUND FOR FAMILIES OF DETECTIVE GIBSON 
                   AND PRIVATE FIRST CLASS CHESTNUT.

       Subject to the regulations issued under section 4, amounts 
     in the Fund shall be paid to the families of Detective John 
     Michael Gibson and Private First Class Jacob Joseph Chestnut 
     of the United States Capitol Police as follows:
       (1) 50 percent of such amounts shall be paid to the widow 
     and children of Detective Gibson.
       (2) 50 percent of such amounts shall be paid to the widow 
     and children of Private First Class Chestnut.

     SEC. 3. TAX TREATMENT OF FUND.

       (a) Contributions to Fund.--For purposes of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986, any contribution or gift to or for the 
     use of the Fund shall be treated as a contribution or gift 
     for exclusively public purposes to or for the use of an 
     organization described in section 170(c)(1) of such Code.
       (b) Treatment of Payments From Fund.--Any payment from the 
     Fund shall not be subject to any Federal, State, or local 
     income or gift tax.
       (c) Exemption.--For purposes of such Code, notwithstanding 
     section 501(c)(1)(A) of such Code, the Fund shall be treated 
     as described in section 501(c)(1) of such Code and exempt 
     from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.

     SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION BY CAPITOL POLICE BOARD.

       The Capitol Police Board shall administer and manage the 
     Fund (including establishing the timing and manner of making 
     payments under section 2) in accordance with regulations 
     issued by the Board, subject to the approval of the Committee 
     on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee 
     on House Oversight of the House of Representatives. Under 
     such regulations, the Board shall pay any balance remaining 
     in the Fund upon the expiration of the 6-month period which 
     begins on the date of the enactment of this Act to the 
     families of Detective John Michael Gibson and Private First 
     Class Jacob Joseph Chestnut in accordance with section 2, and 
     shall disburse any amounts in the Fund after the expiration 
     of such period in such manner as the Board may establish.


                    amendment offered by mr. thomas

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Thomas:
       Add at the end of section 4 the following: ``Under such 
     regulations, and using amounts in the Fund, a financial 
     adviser or trustee, as appropriate, for the families of 
     Detective John Michael Gibson and Private First Class Jacob 
     Joseph Chestnut of the United States Capitol Police shall be 
     appointed to advise the families respecting disbursement to 
     them of amounts in the Fund.''.

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I urge that the resolution and amendment be 
adopted.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I support the amendment.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment offered by 
the gentleman by the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas).
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third 
reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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