[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 16, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S10773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. STABENOW (for herself, Mr. Kyl, Mrs. Clinton, Mr.  
        Schumer, Mr. Allen, Mr. Warner, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
        Dayton, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Breaux, Mrs. 
        Carnahan, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Levin, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
        Johnson, Mr. Dorgan, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 1556. A bill to establish a program to name national and community 
service projects in honor of victims killed as a result of the 
terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, we all witnessed a great national 
tragedy on September 11. While the deaths and damage occurred in New 
York, Washington, and the fields of Pennsylvania, a piece of all of us 
died that day.
  Many people came up to me in the weeks after the attack and asked: 
``What can I do? I've given blood. I've donated to relief efforts. But 
I want to do more.''
  We all shared in the horror. Now everyone wants to share in the 
healing.
  But how?
  Then a constituent of mine, Bob Van Oosterhout, wrote me with an 
idea. Why not have the Federal Government devise a program that would 
encourage communities throughout the Nation to create something that 
would honor the memory of one of the victims lost in the attack? 
Together these local memorials to honor individuals would dot our 
Nation and collectively honor all those lost in the attack.
  What could be simpler? Or more moving?
  From that idea came the Unity in the Spirit of America Act, which I 
am introducing today along with my distinguished colleague Senator Kyl.
  Here's how it would work: Communities, it could be as small as a 
neighborhood block, or nonprofit organizations, houses of worship, 
businesses, or local governments would choose some kind of project that 
would unite them and their community.
  Applications and the assigning of names for each project will be 
handled by the Thousand Points of Light Foundation in conjunction with 
the Corporation for National Service. Once the bill has passed, 
applications and procedures will be posted on the foundation's web 
page.
  In the meantime, I urge people to meet with their neighbors, or 
coworkers, or fellow church members to start identifying projects that 
would make fitting memorials to the victims of the attack of September 
11.
  It could be cleaning or creating a park, adopting a school and 
mentoring students, creating a meals program for the homeless, or just 
about anything that would do honor to the memories of those who died on 
September 11.
  The Thousand Points of Light Foundation will track each project's 
progress on their web page.
  The only rule would be that qualified projects should be started by 
September 11, 2002.
  Then on that day--as all over America we gather to grieve over the 
first anniversary of the attack that enraged the world--we'll also be 
able to look over thousands and thousands of selfless acts that made 
our world better.
  In our sadness, we can create 6,000 points of life across our Nation. 
And we will show the world that our resolve was not fleeting, or our 
memories not short.
  They will see Unity in the Spirit of America.
  And what could bring more fitting honor to all those innocents we 
lost.
  I am also pleased that this bipartisan legislation enjoys the support 
of the Senators from New York, Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Clinton, and the 
Senators from Virginia, Senators Warner and Allen.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1556

       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 ``Unity in Service to America 
     Act'' or the ``USA Act''.

     SEC. 2. PROJECTS HONORING VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS.

       The National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
     12501 et seq.) is amended by inserting before title V the 
     following:

       ``TITLE IV--PROJECTS HONORING VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS

     ``SEC. 401. PROJECTS.

       ``(a) Definition.--In this section, the term `Foundation' 
     means the Points of Light Foundation funded under section 
     301, or another nonprofit private organization, that enters 
     into an agreement with the Corporation to carry out this 
     section.
       ``(b) Identification of Projects.--
       ``(1) Estimated number.--Not later than December 1, 2001, 
     the Foundation, after obtaining the guidance of the heads of 
     appropriate Federal agencies, such as the Director of the 
     Office of Homeland Security and the Attorney General, shall--
       ``(A) make an estimate of the number of victims killed as a 
     result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 
     (referred to in this section as the `estimated number'); and
       ``(B) compile a list that specifies, for each individual 
     that the Foundation determines to be such a victim, the name 
     of the victim and the State in which the victim resided.
       ``(2) Identified projects.--The Foundation shall identify 
     approximately the estimated number of community-based 
     national and community service projects that meet the 
     requirements of subsection (d). The Foundation shall name 
     each identified project in honor of a victim described in 
     subsection (b)(1)(A), after obtaining the permission of an 
     appropriate member of the victim's family and the entity 
     carrying out the project.
       ``(c) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to have a project 
     named under this section, the entity carrying out the project 
     shall be a political subdivision of a State, a business, or a 
     nonprofit organization (which may be a religious 
     organization, such as a Christian, Jewish, or Muslim 
     organization).
       ``(d) Projects.--The Foundation shall name, under this 
     section, projects--
       ``(1) that advance the goals of unity, and improving the 
     quality of life in communities; and
       ``(2) that will be planned, or for which implementation 
     will begin, within a reasonable period after the date of 
     enactment of the Unity in Service to America Act, as 
     determined by the Foundation.
       ``(e) Website and Database.--The Foundation shall create 
     and maintain websites and databases, to describe projects 
     named under this section and serve as appropriate vehicles 
     for recognizing the projects.''.
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