[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S3909]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COLUMBIA ORBITER MEMORIAL ACT

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 628 which was introduced 
by Senator Stevens and is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 628) to require construction at Arlington 
     National Cemetery of a memorial to the crew of the Columbia 
     Orbiter.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill 
be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 628) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 628

       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 ``Columbia Orbiter Memorial 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION OF MEMORIAL TO CREW OF COLUMBIA ORBITER 
                   AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.

       (a) Construction Required.--The Secretary of the Army 
     shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration, construct at an 
     appropriate place in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, a 
     memorial marker honoring the seven members of the crew of the 
     Columbia Orbiter who died on February 1, 2003, over the State 
     of Texas during the landing of space shuttle mission STS-107.
       (b) Availability of Funds.--Of the amount appropriated or 
     otherwise made available by title II of the Department of 
     Defense Appropriations Act, 2003 (Public Law 107-248) under 
     the heading ``Operation and Maintenance, Army'', $500,000 
     shall be available for the construction of the memorial 
     marker required by subsection (a).

     SEC. 3. DONATIONS FOR MEMORIAL FOR CREW OF COLUMBIA ORBITER.

       (a) Authority To Accept Donations.--The Administrator of 
     the National Aeronautics and Space Administration may accept 
     gifts and donations of services, money, and property 
     (including personal, tangible, or intangible property) for 
     the purpose of an appropriate memorial or monument to the 
     seven members of the crew of the Columbia Orbiter who died on 
     February 1, 2003, over the State of Texas during the landing 
     of space shuttle mission STS-107, whether such memorial or 
     monument is constructed by the Administrator or is the 
     memorial marker required by section 2.
       (b) Transfer.--(1) The Administrator may transfer to the 
     Secretary of the Army any services, money, or property 
     accepted by the Administrator under subsection (a) for the 
     purpose of the construction of the memorial marker required 
     by section 2.
       (2) Any moneys transferred to the Secretary under paragraph 
     (1) shall be merged with amounts in the account referred to 
     in subsection (b) of section 2, and shall be available for 
     the purpose referred to in that subsection.
       (c) Expiration of Authority.--The authority of the 
     Administrator to accept gifts and donations under subsection 
     (a) shall expire five years after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act.

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