[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 15, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2758-H2759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM ACT

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1703) to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the 
Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement 
with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's 
Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and 
International Trade Center, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1703

       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 ``National Children's Museum 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 (Public Law 
     108-81) designated the Capital Children's Museum, the 
     predecessor to the National Children's Museum, as the 
     ``National Children's Museum'';
       (2) the National Children's Museum operates under section 
     501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 
     organized under the laws of the District of Columbia;
       (3) the mission of the National Children's Museum is to 
     inspire children to care about and change the world; and
       (4) the National Children's Museum is located in the 
     federally owned Ronald Reagan Building and International 
     Trade Center.
       (b) National Children's Museum.--Chapter 67 of title 40, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``Sec. 6735. National Children's Museum

       ``(a) In General.-- Not later than 30 days after the date 
     of enactment of this section, the Administrator of General 
     Services shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the 
     National Children's Museum for the operation of the National 
     Children's Museum in the approximately 32,369 square feet of 
     space commonly known as suite C-001 (hereinafter referred to 
     as the `Space') of the Ronald Reagan Building and 
     International Trade Center for the duration of the retail 
     space license agreement between Trade Center Management 
     Associates, LLC, or a successor entity, and the Museum, dated 
     December 4, 2017, including any exercised renewal options.
       ``(b) Contents.--The cooperative agreement under subsection 
     (a) shall include provisions that--
       ``(1) require, for the period in which the General Services 
     Administration owns or controls the Space, the General 
     Services Administration to provide rent for the Space;
       ``(2) terminate such agreement if--
       ``(A) the Museum does not continue to qualify as a 
     nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
       ``(B) the Museum no longer uses the Space as a children's 
     museum; and
       ``(3) prohibits the Museum from transferring the interest 
     in such agreement.
       ``(c) Source of Funds.--To carry out this section, the 
     Administrator shall use funds derived from--
       ``(1) the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation fund; 
     or
       ``(2) the International Trade Center fund.
       ``(d) Report.--The cooperative agreement under subsection 
     (a) shall require the National Children's Museum to submit to 
     the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works of the Senate an annual report on the operations 
     and finances of the Museum.''.
       (c) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 67 of 
     title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

``6735. National Children's Museum.''.

     SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Rodney Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1703, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1703, the National 
Children's Museum Act, which I have sponsored. Last Congress, the House 
passed this bill by voice vote.

[[Page H2759]]

  This bipartisan, bicameral bill, which I introduced with Republican 
Rodney Davis of Illinois and which has been introduced in the Senate by 
Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Republican Shelley Moore 
Capito of West Virginia would require the General Services 
Administration to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National 
Children's Museum, a congressionally designated museum, to allow the 
museum to remain in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade 
Center, a Federally owned building in the Nation's capital without 
charge for the duration of its existing lease.
  The National Building Museum operates under such an agreement. The 
National Children's Museum is the only congressionally designated 
museum required to pay rent in a Federal building.
  Originally named the Capital Children's Museum, the museum was a 
staple in D.C. for decades. The museum opened in 1974 in a former 
convent on H Street Northeast. In 2003, Congress recognized the immense 
value of having a children's museum in the Nation's capital and 
officially designated the museum as the National Children's Museum.
  After being closed for several years, the museum reopened last year 
in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in 
downtown D.C. where it immediately attracted visitors from throughout 
the Nation's capital and the entire Nation. However, only 18 days 
later, the coronavirus pandemic forced the museum to close its physical 
space.
  Still, the museum continued to offer valuable online resources to our 
children as they navigated new, challenging learning circumstances, 
including over 75 at-home experiment and project video programs and 
monthly podcasts. The museum has served teachers in 45 States and the 
District through its virtual field trips since the pandemic began. 
However, due to revenue losses during the pandemic and other costs, the 
museum has said it will close permanently without enactment of this 
bill.
  This bill would allow the National Children's Museum to continue to 
benefit the millions who visit and live in the Nation's capital and the 
national capital region.
  Madam Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  I am pleased to lead this effort with my good friend and colleague, 
the chair of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Ms. Norton.
  As Congresswoman Norton said, this important legislation directs the 
General Services Administration to provide rent relief to the National 
Children's Museum that is currently housed in the Ronald Reagan 
Building and International Trade Center right here in Washington, D.C.
  Currently, the museum is the only federally designated museum sitting 
in a Federal building that is required to pay rent. This bill will give 
the museum the same benefits afforded to other congressionally 
designated museums.
  Prepandemic, the museum offered our children the ability to interact 
with exhibits that were focused on science, technology, engineering, 
arts, and math. And that allowed children to foster a greater 
appreciation for our STEM fields.
  As our country reopens and we look to the future, the museum will 
continue to build off that success and become even more valuable of a 
resource for our youth. In that spirit, I actually look forward to 
visiting with some of my colleagues soon and talking about this 
important bill. It is just frustrating that it is the only museum that 
is congressionally directed that has to pay another government agency, 
the GSA, for rent when they weren't allowed to be open.

  So this is a commonsense bill. It has been great to work with 
Congresswoman Norton, and I support this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the remarks of my good 
friend, Mr. Davis, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. Norton for 
her cooperation on this. It is great to be back on the floor and see 
everybody. I enjoy this greatly. I certainly hope everybody supports 
this commonsense bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, like my friend, I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1703, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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