[House Report 112-624]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


112th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     112-624

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 TO REVISE THE AUTHORITY OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS TO ACCEPT GIFTS 
     AND BEQUESTS ON BEHALF OF THE LIBRARY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

 July 26, 2012.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California, from the Committee on House 
                Administration, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 6122]

    The Committee on House Administration, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 6122) to revise the authority of the Librarian 
of Congress to accept gifts and bequests on behalf of the 
Library, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that 
the bill do pass.

                Background and Need for the Legislation

    The Librarian of Congress was authorized in 1925 to accept 
gifts of money. That authority has remained essentially 
unchanged. The Library has been offered various types of 
donations, not suitable to be handled as Trust Funds, that it 
lacked proper authority to accept. These include: donations of 
IT equipment, audiovisual equipment, and volunteer services 
outside of the American Folklife Center or the Center for the 
Book.
    H.R. 6122 authorizes the Librarian of Congress to accept 
gifts of securities for immediate disbursement, personal 
property valued at $25,000 or less, nonpersonal services, and 
voluntary and uncompensated personal services. Any donation of 
securities requires that the Librarian sell the securities and 
provide the donor with a receipt of the proceeds of the sale. 
Under the bill, the Librarian is further required to disclose a 
description of each gift or bequest valued at $1,000 or more in 
the Annual Report of the Library of Congress.

                       Introduction and Referral

    On July 12, 2012, Congressman Daniel E. Lungren of 
California introduced H.R. 6122, which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration.

                                Hearings

    There were no legislative hearings held on H.R. 6122.

                        Committee Consideration

    On July 19, 2012, the Committee on House Administration met 
to consider H.R. 6122. The Committee ordered the bill reported 
favorably to the House by voice vote, with a quorum present.

                         Committee Record Votes

    In compliance with House Rule XIII, clause 3(b), requiring 
the results of each record vote on an amendment or motion to 
report, together with the names of those voting for and 
against, to be printed in the Committee report, the Committee 
states that there were no record votes during the Committee's 
consideration of H.R. 6122.

            Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations

    In compliance with House Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(1), the 
Committee states that the findings and recommendations of the 
Committee, based on oversight activities under House Rule X, 
clause 2(b)(1), are incorporated into the general discussion 
section of this report.

            Statement of Budget Authority and Related Items

    The bill does not provide new budget authority, new 
spending authority, new credit authority, or an increase or 
decrease in revenues or tax expenditures and a statement under 
House Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(2), and section 308(a)(1) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is not required.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    In compliance with House Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3), the 
Committee states, with respect to the bill, H.R. 6122, that the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office did not submit a 
cost estimate and comparison under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                    Performance Goals and Objectives

    In compliance with House Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(4), the 
Committee states that the general discussion section of this 
report includes a statement of the general performance goals 
and objectives, including outcome-related goals and objectives, 
for which H.R. 6122 authorizes funding.

                          Advisory on Earmarks

    In accordance with House Rule XXI, clause 9, the Committee 
states that H.R. 6122 does not contain any congressional 
earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as 
defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI.

                Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill

    In compliance with House Rule XIII, clause 3(e), the 
Committee states that H.R. 6122 changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no changes 
is proposed is shown in roman):

                 SECTION 4 OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1925


 CHAP. 423.--AN ACT To create a Library of Congress Trust Fund Board, 
                        and for other purposes.

  Sec. 4. [Nothing] (a) Acceptance and Disbursement of Gifts.--
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting or 
restricting the Librarian of Congress from accepting [in the 
name of the United States gifts or bequests of money for 
immediate disbursement in the interest of the Library, its 
collections, or its service.] in the name of the United States 
and in the interest of the Library, its collections, or its 
service, gifts or bequests of money for immediate disbursement, 
personal property valued at $25,000 or less, nonpersonal 
services, or voluntary and uncompensated personal services. In 
the case of a gift of securities, the Librarian shall sell the 
gift and provide the donor with a receipt from the proceeds of 
the sale. Such gifts or bequests of money, after acceptance by 
the librarian, shall be paid by the donor or his representative 
to the Treasurer of the United States, whose receipts shall be 
their acquittance. The Treasurer of the United States shall 
[enter them] enter the gift, bequest, or proceeds in a special 
account to the credit of the Library of Congress and subject to 
disbursement by the librarian for the purposes in each case 
specified.
  Upon agreement by the Librarian of Congress and the Board, a 
gift or bequest accepted by the Librarian under the first 
paragraph of this section may be invested or reinvested in the 
same manner as provided for trust funds under the second 
paragraph of section 2.
  (b) Public Report on Accepted Gifts.--In each Annual Report 
of the Library of Congress, the Librarian of Congress shall 
include a description of each gift or bequest accepted under 
this section during the year involved which is valued at $1,000 
or more.

                                  
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