[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2077 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2077
To establish a bipartisan Presidential Commission to study the
establishment of a National Museum of the American People to tell the
story about the making of the American People, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 16, 2021
Mr. Schatz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a bipartisan Presidential Commission to study the
establishment of a National Museum of the American People to tell the
story about the making of the American People, and for other purposes.
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 Museum of the American
People Presidential Commission Establishment Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Our Nation continues to struggle with acceptance of
immigrant communities and individuals having diverse ancestry
despite the Nation's own diverse ancestry history and the major
contributions of immigrants to our country.
(2) Our Nation recognizes its imperfections yet continues
to strive to uphold the principles, aspirations, and ideals
based on its founding documents upon which our Nation was
founded and built.
(3) Our Nation is searching for unity and a National Museum
of the American People can serve as a vehicle to bring all
Americans together to help heal our Nation's divisive wounds.
(4) A National Museum of the American People would tell the
full story about the making of the American people from
wherever they came: Europe, Asia and the Pacific Islands,
Oceania, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, including
the First Peoples.
(5) There is no national museum in Washington, DC, that--
(A) tells the story of all of the people of the
United States; or
(B) tells a history of indigenous peoples,
colonization, slavery, immigration, and migration to
and within the United States.
(6) A National Museum of the American People would--
(A) recount the history of all groups of people who
came to the United States and the contributions of
those people to the United States;
(B) embody the theme ``E Pluribus Unum'', the
original motto of the United States;
(C) celebrate all ethnicities, nationalities and
minorities within the United States;
(D) foster a sense of belonging by all Americans;
(E) contribute to a common national identity as
people of the United States;
(F) recognize the continued importance of
immigrants to our Nation's success;
(G) highlight the role of the Declaration of
Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights,
the founding documents of the United States;
(H) explore the ways in which those documents
shaped the character of the people of the United States
and infused Americans with common values and a
dedication to a democratic form of government;
(I) be a resource for State, local, and ethnic
museums throughout the United States that present
exhibits that celebrate the heritage of the people of
the United States; and
(J) include the stories of and benefit all people
of the United States.
(7) People from every ethnic group in the United States
would visit a National Museum of the American People to learn
their own history and the history of every other ethnic group
in the United States.
(8) Leaders and visitors from every country would visit a
National Museum of the American People to learn about the
American people.
(9) The goal of a National Museum of the American People
would be to--
(A) be the best storytelling museum in the world;
(B) recount one of the most amazing stories in
human history;
(C) honor all of the people who have become people
of the United States;
(D) acknowledge that our Nation celebrates justice,
equal opportunity, and respect for the human dignity of
all;
(E) educate every American about the migration and
immigration stories that contributed to the successes
and advancement of our Nation; and
(F) foster learning about the American people at
the Museum and throughout the Nation.
(10) Upon the date of enactment of this Act, non-Federal
sources will be sought to support funding for a Presidential
Commission to study the establishment of the National Museum of
the American People.
(11) Non-Federal sources are anticipated to provide funding
to design and build the National Museum of the American People,
its exhibitions, and its components.
(12) Two hundred and fifty organizations representing 73
different ethnic, nationality, minority, and genealogical
groups support the establishment of a museum to tell their
stories in a national Washington, DC, museum about becoming
Americans.
SEC. 3. COMMISSION TO STUDY ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
(a) In General.--The President shall establish a bipartisan
commission (referred to in this section as the ``Commission'') to study
the establishment of a National Museum of the American People (referred
to as the ``Museum'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 32
members appointed not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act as follows:
(A) The President shall appoint 16 voting members,
including the Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission.
(B) The Speaker of the House of Representatives,
the minority leader of the House of Representatives,
the majority leader of the Senate, and the minority
leader of the Senate shall each appoint 4 voting
members.
(2) Qualifications.--Members of the Commission shall be
chosen from among individuals, or representatives of
institutions or entities, who possess either--
(A) a demonstrated commitment to the research,
study, or promotion of the American people as described
in section 2 of this Act, together with--
(i) expertise in museum administration;
(ii) expertise in fundraising or serving as
a funder for nonprofit or cultural
institutions;
(iii) experience as a scholar focused on
any aspect of the making of the American people
from first peoples through today;
(iv) experience in studying the Smithsonian
Institution's representation of American art,
life, history, and culture;
(v) extensive experience in public or
elected service;
(vi) leadership of, or national
representation for, ethnic or minority groups;
or
(vii) extensive experience with museum
public relations and instituting a new national
museum; or
(B) experience or expertise in the administration
of, or the planning and design for the establishment
of, museums or other institutions devoted to the study
and promotion of the role of ethnic, racial, or
cultural groups in American history.
(3) Period of appointment; vacancies.--Members shall be
appointed for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy in the
Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in
the same manner as the original appointment.
(4) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may
hold hearings.
(5) Initial meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date
on which a quorum of members of the Commission have been
appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meeting.
(6) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the
Chair.
(c) Duties of the Commission.--
(1) Study.--The Commission shall conduct a thorough study
of all matters relating to the establishment of a National
Museum of the American People.
(2) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the
first meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall submit a
publicly available report to the President and Congress, which
shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and
conclusions of the Commission, together with the Commission's
recommendations for such legislation or administrative actions
as the Commission considers appropriate, on the following
issues:
(A) The mission of the National Museum of the
American People, which is to advance and share
knowledge about the full history of the making of the
American people who came from every corner of our
planet and are tied together by our Constitution's
first words: ``We the People''.
(B) The story about the making of the American
people in 4 chapters:
(i) First Peoples Come: 10,000+ years ago
(est.)-1607.
(ii) The Nation Takes Form: 1607-1820.
(iii) The Great In-Gathering: 1820-1924.
(iv) Still They Come: 1924-present.
(C) A review of possible Museum components,
including--
(i) a Center for the Advanced Study of the
American People;
(ii) a National Ancestry Center;
(iii) an Archive and Library of American
Immigration and Migration;
(iv) an Education Resource Center;
(v) a National Museum of the American
People Film Center;
(vi) a Peopling of America Center;
(vii) Museum collections;
(viii) public programs;
(ix) special exhibitions;
(x) traveling exhibitions;
(xi) Museum bookstores and gift shops; and
(xii) Museum food venues.
(D) The availability and cost of collections to be
acquired and housed in the Museum.
(E) Possible locations for the Museum in
Washington, DC, and its environs, to be considered in
consultation with the National Capital Planning
Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the
National Park Service.
(F) The governance and organizational structure
from which the Museum should operate, including whether
the Museum should be part of the Smithsonian
Institution.
(G) The cost of constructing, operating, and
maintaining the Museum.
(3) Legislation to carry out plan of action.--Based on the
recommendations from the study under paragraph (1) and the
report submitted under paragraph (2), the Commission shall
submit for consideration to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee
on House Administration of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives,
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate,
and the Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Senate recommendations for a
legislative plan of action to create and construct the Museum.
(4) Fundraising plan.--The Commission shall develop a
fundraising plan for supporting the creation and maintenance of
the Museum through contributions by the American people and
other sources.
(d) Powers of the Commission.--
(1) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit
and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and
receive such evidence as the Commission considers advisable to
carry out this Act.
(2) Information from federal agencies.--The Commission may
secure directly from any Federal department or agency such
information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out
this Act. Upon request of the Chair of the Commission, the head
of such department or agency shall furnish such information to
the Commission.
(3) Postal services.--The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions
as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
(4) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of
gifts or donations of services or property.
(e) Commission Personnel Matters.--
(1) Compensation of members.--Each member of the Commission
who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government
shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of
the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the
Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States
Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such
member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the
Commission. All members of the Commission who are officers or
employees of the United States shall serve without compensation
in addition to that received for their services as officers or
employees of the United States.
(2) Travel expenses.--The members of the Commission shall
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Commission.
(3) Staff.--
(A) In general.--The Chair of the Commission may,
without regard to the civil service laws and
regulations, appoint and terminate an executive
director and such other additional personnel as may be
necessary to enable the Commission to perform its
duties. The employment of an executive director shall
be subject to confirmation by the Commission.
(B) Compensation.--The Chair of the Commission may
fix the compensation of the executive director and
other personnel without regard to chapter 51 and
subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States
Code, relating to classification of positions and
General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay
for the executive director and other personnel may not
exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive
Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
(C) Personnel as federal employees.--
(i) In general.--The executive director and
any personnel of the Commission who are
employees shall be employees under section 2105
of title 5, United States Code, for purposes of
chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, 89A, 89B,
and 90 of that title.
(ii) Members of commission.--Clause (i)
shall not be construed to apply to members of
the Commission.
(4) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed to the Commission without
reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or
loss of civil service status or privilege.
(5) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The Chair of the Commission may procure temporary and
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United
States Code, at rates for individuals which do not exceed the
daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such
title.
(f) Termination of the Commission.--The Commission shall terminate
90 days after the date on which the Commission submits its
recommendations under subsection (c)(3).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated for carrying out the activities of the Commission
$3,000,000 for the fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of
this Act. Such amount shall remain available until expended.
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