,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #deci  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #aa1 #bjaf 
,mr4 ,scott of ,virginia 7for himself1  
,mr4 ,rigell1 ,mr4 ,butterfield1 ,mr4   
,forbes1 ,mr4 ,lewis1 ,mr4 ,wittman1    
,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,ms4       
,norton1 ,mr4 ,richmond1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4
 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,lee1 ,mr4   
,fattah1 ,ms4 ,eddie ,bernice ,johnson  
of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,jeffries1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 
,mr4 ,hastings1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,ms4 ,fudge1
 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 ,mr4 ,gutirrez1 ,ms4  
,edwards1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,doggett1 
,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,kildee1 
,mr4 ,rangel1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4         
,norcross1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4      
,cummings1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,conyers1  
,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,johnson 
of ,georgia1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,rush1   
,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1   
,mr4 ,david ,scott of ,georgia1 ,mr4    
,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york1  
,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,murphy of 
,florida1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,mr4

 ,smith of ,washington1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1  
,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,mr4 ,al
 ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,ms4  
,plaskett1 ,mr4 ,honda1 and ,ms4        
,mc,collum7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,oversight and ,government
 ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish the  
#djj ,years of ,african-,american       
,history ,commission1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the #djj ,years of      
,african-,american ,history ,commission 
,act4  #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3  
7#a7 ,commemoration ,the term           
commemoration means the commemoration of
 the #djjth anniversary of the arrival  
of ,africans in the ,english colonies1  
at ,point ,comfort1 ,virginia1 in #afai4
  7#b7 ,commission ,the term ,commission
 means the #djj ,years of               
,african-,american ,history ,commission 
established by section #c7;a74  7#c7    
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of the ,interior4  #c4   

,establishment  7a7 ,in general ,there  
is established a commission1 to be known
 as the #djj ,years of                  
,african-,american ,history ,commission4
  7b7 ,membership  7#a7 ,composition    
,the ,commission shall be composed of   
#ae members1 of whom--  7,a7 #c members 
shall be appointed by the ,secretary1   
after considering the recommendations of
 the ,governor of ,virginia2  7,b7 #a   
member shall be appointed by the        
,secretary1 after considering the       
recommendations of the ,chairman of the 
,committee on ,energy and ,natural      
,resources of the ,senate2  7,c7 #d     
members shall be appointed by the       
,secretary1 after considering the       
recommendations of-- 7i7 civil rights   
organizations2 and  7ii7 historical     
organizations2  7,d7 #a member shall be 
an employee of the ,national ,park      
,service having experience relevant to  
the historical resources relating to the
 commemoration1 to be appointed by the  
,secretary2  7,e7 #b members shall be   

appointed by the ,secretary1 after      
considering the recommendations of the  
,secretary of the ,smithsonian          
,institution2 and  7,f7 #d members shall
 be individuals who have an interest in1
 support for1 and expertise appropriate 
to the commemoration1 to be appointed by
 the ,secretary1 after considering the  
recommendations of ,members of          
,congress4  7#b7 ,time of appointment   
,each appointment of an initial member  
of the ,commission shall be made before 
the expiration of the #abj-;day period  
beginning on the date of enactment of   
this ,act4  7#c7 ,term2 vacancies  7,a7 
,term ,a member of the ,commission shall
 be appointed for the life of the       
,commission4  7,b7 ,vacancies  7i7 ,in  
general ,a vacancy on the ,commission   
shall be filled in the same manner in   
which the original appointment was made4
  7ii7 ,partial term ,a member appointed
 to fill a vacancy on the ,commission   
shall serve for the remainder of the    
term for which the predecessor of the   

member was appointed4  7,c7             
,continuation of membership ,if a member
 of the ,commission was appointed to the
 ,commission as an employee of the      
,national ,park ,service1 and ceases to 
be an employee of the ,national ,park   
,service1 that member may continue to   
serve on the ,commission for not longer 
than the #cj-;day period beginning on   
the date on which that member ceases to 
be an employee of the ,national ,park   
,service4  7c7 ,duties ,the ,commission 
shall-- 7#a7 plan1 develop1 and carry   
out programs and activities throughout  
the ,united ,states--  7,a7 appropriate 
for the commemoration2  7,b7 to         
recognize and highlight the resilience  
and contributions of ,african-,americans
 since #afai2  7,c7 to acknowledge the  
impact that slavery and laws that       
enforced racial discrimination had on   
the ,united ,states2 and  7,d7 to       
educate the public about-- 7i7 the      
arrival of ,africans in the ,united     
,states2 and  7ii7 the contributions of 

,african-,americans to the ,united      
,states2  7#b7 encourage civic1         
patriotic1 historical1 educational1     
artistic1 religious1 economic1 and other
 organizations throughout the ,united   
,states to organize and participate in  
anniversary activities to expand        
understanding and appreciation of--     
7,a7 the significance of the arrival of 
,africans in the ,united ,states2 and   
7,b7 the contributions of               
,african-,americans to the ,united      
,states2  7#c7 provide technical        
assistance to ,states1 localities1 and  
nonprofit organizations to further the  
commemoration2  7#d7 coordinate and     
facilitate for the public scholarly     
research on1 publication about1 and     
interpretation of--  7,a7 the arrival of
 ,africans in the ,united ,states2 and  
7,b7 the contributions of               
,african-,americans to the ,united      
,states2  7#e7 ensure that the          
commemoration provides a lasting legacy 
and long-term public benefit by         

assisting in the development of         
appropriate programs2 and  7#f7 help    
ensure that the observances of the      
commemoration are inclusive and         
appropriately recognize the experiences 
and heritage of all individuals present 
at the arrival of ,africans in the      
,united ,states4  #d4 ,commission       
meetings  7a7 ,initial meeting ,not     
later than #cj days after the date on   
which all members of the ,commission    
have been appointed1 the ,commission    
shall hold the initial meeting of the   
,commission4  7b7 ,meetings ,the        
,commission shall meet-- 7#a7 at least  
#c times each year2 or  7#b7 at the call
 of the ,chairperson or the majority of 
the members of the ,commission4  7c7    
,quorum ,a majority of the voting       
members shall constitute a quorum1 but a
 lesser number may hold meetings4  7d7  
,chairperson and vice chairperson  7#a7 
,election ,the ,commission shall elect  
the ,chairperson and the ,vice          
,chairperson of the ,commission on an   

annual basis4  7#b7 ,absence of the     
chairperson ,the ,vice ,chairperson     
shall serve as the ,chairperson in the  
absence of the ,chairperson4  7e7       
,voting ,the ,commission shall act only 
on an affirmative vote of a majority of 
the members of the ,commission4  #e4    
,commission powers  7a7 ,gifts ,the     
,commission may solicit1 accept1 use1   
and dispose of gifts1 bequests1 or      
devises of money or other property for  
aiding or facilitating the work of the  
,commission4  7b7 ,appointment of       
advisory committees ,the ,commission may
 appoint such advisory committees as the
 ,commission determines to be necessary 
to carry out this ,act4  7c7            
,authorization of action ,the           
,commission may authorize any member or 
employee of the ,commission to take any 
action that the ,commission is          
authorized to take under this ,act4  7d7
 ,procurement  7#a7 ,in general ,the    
,commission may procure supplies1       
services1 and property1 and make or     

enter into contracts1 leases1 or other  
legal agreements1 to carry out this ,act
 7except that a contract1 lease1 or     
other legal agreement made or entered   
into by the ,commission shall not extend
 beyond the date of termination of the  
,commission74  7#b7 ,limitation ,the    
,commission may not purchase real       
property4  7e7 ,postal services ,the    
,commission may use the ,united ,states 
mails in the same manner and under the  
same conditions as other agencies of the
 ,federal ,government4  7f7 ,grants and 
technical assistance ,the ,commission   
may-- 7#a7 provide grants in amounts not
 to exceed #bj1jjj per grant to         
communities and nonprofit organizations 
for use in developing programs to assist
 in the commemoration2  7#b7 provide    
grants to research and scholarly        
organizations to research1 publish1 or  
distribute information relating to the  
arrival of ,africans in the ,united     
,states2 and  7#c7 provide technical    
assistance to ,states1 localities1 and  

nonprofit organizations to further the  
commemoration4  #f4 ,commission         
personnel matters  7a7 ,compensation of 
members  7#a7 ,in general ,except as    
provided in paragraph 7#b71 a member of 
the ,commission shall serve without     
compensation4  7#b7 ,federal employees  
,a member of the ,commission who is an  
officer or employee of the ,federal     
,government shall serve without         
compensation other than the compensation
 received for the services of the member
 as an officer or employee of the       
,federal ,government4  7b7 ,travel      
expenses ,a member of the ,commission   
shall be allowed travel expenses1       
including per diem in lieu of           
subsistence1 at rates authorized for an 
employee of an agency under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 while away from the home 
or regular place of business of the     
member in the performance of the duties 
of the ,commission4  7c7 ,director and  
staff  7#a7 ,in general ,the            

,chairperson of the ,commission may1    
without regard to the civil service laws
 7including regulations71 nominate an   
executive director to enable the        
,commission to perform the duties of the
 ,commission4  7#b7 ,confirmation of    
executive director ,the employment of an
 executive director shall be subject to 
confirmation by the ,commission4  7d7   
,compensation  7#a7 ,in general ,except 
as provided in paragraph 7#b71 the      
,commission may fix the compensation of 
the executive director and other        
personnel without regard to the         
provisions of chapter #ea and subchapter
 ,,iii of chapter #ec of title #e1      
,united ,states ,code1 relating to      
classification of positions and ,general
 ,schedule pay rates4  7#b7 ,maximum    
rate of pay ,the rate of pay for the    
executive director and other personnel  
shall not exceed the rate payable for   
level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule    
under section #ecaf of title #e1 ,united
 ,states ,code4  7e7 ,detail of         

government employees  7#a7 ,federal     
employees  7,a7 ,detail ,at the request 
of the ,commission1 the head of any     
,federal agency may detail1 on a        
reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis1  
any of the personnel of the agency to   
the ,commission to assist the           
,commission in carrying out the duties  
of the ,commission under this ,act4     
7,b7 ,civil service status ,the detail  
of an employee under subparagraph 7,a7  
shall be without interruption or loss of
 civil service status or privilege4     
7#b7 ,state employees ,the ,commission  
may-- 7,a7 accept the services of       
personnel detailed from the ,state2 and 
7,b7 reimburse the ,state for services  
of detailed personnel4  7f7 ,procurement
 of temporary and intermittent services 
,the ,chairperson of the ,commission may
 procure temporary and intermittent     
services in accordance with section     
#caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  
,code1 at rates for individuals that do 
not exceed the daily equivalent of the  

annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 
level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule    
under section #ecaf of such title4  7g7 
,volunteer and uncompensated services   
,notwithstanding section #acdb of title 
#ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 the         
,commission may accept and use such     
voluntary and uncompensated services as 
the ,commission determines to be        
necessary4  7h7 ,support services  7#a7 
,in general ,the ,secretary shall       
provide to the ,commission1 on a        
reimbursable basis1 such administrative 
support services as the ,commission may 
request4  7#b7 ,reimbursement ,any      
reimbursement under this paragraph shall
 be credited to the appropriation1 fund1
 or account used for paying the amounts 
reimbursed4  7i7 ,no effect on authority
 ,nothing in this section supersedes the
 authority of the ,national ,park       
,service with respect to the            
commemoration4  #g4 ,plans2 reports  7a7
 ,strategic plan ,the ,commission shall 
prepare a strategic plan for the        

activities of the ,commission carried   
out under this ,act4  7b7 ,final report 
,not later than ,july #a1 #bjbj1 the    
,commission shall complete and submit to
 ,congress a final report that          
contains--  7#a7 a summary of the       
activities of the ,commission2  7#b7 a  
final accounting of funds received and  
expended by the ,commission2 and  7#c7  
the findings and recommendations of the 
,commission4  #h4 ,authorization of     
appropriations  7a7 ,in general ,there  
are authorized to be appropriated to the
 ,commission such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this ,act4  7b7            
,availability ,amounts made available   
under subsection 7a7 shall remain       
available until ,july #a1 #bjbj4  #i4   
,termination of ,commission  7a7 ,date  
of termination ,the ,commission shall   
terminate on ,july #a1 #bjbj4  7b7      
,transfer of documents and materials    
,before the date of termination         
specified in subsection 7a71 the        
,commission shall transfer all documents

 and materials of the ,commission to the
 ,national ,archives or another         
appropriate ,federal entity4