,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #difc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #c1  
#bjbj,mr4 ,schatz introduced the        
following bill2 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 ,people1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,national     
,museum of the ,american ,people        
,presidential ,commission ,establishment
 ,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,findings ,congress
 finds the following3 7#a7 ,our ,nation 
continues to struggle with acceptance of
 immigrant communities and individuals  
having diverse ancestry despite their   
major contributions to our country4     
7#b7 ,our ,nation is reeling from grave 
health disparities among minority and   
immigrant communities1 and structural   

inequities which have been exposed by   
the pandemic4  7#c7 ,our ,nation        
recognizes its imperfections yet        
continues to strive to uphold the       
principles1 aspirations1 and ideals upon
 which our ,nation was founded4  7#d7   
,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 wounds4  7#e7 ,a    
,national ,museum of the ,american      
,people would tell the full story about 
the making of the ,american ,people from
 wherever they came3 ,europe1 ,asia and 
the ,pacific ,islands1 ,oceania1 the    
,middle ,east1 ,africa1 and the         
,americas1 including the ,first         
,peoples4  7#f7 ,there is no national   
museum in ,washington1 ,,dc1 that-- 7,a7
 tells the story of all of the people of
 the ,united ,states2 or  7,b7 tells a  
history of indigenous peoples1          
colonization1 slavery1 immigration1 and 
migration within the ,united ,states4   

7#g7 ,a ,national ,museum of the        
,american ,people would-- 7,a7 recount  
the history of all groups of people who 
came to the ,united ,states and the     
contributions of those people to the    
,united ,states2  7,b7 have the theme ,e
 ,pluribus ,unum1 the original motto of 
the ,united ,states2  7,c7 celebrate all
 ethnicities in the ,united ,states2    
7,d7 foster a sense of inclusivity      
within the ,united ,states2  7,e7       
contribute to a common national identity
 as people of the ,united ,states2  7,f7
 recognize the continued importance of  
immigrants to our ,nation's success2    
7,g7 highlight the ,declaration of      
,independence1 the ,constitution1 and   
the ,bill of ,rights1 the founding      
documents of the ,united ,states2  7,h7 
explore the ways in which those         
documents shaped the character of the   
people of the ,united ,states and       
infused the people of the ,united       
,states with common values and a        
dedication to a democratic form of      

government2  7,i7 be a resource for     
,state1 local1 and ethnic museums       
throughout the ,united ,states that     
present exhibits that celebrate the     
heritage of the people of the ,united   
,states2 and  7,j7 benefit all people of
 the ,united ,states4  7#h7 ,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       
,states4  7#i7 ,visitors from every     
country would visit a ,national ,museum 
of the ,american ,people to learn about 
the ,american experience4  7#aj7 ,the   
goal of a ,national ,museum of the      
,american ,people would be to-- 7,a7 be 
the best storytelling museum in the     
world2  7,b7 recount one of the most    
amazing stories in human history2  7,c7 
honor all of the people who have become 
people of the ,united ,states2  7,d7    
acknowledge that our ,nation celebrates 
justice1 equal opportunity1 and respect 

for the human dignity of all2  7,e7     
educate every ,american about the       
immigration stories that contributed to 
the successes and advancement of our    
,nation2 and  7,f7 foster learning at   
the ,national ,museum of the ,american  
,people and throughout the ,nation4     
7#aa7 ,upon the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 non-,federal sources will be 
sought to support funding for a         
,commission to study the establishment  
of the ,national ,museum of the         
,american ,people4  7#ab7 ,non-,federal 
sources are anticipated to provide      
funding to design and build the         
,national ,museum of the ,american      
,people1 its exhibitions1 and its       
components4  7#ac7 ,two hundred and     
fifty organizations representing #gc    
different ethnic1 nationality1 minority1
 and genealogical groups support the    
establishment of a museum to tell their 
stories in a national ,washington1 ,,dc1
 museum about becoming ,americans4  #c4 
,commission to study establishment of a 

,national ,museum of the ,american      
,people  7a7 ,in general ,the ,president
 shall establish a bipartisan commission
 7referred to in this section as the    
,commission7 to study the establishment 
of a ,national ,museum of the ,american 
,people 7referred to as the ,museum74   
7b7 ,membership  7#a7 ,composition ,the 
,commission shall be composed of #bc    
members appointed not later than #f     
months after the date of enactment of   
this ,act as follows3 7,a7 ,the         
,president shall appoint #g voting      
members4  7,b7 ,the ,speaker of the     
,house of ,representatives1 the minority
 leader of the ,house of                
,representatives1 the majority leader of
 the ,senate1 and the minority leader of
 the ,senate shall each appoint #c      
voting members4  7,c7 ,in addition to   
the members appointed under subparagraph
 7,b71 the ,speaker of the ,house of    
,representatives1 the minority leader of
 the ,house of ,representatives1 the    
majority leader of the ,senate1 and the 

minority leader of the ,senate shall    
each appoint #a nonvoting member4  7#b7 
,qualifications ,members of the         
,commission shall be chosen from among  
individuals1 or representatives of      
institutions or entities1 who possess   
either-- 7,a7 a demonstrated commitment 
to the research1 study1 or promotion of 
the ,american people as described in    
section #b of this ,act1 together with--
 7i7 expertise in museum administration2
  7ii7 expertise in fundraising for     
nonprofit or cultural institutions2     
7iii7 experience in the study and       
teaching of ,american culture and       
history at the postsecondary level2     
7iv7 experience in studying the issue of
 the ,smithsonian ,institution's        
representation of ,american art1 life1  
history1 and culture2 or  7v7 extensive 
experience in public or elected service2
 or  7,b7 experience in the             
administration of1 or the planning for  
the establishment of1 museums devoted to
 the study and promotion of the role of 

ethnic1 racial1 or cultural groups in   
,american history4  7#c7 ,period of     
appointment2 vacancies ,members shall be
 appointed for the life of the          
,commission4 ,any vacancy in the        
,commission shall not affect its powers1
 but shall be filled in the same manner 
as the original appointment4  7#d7      
,quorum ,a majority of the members of   
the ,commission shall constitute a      
quorum1 but a lesser number of members  
may hold hearings4  7#e7 ,initial       
meeting ,not later than #cj days after  
the date on which a quorum of members of
 the ,commission have been appointed1   
the ,commission shall hold its first    
meeting4  7#f7 ,meetings ,the           
,commission shall meet at the call of   
the ,chair4  7#g7 ,chair and ,vice      
,chair ,the ,commission shall select a  
,chair and ,vice ,chair from among its  
members4  7c7 ,duties of the ,commission
  7#a7 ,study ,the ,commission shall    
conduct a thorough study of all matters 
relating to the establishment of a      

,national ,museum of the ,american      
,people4  7#b7 ,report ,not later than  
#a year after the date of the enactment 
of this ,act1 the ,commission shall     
submit a report to the ,president and   
,congress1 which shall contain a        
detailed statement of the findings and  
conclusions of the ,commission1 together
 with the ,commission's recommendations 
for such legislation or administrative  
actions as the ,commission considers    
appropriate1 on the following issues3   
7,a7 ,the mission of the ,national      
,museum of the ,american ,people1 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   
words3 ,we the ,people4  7,b7 ,the story
 about the making of the ,american      
,people in #d chapters3 7i7 ,first      
,peoples ,come3 #aj1jjj years ago       
7est47-#afjg4  7ii7 ,the ,nation ,takes 
,form3 #afjg-ahbj4  7iii7 ,the ,great   

,in-,gathering3 #ahbj-aibd4  7iv7 ,still
 ,they ,come3 #aibd-present4  7,c7 ,the 
availability and cost of collections to 
be acquired and housed in the ,museum4  
7,d7 ,possible locations for the ,museum
 in ,washington1 ,,dc1 and its environs1
 to be considered in consultation with  
the ,national ,capital ,planning        
,commission and the ,commission of ,fine
 ,arts1 the ,department of the          
,interior1 and the ,smithsonian         
,institution4  7,e7 ,whether the ,museum
 should be part of the ,smithsonian     
,institution4  7,f7 ,the governance and 
organizational structure from which the 
,museum should operate4  7,g7 ,the cost 
of constructing1 operating1 and         
maintaining the ,museum4  7#c7          
,legislation to carry out plan of action
 ,based on the recommendations from the 
study under paragraph 7#a7 and the      
report submitted under paragraph 7#b71  
the ,commission shall submit for        
consideration to the ,committee on      
,transportation and ,infrastructure of  

the ,house of ,representatives1 the     
,committee on ,house ,administration of 
the ,house of ,representatives1 the     
,committee on ,rules and ,administration
 of the ,senate1 the ,committee on      
,natural ,resources of the ,house of    
,representatives1 the ,committee on     
,energy and ,natural ,resources of the  
,senate1 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   
,museum4  7#d7 ,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 sources4  7d7 ,powers of the  
,commission  7#a7 ,hearings ,the        
,commission may hold such hearings1 sit 
and act at such times and places1 take  
such testimony1 and receive such        
evidence as the ,commission considers   
advisable to carry out this ,act4  7#b7 

,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 ,act4 ,upon
 request of the ,chair of the           
,commission1 the head of such department
 or agency shall furnish such           
information to the ,commission4  7#c7   
,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 ,government4   
7#d7 ,gifts ,the ,commission may accept1
 use1 and dispose of gifts or donations 
of services or property4  7e7           
,commission personnel matters  7#a7     
,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 #ecae of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code1 for each day 7including  
travel time7 during which such member is
 engaged in the performance of the      
duties of the ,commission4 ,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    
,states4  7#b7 ,travel expenses ,the    
members of the ,commission shall be     
allowed travel expenses1 including per  
diem in lieu of subsistence1 at rates   
authorized for employees of agencies    
under subchapter ,i of chapter #eg of   
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 while  
away from their homes or regular places 
of business in the performance of       
services for the ,commission4  7#c7     
,staff  7,a7 ,in general ,the ,chair of 
the ,commission may1 without regard to  
the civil service laws and regulations1 
appoint and terminate an executive      
director and such other additional      

personnel as may be necessary to enable 
the ,commission to perform its duties4  
,the employment of an executive director
 shall be subject to confirmation by the
 ,commission4  7,b7 ,compensation ,the  
,chair of the ,commission may fix the   
compensation of the executive director  
and other personnel without regard to   
chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of     
chapter #ec of title #e1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 relating to classification of   
positions and ,general ,schedule pay    
rates1 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 #ecaf of such   
title4  7,c7 ,personnel as ,federal     
employees  7i7 ,in general ,the         
executive director and any personnel of 
the ,commission who are employees shall 
be employees under section #baje of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for    
purposes of chapters #fc1 #ha1 #hc1 #hd1
 #he1 #hg1 #hi1 #hi;,a1 #hi;,b1 and #ij 

of that title4  7ii7 ,members of        
,commission ,clause 7i7 shall not be    
construed to apply to members of the    
,commission4  7#d7 ,detail of           
,government employees ,any ,federal     
,government employee may be detailed to 
the ,commission without reimbursement1  
and such detail shall be without        
interruption or loss of civil service   
status or privilege4  7#e7 ,procurement 
of temporary and intermittent services  
,the ,chair of the ,commission may      
procure temporary and intermittent      
services under section #caji7;b7 of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 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 #ecaf of such title4  7f7 
,termination of the ,commission ,the    
,commission shall terminate #ij days    
after the date on which the ,commission 
submits its recommendations under       
subsection 7c77#c74  7g7 ,authorization 

of appropriations ,there are authorized 
to be appropriated for carrying out the 
activities of the ,commission #b1ajj1jjj
 for the first fiscal year beginning    
after the date of enactment of this ,act
 and #a1ajj1jjj for the second fiscal   
year beginning after the date of        
enactment of this ,act4