text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``400 Years of African-American 
  History Commission Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Commemoration.--The term ``commemoration'' means the 
          commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of 
          Africans in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia, 
          in 1619.
              (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 400 
          Years of African-American History Commission established by 
          section 3(a).
              (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of the Interior.
  
  SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
  
      (a) In General.--There is established a commission, to be known as 
  the ``400 Years of African-American History Commission''.
      (b) Membership.--
              (1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 15 
          members, of whom--
                      (A) 3 members shall be appointed by the Secretary, 
                  after considering the recommendations of Governors of 
                  States, including the Governor of Virginia;
                      (B) 6 members shall be appointed by the Secretary, 
                  after considering the recommendations of civil rights 
                  organizations and historical organizations;
                      (C) 1 member shall be an employee of the National 
                  Park Service having experience relating to the 
                  historical and cultural resources related to the 
                  commemoration, to be appointed by the Secretary;
                      (D) 2 members shall be appointed by the Secretary, 
                  after considering the recommendations of the Secretary 
                  of the Smithsonian Institution; and
                      (E) 3 members shall be individuals who have an 
                  interest in, support for, and expertise appropriate to 
                  the commemoration, to be appointed by the Secretary, 
                  after considering the recommendations of Members of 
                  Congress.
              (2) Time of appointment.--Each appointment of an initial 
          member of the Commission shall be made before the expiration of 
          the 120-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this 
          Act.
              (3) Term; vacancies.--
                      (A) Term.--A member of the Commission shall be 
                  appointed for the life of the Commission.
                      (B) Vacancies.--
                              (i) In general.--A vacancy on the 
                          Commission shall be filled in the same manner 
                          in which the original appointment was made.
                              (ii) 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 appointed.
                      (C) Continuation of membership.--If a member of the 
                  Commission was appointed to the Commission as an 
                  employee of the National Park Service, and ceases to be 
                  an employee of the National Park Service, that member 
                  may continue to serve on the Commission for not longer 
                  than the 30-day period beginning on the date on which 
                  that member ceases to be an employee of the National 
                  Park Service.
      (c) Duties.--The Commission shall--
              (1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities 
          throughout the United States--
                      (A) appropriate for the commemoration;
                      (B) to recognize and highlight the resilience and 
                  contributions of African-Americans since 1619;
                      (C) to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws 
                  that enforced racial discrimination had on the United 
                  States; and
                      (D) to educate the public about--
                              (i) the arrival of Africans in the United 
                          States; and
                              (ii) the contributions of African-Americans 
                          to the United States;
              (2) encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, 
          artistic, religious, economic, and other organizations 
          throughout the United States to organize and participate in 
          anniversary activities to expand understanding and appreciation 
          of--
                      (A) the significance of the arrival of Africans in 
                  the United States; and
                      (B) the contributions of African-Americans to the 
                  United States;
              (3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 
          nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration;
              (4) coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly 
          research on, publication about, and interpretation of--
                      (A) the arrival of Africans in the United States; 
                  and
                      (B) the contributions of African-Americans to the 
                  United States;
              (5) ensure that the commemoration provides a lasting legacy 
          and long-term public benefit by assisting in the development of 
          appropriate programs; and
              (6) 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 States.
  
  SEC. 4. COMMISSION MEETINGS.
  
      (a) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
  which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission 
  shall hold the initial meeting of the Commission.
      (b) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet--
              (1) at least 3 times each year; or
              (2) at the call of the Chairperson or the majority of the 
          members of the Commission.
      (c) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members shall constitute a 
  quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings.
      (d) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--
              (1) Election.--The Commission shall elect the Chairperson 
          and the Vice Chairperson of the Commission on an annual basis.
              (2) Absence of the chairperson.--The Vice Chairperson shall 
          serve as the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson.
      (e) Voting.--The Commission shall act only on an affirmative vote 
  of a majority of the members of the Commission.
  
  SEC. 5. COMMISSION POWERS.
  
      (a) Gifts.--The Commission may solicit, accept, use, and dispose of 
  gifts, bequests, or devises of money or other property for aiding or 
  facilitating the work of the Commission.
      (b) Appointment of Advisory Committees.--The Commission may appoint 
  such advisory committees as the Commission determines to be necessary 
  to carry out this Act.
      (c) 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 Act.
      (d) Procurement.--
              (1) In general.--The Commission may procure supplies, 
          services, and property, and make or enter into contracts, 
          leases, or other legal agreements, to carry out this Act 
          (except that a contract, lease, or other legal agreement made 
          or entered into by the Commission shall not extend beyond the 
          date of termination of the Commission).
              (2) Limitation.--The Commission may not purchase real 
          property.
      (e) 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 Government.
      (f) Grants and Technical Assistance.--The Commission may--
              (1) provide grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 per 
          grant to communities and nonprofit organizations for use in 
          developing programs to assist in the commemoration;
              (2) provide grants to research and scholarly organizations 
          to research, publish, or distribute information relating to the 
          arrival of Africans in the United States; and
              (3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and 
          nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration.
  
  SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
  
      (a) Compensation of Members.--
              (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 
          member of the Commission shall serve without compensation.
              (2) 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 Government.
      (b) Travel Expenses.--A member of the Commission shall be allowed 
  travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
  authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter I of chapter 
  57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from the home or regular 
  place of business of the member in the performance of the duties of the 
  Commission.
      (c) Director and Staff.--
              (1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission may, 
          without regard to the civil service laws (including 
          regulations), nominate an executive director to enable the 
          Commission to perform the duties of the Commission.
              (2) Confirmation of executive director.--The employment of 
          an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the 
          Commission.
      (d) Compensation.--
              (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
          Commission may fix the compensation of the executive director 
          and other personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 
          51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
          Code, relating to classification of positions and General 
          Schedule pay rates.
              (2) 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 5316 of 
          title 5, United States Code.
      (e) Detail of Government Employees.--
              (1) Federal employees.--
                      (A) Detail.--At the request of the Commission, the 
                  head of any Federal agency may detail, on a 
                  reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, any of the 
                  personnel of the agency to the Commission to assist the 
                  Commission in carrying out the duties of the Commission 
                  under this Act.
                      (B) Civil service status.--The detail of an 
                  employee under subparagraph (A) shall be without 
                  interruption or loss of civil service status or 
                  privilege.
              (2) State employees.--The Commission may--
                      (A) accept the services of personnel detailed from 
                  the State; and
                      (B) reimburse the State for services of detailed 
                  personnel.
      (f) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
  Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent 
  services in accordance with section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
  Code, 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 5316 of such title.
      (g) Volunteer and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding section 
  1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission may accept and use 
  such voluntary and uncompensated services as the Commission determines 
  to be necessary.
      (h) Support Services.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide to the 
          Commission, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative 
          support services as the Commission may request.
              (2) Reimbursement.--Any reimbursement under this paragraph 
          shall be credited to the appropriation, fund, or account used 
          for paying the amounts reimbursed.
      (i) No Effect on Authority.--Nothing in this section supersedes the 
  authority of the National Park Service with respect to the 
  commemoration.
  
  SEC. 7. PLANS; REPORTS.
  
      (a) Strategic Plan.--The Commission shall prepare a strategic plan 
  for the activities of the Commission carried out under this Act.
      (b) Final Report.--Not later than July 1, 2020, the Commission 
  shall complete and submit to Congress a final report that contains--
              (1) a summary of the activities of the Commission;
              (2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by 
          the Commission; and
              (3) the findings and recommendations of the Commission.
  
  SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
  Commission such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.
      (b) Availability.--Amounts made available under subsection (a) 
  shall remain available until July 1, 2020.
  
  SEC. 9. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
  
      (a) Date of Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on July 1, 
  2020.
      (b) Transfer of Documents and Materials.--Before the date of 
  termination specified in subsection (a), the Commission shall transfer 
  all documents and materials of the Commission to the National Archives 
  or another appropriate Federal entity.
target: .  400 Years of African-American History Commission Act (Sec. 3) This bill establishes the 400 Years of African-American History Commission to develop and carry out activities throughout the United States to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619. The commission must:  plan programs to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States;  encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, artistic, religious, and economic organizations to organize and participate in anniversary activities;  assist states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration; and  coordinate for the public scholarly research on the arrival of Africans in the United States and their contributions to this country.  (Sec. 5) The commission may provide: (1) grants to communities and nonprofit organizations for the development of programs; (2) grants to research and scholarly organizations to research, publish, or distribute information relating to the arrival of Africans in the United States; and (3) technical assistance to states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration. (Sec. 7) The commission must prepare a strategic plan and submit a final report to Congress that contains a summary of its activities, an accounting of its received and expended funds, and its recommendations. (Sec. 9) The commission shall terminate on July 1, 2020.
feat_title: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act