COVID–19 Memorial Quilt Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7161 To direct the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out the COVID–19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project to honor and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID–19 Pandemic, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 11, 2020 Mr. CARSON of Indiana (for himself, Mr. RUSH, Ms. MOORE, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. LEWIS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Mr. KENNEDY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Com- mittee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently deter- mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To direct the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out the COVID–19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project to honor and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID–19 Pandemic, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7161 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Memorial 2 Quilt Act of 2020’’. 3 SEC. 2. COVID–19 PANDEMIC MEMORIAL QUILT PROJECT. 4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION.—The Sec- 5 retary of the Smithsonian Institution and the Director of 6 the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress 7 shall jointly carry out a project to be known as the 8 ‘‘COVID–19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project’’ to honor 9 and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the 10 COVID–19 Pandemic. 11 (b) SCOPE OF PROJECT.—Under the Project, the 12 Secretary and the Director shall— 13 (1) provide for the design, creation, and display 14 of a memorial quilt consisting of individual panels in 15 memory of those who have lost their lives to the 16 COVID–19 Pandemic; and 17 (2) carry out other commemorative program- 18 ming and exhibits to honor the victims of the 19 COVID–19 Pandemic. 20 (c) SPECIFICS OF MEMORIAL QUILT.— 21 (1) SPECIFICS.—In providing for the design, 22 creation, and display of the memorial quilt described 23 in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary and Director 24 shall provide for the following: 25 (A) The design and creation of the quilt. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7161 IH (B) Agreements with the Architect of the 1 Capitol for the first display of the quilt to be 2 held on the United States Capitol Grounds. 3 (C) Agreements with the National Park 4 Service for the second display of the quilt to be 5 held on the National Mall. 6 (D) Agreements with museums, institu- 7 tions of higher education, and other appropriate 8 persons to display portions of the quilt, and to 9 provide such museums, institutions, and other 10 persons with educational materials relating to 11 the creation of the quilt and the history of the 12 Pandemic. 13 (E) Making information on the quilt avail- 14 able on the official public website of the Smith- 15 sonian Institution and the American Folklife 16 Center at the Library of Congress. 17 (F) The provision for the appropriate stor- 18 age and preservation of the quilt. 19 (2) ASSISTANCE TO ARTISTS FROM NATIONAL 20 ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.—There are authorized 21 to be appropriated to the National Endowment for 22 the Arts such sums as may be necessary for the 23 Chairperson of the National Endowment for the 24 Arts to make grants-in-aid to individual artists 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 7161 IH under section 5(c) of the National Foundation of the 1 Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2 954(c)) to assist such artists with the design and 3 preparation of panels for the quilt described in sub- 4 section (b)(1). 5 (d) PLAN OF CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY PANEL.— 6 The Secretary and the Director shall carry out the Project 7 in accordance with the plan submitted by the Congres- 8 sional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the 9 COVID–19 Pandemic under section 3. 10 (e) ENSURING PARTICIPATION OF NATIVE AMERI- 11 CANS AND RESIDENTS OF TERRITORIES.—In carrying out 12 the Project, the Secretary and the Director shall take 13 steps to ensure the participation of Native Americans, 14 tribal nations, and residents of territories and possessions 15 of the United States. 16 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY PANEL ON HONORING 17 VICTIMS OF COVID–19 PANDEMIC. 18 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Con- 19 gressional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the 20 COVID–19 Pandemic. 21 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Panel shall be 23 composed of— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 7161 IH (A) 25 members appointed by the chair of 1 the Committee on Transportation and Infra- 2 structure of the House of Representatives in 3 consultation with the ranking minority member 4 of the Committee and the chair and ranking 5 minority member of the Committee on House 6 Administration of the House of Representatives; 7 and 8 (B) the Secretary of the Smithsonian Insti- 9 tution and the Director of the American 10 Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, who 11 shall each serve as an ex officio member. 12 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The members of the Ad- 13 visory Panel who are appointed under subparagraph 14 (A) of paragraph (1) shall include public health ex- 15 perts, public health advocates, educators, research- 16 ers, families and individuals affected by the COVID– 17 19 Pandemic, public health workers including physi- 18 cians and nurses, elected leaders of local govern- 19 ments, representatives of communities that are heav- 20 ily affected by the Pandemic, and front-line per- 21 sonnel. 22 (3) DEADLINE.—The members of the Advisory 23 Panel shall be appointed not later than 90 days 24 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 7161 IH (4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Advisory 1 Panel shall serve without pay, but shall receive trav- 2 el expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsist- 3 ence, in accordance with applicable provisions under 4 subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 5 Code. 6 (5) VACANCY.—A vacancy in the Advisory 7 Panel shall be filled in the same manner as the 8 original appointment was made. 9 (c) STAFF.— 10 (1) APPOINTMENT.—The Advisory Panel shall 11 appoint and fix the pay of such personnel as it con- 12 siders appropriate. 13 (2) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL 14 SERVICE LAWS.—The staff of the Advisory Panel 15 may be appointed without regard to the provisions 16 of title 5, United States Code, governing appoint- 17 ments in the competitive service, and may be paid 18 without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 19 subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 20 classification and General Schedule pay rates, except 21 that an individual so appointed may not receive pay 22 in excess of the annual rate of basic pay for GS–15 23 of the General Schedule. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 7161 IH (3) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Advi- 1 sory Panel may procure temporary and intermittent 2 services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 3 States Code. 4 (4) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon re- 5 quest of the Advisory Panel, the head of any Federal 6 department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable 7 basis, any of the personnel of that department or 8 agency to the Advisory Panel to assist it in carrying 9 out its duties under this Act 10 (d) PLAN FOR CARRYING OUT PROJECT.— 11 (1) PLAN.—The Advisory Panel shall develop 12 and submit to the Secretary of the Smithsonian In- 13 stitution and the Director of the American Folklife 14 Center at the Library of Congress a plan for the 15 Secretary and Director to carry out the COVID–19 16 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project under section 2. 17 (2) DEADLINE.—The Advisory Panel shall sub- 18 mit the plan under this subsection to the Secretary 19 and the Director not later than 1 year after the ap- 20 pointment of all of its members. 21 (e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 22 the request of the Advisory Panel, the Administrator of 23 General Services shall provide to the Advisory Panel, on 24 a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 7161 IH necessary for the Advisory Panel to carry out its respon- 1 sibilities under this Act. 2 (f) TERMINATION.—The Advisory Panel shall termi- 3 nate 6 months after submitting the plan under this sec- 4 tion. 5 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 6 In addition to the sums authorized to be appropriated 7 to the National Endowment for the Arts under section 8 2(c)(2), there are authorized to be appropriated such sums 9 as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Jun 28, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H7161.IH H7161 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS