To establish a memorial in the State of Pennsylvania to honor the passengers and crewmembers of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, gave their lives to prevent a planned attack on the Capital of the United States.

April 16, 2002

Mr. SPECTER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

To establish a memorial in the State of Pennsylvania to honor the passengers and crewmembers of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, gave their lives to prevent a planned attack on the Capital of the United States.

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 `Flight 93 National Memorial Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds that--

(1) on September 11, 2001, passengers and crewmembers of United Airlines Flight 93 courageously gave their lives to prevent a planned attack on the Capital of the United States;

(2) thousands of people have visited the crash site since September 11, 2001, drawn by the heroic action and sacrifice of the passengers and crewmembers aboard Flight 93;

(3) many people in the United States are concerned about the future disposition of the crash site, including--

(A) grieving families of the passengers and crewmembers;

(B) the people of the region where the crash site is located; and

(C) citizens throughout the United States;

(4) many of those people are involved in the formation of the Flight 93 Task Force, a broad, inclusive organization established to provide a voice for all parties interested in and concerned about the crash site;

(5) the crash site commemorates Flight 93 and is a profound symbol of American patriotism and spontaneous leadership by citizens of the United States;

(6) a memorial of the crash site should--

(A) recognize the victims of the crash in an appropriate manner; and

(B) address the interests and concerns of interested parties; and

(7) it is appropriate that the crash site of Flight 93 be designated as a unit of the National Park System.

(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are--

(1) to establish a memorial to honor the passengers and crewmembers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001;

(2) to establish the Flight 93 Advisory Commission to assist in the formulation of plans for the memorial, including the nature, design, and construction of the memorial; and

(3) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to administer the memorial, coordinate and facilitate the activities of the Flight 93 Advisory Commission, and provide technical and financial assistance to the Flight 93 Task Force.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the Flight 93 Advisory Commission established by section (4)(b).

(2) CRASH SITE- The term `crash site' means the site in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 2001.

(3) MEMORIAL- The term `Memorial' means the memorial to the passengers and crewmembers of United Airlines Flight 93 established by section 4(a).

(4) PASSENGER OR CREWMEMBER-

(A) IN GENERAL- The term `passenger or crewmember' means a passenger or crewmember aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.

(B) EXCLUSIONS- The term `passenger or crewmember' does not include a terrorist aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.

(5) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of the Interior.

(6) TASK FORCE- The term `Task Force' means the Flight 93 Task Force.

SEC. 4. MEMORIAL TO HONOR THE PASSENGERS AND CREWMEMBERS OF FLIGHT 93.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established as a unit of the National Park System a memorial at the crash site to honor the passengers and crewmembers of Flight 93.

(b) ADVISORY COMMISSION-

(1) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established a commission to be known as the `Flight 93 Advisory Commission'.

(2) MEMBERSHIP- The Commission shall be composed of--

(A) the Director of the National Park Service; and

(B) 14 members, appointed by the Secretary, from among persons recommended by the Task Force.

(3) TERM; VACANCIES-

(A) TERM- A member of the Commission shall be appointed for the life of the Commission.

(B) VACANCIES- A vacancy on the Commission--

(i) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; and

(ii) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.

(4) MEETINGS-

(A) IN GENERAL- The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of the members.

(B) FREQUENCY- The Commission shall meet not less than quarterly.

(C) NOTICE- Notice of meetings and the agenda for the meetings shall be published in--

(i) newspapers in and around Somerset County, Pennsylvania; and

(ii) the Federal Register.

(D) OPEN MEETINGS- Meetings of the Commission shall be subject to section 552b of title 5, United States Code.

(5) QUORUM- A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.

(6) CHAIRPERSON- The Commission shall select a Chairperson from among the members of the Commission.

(7) DUTIES- The Commission shall--

(A) not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, submit to the Secretary and Congress a report that contains recommendations for the planning, design, construction, and long-term management of the memorial;

(B) advise the Secretary on--

(i) the boundaries of the memorial; and

(ii) the development of a management plan for the memorial;

(C) consult with the Task Force, the State of Pennsylvania, and other interested parties, as appropriate;

(D) support the efforts of the Task Force; and

(E) involve the public in the planning and design of the memorial.

(8) POWERS- The Commission may--

(A) make expenditures for services and materials appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section;

(B) accept donations for use in carrying out this section and for other expenses associated with the memorial, including the construction of the memorial;

(C) hold hearings and enter into contracts, including contracts for personal services;

(D) by a vote of the majority of the Commission, delegate any duties that the Commission determines to be appropriate to employees of the National Park Service; and

(E) conduct any other activities necessary to carry out this Act.

(9) COMPENSATION- A member of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of the Commission.

(10) TERMINATION- The Commission shall terminate on the dedication of the memorial.

(c) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY- The Secretary shall--

(1) administer the memorial as a unit of the National Park Service in accordance with--

(A) this Act; and

(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National Park System;

(2) provide advice to the Commission on the collection, storage, and archiving of information and materials relating to the crash or the crash site;

(3) consult with and assist the Commission in--

(A) providing information to the public;

(B) interpreting any information relating to the crash or the crash site;

(C) conducting oral history interviews; and

(D) conducting public meetings and forums;

(4) participate in the development of plans for the design and construction of the memorial;

(5) provide to the Commission--

(A) assistance in designing and managing exhibits, collections, or activities at the memorial;

(B) project management assistance for design and construction activities; and

(C) staff and other forms of administrative support;

(6) acquire from willing sellers the land or interests in land for the memorial by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange; and

(7) provide the Commission any other assistance that the Commission may require to carry out this Act.

END