Part B - Senate Commission on Art

2 USC 2101 - Senate Commission on Art

(a) Establishment
There is hereby established a Senate Commission on Art (hereinafter referred to as the Commission) consisting of the President pro tempore of the Senate, the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, and the majority and minority leaders of the Senate.

(b) Chairman and Vice Chairman; quorum; Executive Secretary
The Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate shall be the chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the Commission. Three members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except that the Commission may fix a lesser number which shall constitute a quorum for the taking of testimony. The Secretary of the Senate shall be the Executive Secretary of the Commission^[1]

(c) Appointment of Senate Curator; assignment of assistants
The Secretary of the Senate shall appoint a Senate Curator approved by the Senate Commission on Art. The Senate Curator shall be an employee of the Secretary of the Senate assigned to assist the Commission. The Secretary of the Senate shall assign additional employees to assist the Commission, and provide such other assistance, as the Commission determines necessary.

(d) Hearings and meetings
The Commission shall be empowered to hold hearings, summon witnesses, administer oaths, employ reporters, request the production of papers and records, take such testimony, and adopt such rules for the conduct of its hearings and meetings, as it deems necessary.

[1] So in original. Probably should be followed by a period.

2 USC 2102 - Duties of Commission

(a) In general
The Commission is hereby authorized and directed to supervise, hold, place, protect, and make known all works of art, historical objects, and exhibits within the Senate wing of the United States Capitol, any Senate Office Buildings, and in all rooms, spaces, and corridors thereof, which are the property of the United States, and in its judgment to accept any works of art, historical objects, or exhibits which may hereafter be offered, given, or devised to the Senate, its committees, and its officers for placement and exhibition in the Senate wing of the Capitol, the Senate Office Buildings, or in rooms, spaces, or corridors thereof.

(b) Issuance and publication of regulations
The Commission shall prescribe such regulations as it deems necessary for the care, protection, and placement of such works of art, exhibits, and historical objects in the Senate wing of the Capitol and the Senate Office Buildings, and for their acceptance on behalf of the Senate, its committees, and officers. Such regulations shall be published in the Congressional Record at such time or times as the Commission may deem necessary for the information of the Members of the Senate and the public.

(c) Consistency of regulations
Regulations authorized by the provisions of section 2183 of this title to be issued by the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate for the protection of the Capitol, and any regulations issued, or activities undertaken, by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, or the Architect of the Capitol, in carrying out duties relating to the care, preservation, and protection of the Senate wing of the Capitol and the Senate Office Buildings, shall be consistent with such rules and regulations as the Commission may issue pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(d) Responsibilities of Committee on Rules and Administration of Senate
The Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate in consultation with the Architect of the Capitol and consistent with regulations prescribed by the Commission under subsection (b) of this section, shall have responsibility for the supervision, protection, and placement of all works of art, historical objects, and exhibits which shall have been accepted on behalf of the Senate by the Commission or acknowledged as United States property by inventory of the Commission, and which may be lodged in the Senate wing of the Capitol or the Senate Office Buildings by the Commission.

2 USC 2103 - Supervision and maintenance of Old Senate Chamber

The Commission shall have responsibility for the supervision and maintenance of the Old Senate Chamber on the principal floor of the Senate wing of the Capitol and of the Old Supreme Court Chamber insofar as each is to be preserved as a patriotic shrine in the Capitol for the benefit of the people of the United States.

2 USC 2104 - Publication of list of works of art, historical objects, and exhibits

The Commission shall, from time to time, but at least once every ten years, publish as a Senate document a list of all works of art, historical objects, and exhibits currently within the Senate wing of the Capitol and the Senate Office Buildings, together with their description, location, and with such notes as may be pertinent to their history.

2 USC 2105 - Authorization of appropriations

There is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of the contingent fund of the Senate for the expenses of the Commission such amount as may be necessary each fiscal year, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate on vouchers signed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission and approved by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate: Provided, That no payment shall be made from such appropriation as salary.

2 USC 2106 - Repealed. Pub. L. 10883, title I, 3(a)(3), Sept. 30, 2003, 117 Stat. 1010

Section, based on S. Res. No. 95, Ninety-second Congress, Apr. 1, 1971, enacted into permanent law and amended by Pub. L. 100–696, title IX, § 901(a), (c), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4610, 4611, related to additional authority of the Senate Commission on Art to acquire works of art, historical objects, documents, or exhibits. Section was classified to section 188b5 of former Title 40, prior to the enactment of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, by Pub. L. 107–217, § 1, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1062.

2 USC 2107 - Conservation, restoration, replication, or replacement of items in United States Senate Collection

(a) Use of moneys in Senate contingent fund
Effective with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and each fiscal year thereafter, subject to the approval of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, any unexpended and unobligated funds in the appropriation account for the Secretary of the Senate within the contingent fund of the Senate which have not been withdrawn in accordance with section 102a of this title, shall be available for the expenses incurred, without regard to the fiscal year in which incurred, for the purchase of art and historical objects for the United States Senate Collection, for exhibits and public education relating to the United States Senate Collection, for administrative and transitional expenses of the Senate Commission on Art, and for the conservation, restoration, and replication or replacement, in whole or in part, of works of art, historical objects, documents, or material relating to historical matters for placement or exhibition within the Senate wing of the United States Capitol, any Senate Office Building, or any room, corridor, or other space therein. In the case of replication or replacement of such works, objects, documents, or material, the funds available under this subsection shall be available for any such works, objects, documents, or material previously contained within the Senate wing of the Capitol, or a work, object, document, or material historically accurate.

(b) United States Senate Collection
All such works, objects, documents, or materials referred to in subsection (a) of this section may be known as the United States Senate Collection.

(c) Approval of disbursements by Chairman or Executive Secretary of Senate Commission on Art
Disbursements for expenses incurred for the purposes in subsection (a) of this section shall be made upon vouchers approved by the Chairman of the Senate Commission on Art or the Executive Secretary of the Senate Commission on Art.

2 USC 2108 - Provisions relating to Senate Commission on Art

(a) Authority to acquire and dispose

(1) In general
The Senate Commission on Art (referred to in this section as the Commission) may

(A) accept gifts of money; and

(B) acquire (by gift, purchase, or otherwise) any work of art, historical object, document, or material relating to historical matters, or exhibit, for placement or exhibition in the Senate Wing of the Capitol, the Senate Office Buildings, or in rooms, spaces, or corridors thereof.

(2) Accession or disposal
All works of art, historical objects, documents, or material related to historical matters, or exhibits, acquired by the Commission may, as determined by the Commission and after consultation with the Curatorial Advisory Board, be

(A) retained for accession to the United States Senate Collection or other use; or

(B) disposed of by sale or other transaction.

(3) Omitted

(b) Advisory boards

(1) Curatorial Advisory Board
There is established a Board which shall be chaired by the Senate Curator. The Curatorial Advisory Board shall provide advice and assistance to the Commission on the acquisition, care, and disposition of items for or within the United States Senate Collection, and on such other matters as the Commission determines appropriate.

(2) Additional advisory boards

(A) In general
The Commission, or the chairman and vice chairman acting jointly on behalf of the Commission and after giving notice to the Commission, may establish 1 or more additional advisory boards.

(B) Term
The term of existence for an additional advisory board

(i) shall be specified by the Commission but no longer than 4 years; and

(ii) shall be renewable.

(C) Purpose
The purpose of an additional advisory board shall be to provide advice and assistance to the Commission and to further the purposes of the Commission.

(3) Appointments

(A) In general
Subject to subparagraph (B), the Curatorial Advisory Board and other advisory boards established by the Commission under paragraph (2) shall be composed of members appointed by the Commission, or the chairman and vice chairman acting jointly on behalf of the Commission and after giving notice to the Commission.

(B) Applicable rules
Members appointed under subparagraph (A)

(i) shall be appointed from public and private life and shall serve at the pleasure of the Commission; and

(ii) in the case of individuals appointed to the Curatorial Advisory Board, shall be experts or have significant experience in the field of arts, historic preservation, or other appropriate fields.

Each member of the Commission may have appointed to an advisory board created by the Commission at least 1 individual requested by that member.

(4) Members
A member of a board under this subsection

(A) may, at the discretion of the Commission, be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of the official duties of the board from any funds available to the Commission in accordance with applicable Senate regulations for such expenses; and

(B) shall not, by virtue of such members service on the board, be deemed to be an officer, employee, or agent of the Senate and may not bind the Senate in any contract or obligation.

(5) Terms for additional advisory board members
Members appointed to the other advisory boards created under paragraph (2) shall serve for terms as stated in their appointment, but no longer than a term of 4 years, except that any member may be reappointed upon the expiration of their term.

(6) Regulations
The Commission, or the chairman and vice chairman acting jointly on behalf of the Commission and after giving notice to the Commission, in consultation with the Committee on Rules and Administration, may promulgate such regulations governing advisory boards established under this subsection as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.

(7) Assistance
The Executive Secretary of the Commission shall provide assistance to an advisory board as authorized by the Commission.

(1) Establishment
There is established in the Treasury a fund, to be known as the Senate Preservation Fund (in this section referred to as the fund), which shall consist of amounts deposited and credited under paragraph (3).

(2) Payment of costs
The fund shall be available to the Commission for the payment of acquisition and transaction costs incurred for acquisitions under subsection (a) of this section, for official activities of any advisory board established under subsection (b) of this section, for any purposes for which funds from the contingent fund of the Senate may be used under section 2107 (a) of this title, and for expenditures, not to exceed $10,000 in any fiscal year, for meals and refreshments in Capitol facilities in connection with official activities of the Commission or other authorized programs or activities.

(3) Deposits, credits, and disbursements

(A) Deposits
The Commission shall deposit in the fund amounts appropriated for use of the fund, gifts of money, and proceeds of transactions under subsection (a) of this section.

(B) Credits
The Secretary of the Treasury shall credit to the fund the interest on, and the proceeds from sale or redemption of, obligations held in the fund.

(C) Disbursements
Disbursements from the fund shall be made on vouchers approved by the Commission and signed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission.

(4) Investments

(A) In general
The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest any portion of the fund that, as determined by the Commission, is not required to meet current withdrawals.

(B) Type of obligation
Each investment required by this paragraph shall be made in an interest bearing obligation of the United States or an obligation guaranteed as to the principal and interest by the United States that, as determined by the Commission, has a maturity suitable for the fund.

(C) Commission approval
In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary of the Treasury may make such purchases, sales, and redemption of obligations as may be approved by the Commission.

(5) Services and support
The Library of Congress shall provide financial management and disbursing services and support to the Commission as may be required and mutually agreed to by the Librarian of Congress and the Executive Secretary of the Commission.

(6) Audits
The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct annual audits of the Senate Preservation Fund and shall report the results of each audit to the Commission.