NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND (Public Law 91-345) AN ACT To establish a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, [20 U.S.C. 1501 note] That this Act may be cited as the "National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Act". STATEMENT OF POLICY SEC. 2. [20 U.S.C. 1501] The Congress hereby affirms that library and information services adequate to meet the needs of the people of the United States are essential to achieve national goals and to utilize most effectively the Nation's educational resources and that the Federal Government will cooperate with State and local governments and public and private agencies in assuring optimum provision of such services. COMMISSION ESTABLISHED SEC. 3. [20 U.S.C. 1502] (a)1 There is hereby established as an independent agency within the executive branch, a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (hereinafter referred to as the "Commission"). SEC. 4. [20 U.S.C. 1503] CONTRIBUTIONS. The Commission is authorized to accept, hold, administer, and utilize gifts, bequests, and devises of property, both real and personal, for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission. Gifts, bequests, and devises of money and proceeds from sales of other property received as gifts, bequests, or devises shall be deposited in the Treasury and shall be available for disbursement upon the order of the Commission. FUNCTIONS SEC. 5. [20 U.S.C. 1504] (a) The Commission shall have the primary responsibility for developing or recommending overall plans for, and advising the appropriate governments and agencies on, the policy set forth in section 2. In carrying out that responsibility, the Commission shall— (1) advise the President and the Congress on the implementation of national policy by such statements, presentations, and reports as it deems appropriate; 1 So in law. Subsection (b) was repealed by section 2 of P.L. 102-95 (105 Stat. 479). (2) conduct studies, surveys, and analyses of the library and informational needs of the Nation, including the special library and informational needs of rural areas, of economically, socially, or culturally deprived persons and of elderly persons, and the means by which these needs may be met through information centers, through the libraries of elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education, and through public, research, special, and other types of libraries; (3) appraise the adequacies and deficiencies of current library and information resources and services and evaluate the effectiveness of current library and information science programs; (4) develop overall plans for meeting national library and informational needs and for the coordination of activities at the Federal, State, and local levels, taking into consideration all of the library and informational resources of the Nation to meet those needs; (5) be authorized to advise Federal, State, local, and private agencies regarding library and information sciences; (6) promote research and development activities which will extend and improve the Nation's library and information handling capability as essential links in national and international communications and cooperative networks; (7) submit to the President and the Congress (not later than January 31 of each year) a report on its activities during the preceding fiscal year; and (8) make and publish such additional reports as it deems to be necessary, including, but not limited to, reports of consultants, transcripts of testimony, summary reports, and reports of other Commission findings, studies, and recommendations. (b) The Commission shall have the responsibility to advise the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services on general policies with respect to the duties, powers, and authority of the Institute of Museum and Library Services relating to library services, including (1) general policies with respect to— (A) financial assistance awarded under the Museum and Library Services Act for library services; and and (B) projects described in section 262(a)(4) of such Act; (2) measures to ensure that the policies and activities of the Institute of Museum and Library Services are coordinated with other activities of the Federal Government. (c)(1) The Commission shall meet not less than 1 time each year in a joint meeting with the National Museum Services Board, convened for purposes of providing advice on general policy with respect to financial assistance for projects described in section 262(a)(4) of such Act. (2) All decisions by the Commission and the National Museum Services Board with respect to the advice on general policy described in paragraph (1) shall be made by a 3 majority vote of the total number of the members of the Commission and the National Museum Services Board who are present. (3) A majority of the members of the Commission and a majority of the members of the National Museum Services Board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business at official joint meetings of the Commission and the National Museum Services Board. (d) The Commission is authorized to contract with Federal agencies and other public and private agencies to carry out any of its functions under subsection (a) and to publish and disseminate such reports, findings, studies, and records as it deems appropriate. (e) The Commission is further authorized to conduct such hearings at such times and places as it deems appropriate for carrying out the purposes of this Act. (f) The heads of all Federal agencies are, to the extent not prohibited by law, directed to cooperate with the Commission in carrying out the purposes of this Act. MEMBERSHIP SEC. 6. [20 U.S.C. 1505] (a) The Commission shall be composed of the Librarian of Congress, the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (who shall serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member), and fourteen members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Five members of the Commission shall be professional librarians or information specialists, and the remainder shall be persons having special competence in or knowledge of the needs of our society for library and information services, at least one of whom shall be knowledgeable with respect to the technological aspects of library and information services and sciences and at least one other of whom shall be knowledgeable with respect to the library and information service and science needs of the elderly. One of the appointive members of the Commission shall be designated by the President as Chairman of the Commission. A majority of members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for conduct of business at official meetings of the Commission. The terms of office of the appointive members of the Commission shall be five years, except that (1) the term of office of any member of the Commission shall continue until the earlier of (A) the date on which the member's successor has been appointed by the President; or (B) July 19 of the year succeeding the year in which the member's appointed term of office shall expire, and (2) a member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. (b) Members of the Commission who are not in the regular fulltime employ of the United States shall, while attending meetings or conferences of the Commission or otherwise engaged in the bus.ness of the Commission, be entitled to receive compensation at a rate fixed by the Chairman, but not exceeding the daily equivalent of the maximum rate authorized for a position above grade GS-15 of the General Schedule under section 5108 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel-time) during which the members are engaged in the business of the Commission. While so serving on the business of the Commission away from their homes or regular places of business, they may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for persons employed intermittently in the Government service. (c)(1) The Commission is authorized to appoint, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, covering appointments in the competitive service, such professional and technical personnel as may be necessary to enable it to carry out its function under this Act. (2) The Commission may procure, without regard to the civil service or classification laws, temporary and intermittent services of such personnel as is necessary to the extent authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed the rate specified at the time of such service for grade GS-18 in section 5332 of title 5, United States Code, including traveltime, and while so serving on the business of the Commission away from their homes or regular places of business they may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for persons employed intermittently in the Government service. SEC. 7. [20 U.S.C. 1506] AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. There are authorized to be appropriated $911,000 for fiscal year 1992 and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year thereafter to carry out the provisions of this Act. SECTIONS 202 AND 203 OF THE FEDERAL PROPERTY SEC. 202. [40 U.S.C. 483] PROPERTY UTILIZATION. (a) * * * * * * * * (d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, Federal agencies are prohibited from obtaining excess personal property for purposes of furnishing such property to grantees of such agencies, except as follows: (1) Under such regulations as the Administrator may prescribe, any Federal agency may obtain excess personal property for purposes of furnishing it to any institution or organization which is a public agency or is nonprofit and exempt from taxation under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and which is conducting a federally sponsored project pursuant to a grant made for specific purpose with a specific termination made: Provided, That (A) such property is to be furnished for use in connection with the grant; and (B) the sponsoring Federal agency pays an amount equal to 25 per centum of the original acquisition cost (except for costs of care and handling) of the excess property furnished, such funds to be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. Title to excess property obtained under this paragraph shall vest in the grantees and shall be accounted for and disposed of in accordance with procedures governing the accountability of personal property acquired under grant agreements. (2) Under such regulations and restrictions as the Administrator may prescribe, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the following: (A) property furnished under section 608 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, where and to the extent that the Administrator of General Services determines that the property to be furnished under such Act is not needed for donation pursuant to section 203(j) of this Act; (B) scientific equipment furnished under section 11(e) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1870(e)); (C) property furnished under section 203 of the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. |