National Children's Museum Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1703) to amend title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of General Services to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum to provide the National Children's Museum rental space without charge in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1703
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 ``National Children's Museum Act''. SEC. 2. NATIONAL CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-81) designated the Capital Children's Museum, the predecessor to the National Children's Museum, as the ``National Children's Museum'';
(2) the National Children's Museum operates under section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is organized under the laws of the District of Columbia;
(3) the mission of the National Children's Museum is to inspire children to care about and change the world; and
(4) the National Children's Museum is located in the federally owned Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.
(b) National Children's Museum.--Chapter 67 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 6735. National Children's Museum
``(a) In General.-- Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator of General Services shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum for the operation of the National Children's Museum in the approximately 32,369 square feet of space commonly known as suite C-001 (hereinafter referred to as the `Space') of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center for the duration of the retail space license agreement between Trade Center Management Associates, LLC, or a successor entity, and the Museum, dated December 4, 2017, including any exercised renewal options.
``(b) Contents.--The cooperative agreement under subsection (a) shall include provisions that--
``(1) require, for the period in which the General Services Administration owns or controls the Space, the General Services Administration to provide rent for the Space;
``(2) terminate such agreement if--
``(A) the Museum does not continue to qualify as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
``(B) the Museum no longer uses the Space as a children's museum; and
``(3) prohibits the Museum from transferring the interest in such agreement.
``(c) Source of Funds.--To carry out this section, the Administrator shall use funds derived from--
``(1) the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation fund; or
``(2) the International Trade Center fund.
``(d) Report.--The cooperative agreement under subsection (a) shall require the National Children's Museum to submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate an annual report on the operations and finances of the Museum.''.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 67 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``6735. National Children's Museum.''. SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
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Ms. NORTON. 1703, as amended.
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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1703, the National Children's Museum Act, which I have sponsored. Last Congress, the House passed this bill by voice vote.
This bipartisan, bicameral bill, which I introduced with Republican Rodney Davis of Illinois and which has been introduced in the Senate by Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Republican Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia would require the General Services Administration to enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Children's Museum, a congressionally designated museum, to allow the museum to remain in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, a Federally owned building in the Nation's capital without charge for the duration of its existing lease.
The National Building Museum operates under such an agreement. The National Children's Museum is the only congressionally designated museum required to pay rent in a Federal building.
Originally named the Capital Children's Museum, the museum was a staple in D.C. for decades. The museum opened in 1974 in a former convent on H Street Northeast. In 2003, Congress recognized the immense value of having a children's museum in the Nation's capital and officially designated the museum as the National Children's Museum.
After being closed for several years, the museum reopened last year in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in downtown D.C. where it immediately attracted visitors from throughout the Nation's capital and the entire Nation. However, only 18 days later, the coronavirus pandemic forced the museum to close its physical space.
Still, the museum continued to offer valuable online resources to our children as they navigated new, challenging learning circumstances, including over 75 at-home experiment and project video programs and monthly podcasts. The museum has served teachers in 45 States and the District through its virtual field trips since the pandemic began. However, due to revenue losses during the pandemic and other costs, the museum has said it will close permanently without enactment of this bill.
This bill would allow the National Children's Museum to continue to benefit the millions who visit and live in the Nation's capital and the national capital region.
Madam Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased to lead this effort with my good friend and colleague, the chair of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Ms. Norton.
As Congresswoman Norton said, this important legislation directs the General Services Administration to provide rent relief to the National Children's Museum that is currently housed in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center right here in Washington, D.C.
Currently, the museum is the only federally designated museum sitting in a Federal building that is required to pay rent. This bill will give the museum the same benefits afforded to other congressionally designated museums.
Prepandemic, the museum offered our children the ability to interact with exhibits that were focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. And that allowed children to foster a greater appreciation for our STEM fields.
As our country reopens and we look to the future, the museum will continue to build off that success and become even more valuable of a resource for our youth. In that spirit, I actually look forward to visiting with some of my colleagues soon and talking about this important bill. It is just frustrating that it is the only museum that is congressionally directed that has to pay another government agency, the GSA, for rent when they weren't allowed to be open.
So this is a commonsense bill. It has been great to work with Congresswoman Norton, and I support this legislation.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. Norton for her cooperation on this. It is great to be back on the floor and see everybody. I enjoy this greatly. I certainly hope everybody supports this commonsense bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, like my friend, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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