Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center Act
Public Law 108-126 · H.R. 1442 · 108th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Nov 17, 2003 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA-11)
Cosponsors (85): Rep. Nick Rahall, Rep. Jim Gibbons,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Title I: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center - (Sec. 101) Authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. (Fund) to construct an underground visitor center at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Memorial) to better inform and educate the public about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam War. Requires the Fund to consult with educators, veterans groups, and the National Park Service in developing the proposed design of the visitor center.
Designates the visitor center as a commemorative work for purposes of Federal standards applicable to National Capital Memorials and commemorative works, but waives final approval and location requirements. Limits the size of the visitor center to the minimum necessary to: (1) provide for appropriate educational and interpretive functions; (2) prevent interference with or encroachment on the Memorial; and (3) protect open space and visual sightlines on the Mall. Specifies that the visitor center shall be constructed and landscaped to be harmonious with the Memorial, consistent with the special nature and sanctity of the Mall.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to operate and maintain the visitor center and to develop a written interpretive plan for the visitor center in accordance with National Park Service policy.
Provides that the Fund shall be solely responsible for accepting contributions for, and paying expenses of, the establishment of the visitor center. Prohibits the use of Federal funds to pay any expense of the establishment of the visitor center.
Title II: Commemorative Works - (Sec. 201) Commemorative Works Clarification and Revision Act of 2003.
(Sec. 202) Prohibits the location of any commemorative work or visitor center within the Reserve (defined as the great cross-axis of the Mall in the District of Columbia, which generally extends from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial) after enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 203) Revises conditions which must be met in order to extend the legislative authority for a commemorative work beyond its normal seven-year limit to include determinations of the Secretary and the Administrator of General Services that final design approvals have been obtained from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), and that 75 percent of the amount estimated to be required to complete the memorial has been raised, in which case the seven-year authority may be extended for a period not to exceed three years.
Redesignates the National Capital Memorial Commission as the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission.
Requires money provided after enactment of this Act by a sponsor of a commemorative work to be credited to a separate account with the National Park Foundation.
(Sec. 204) Prohibits a work primarily designed as a museum from being located on lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary in Area I or in East Potomac Park. Authorizes the NCPC and the CFA to develop criteria specific to each site to ensure that the design of a work meets specified comparability requirements. Prohibits donor contributions to works from being acknowledged in any manner as part of the work or its site.
(Sec. 205) Exempts from the application of this title a site for a commemorative work (other than a site for a commemorative work or visitor center to be located in the Reserve) that was approved prior to the enactment of this title.
(Sec. 206) Directs the Secretary to report to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Resources on the relocation of stable, maintenance, and concession facilities within the Reserve, as well as limitations on the sale or distribution of permitted merchandise.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Federal Lands Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 26 actions.
- Nov 17, 2003Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-126.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 7, 2003FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 6, 2003Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Pombo asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Nov 5, 2003FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Oct 16, 2003CalendarCalendar · Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 310.
- Oct 15, 2003FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1442.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Pombo moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Oct 2, 2003CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 171.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 108-295.
- Sep 24, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Discharged.
- May 21, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Field Hearing held on the National Mall in Washington, DC by the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 9, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
- Mar 26, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2113SenateSen. Craig ThomasR-WY· offered Nov 5, 2003Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Nov 5, 2003: Amendment SA 2113 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.