20 USC 2103 – American Folklife Center
(a) Establishment
There is hereby established in the Library of Congress an American Folklife Center.
(b) Board of Trustees; composition; regional balance
Terms Used In 20 USC 2103
- American folklife: means the traditional expressive culture shared within the various groups in the United States: familial, ethnic, occupational, religious, regional. See 20 USC 2102
- Board: means the Board of Trustees of the Center. See 20 USC 2102
- Center: means the American Folklife Center established under this subchapter. See 20 USC 2102
- Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Librarian: means the Librarian of Congress. See 20 USC 2102
- officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
- President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
- Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
(1) The Center shall be under the direction of a Board of Trustees. The Board shall be composed as follows:
(A) four members appointed by the President from among individuals who are officials of Federal departments and agencies concerned with some aspect of American Folklife traditions and arts;
(B) four members appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate from among individuals from private life who are widely recognized by virtue of their scholarship, experience, creativity, or interest in American Folklife traditions and arts, and four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from among such individuals;
(C) four members appointed by the Librarian of Congress from among individuals who are widely recognized by virtue of their scholarship, experience, creativity, or interest in American folklife traditions and arts; and
(D) nine ex officio members including—
(i) the Librarian of Congress;
(ii) the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution;
(iii) the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts;
(iv) the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities;
(v) the President of the American Folklore Society;
(vi) the President of the Society for Ethnomusicology;
(vii) the Director of the Center;
(viii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
(ix) the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
(2) In making appointments from private life under paragraph (1)(B) and (C), the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Librarian of Congress shall give due consideration to the appointment of individuals who collectively will provide appropriate diversity and regional balance on the Board. Not more than three of the members appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate or by the Speaker of the House of Representatives may be affiliated with the same political party.
(3) In making appointments under paragraph (1)(C), the Librarian of Congress shall include at least two members who direct or are members of the boards of major American folklife organizations other than the American Folklore Society and the Society for Ethnomusicology.
(c) Term of office
The term of office of each appointed member of the Board shall be six years; except that (1)(A) the members first appointed under clause (1) of subsection (b) shall serve as designated by the President, one for a term of two years, two for a term of four years, and one for a term of six years, and (B) the members first appointed under clause (2) of subsection (b) shall serve as jointly designated by the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two for terms of two years, four for terms of four years, and two for terms of six years; and (2) any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term to which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. Members appointed by the President under clause (1) of subsection (b) shall serve only during the time they are officials of Federal departments and agencies concerned with some aspect of American folklife traditions and arts.
(d) Reimbursement for expenses
Members of the Board shall serve without pay, but members who are not regular full-time employees of the United States may, at the discretion of the Librarian, be reimbursed for the actual and necessary traveling and subsistence expenses incurred by them in the performance of the duties of the Board.
(e) Chairman; Vice Chairman; election; vacancies; quorum; annual meeting
(1) The Librarian shall call the first meeting of the Board, at which the first order of business shall be the election of a Chairman and a Vice Chairman, who shall serve for a term of one year. Thereafter each Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be elected for a term of two years. The Vice Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman in his absence. In case of a vacancy occurring in the chairmanship or vice-chairmanship, the Board shall elect a member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(2) A majority of the members of the Board currently serving shall constitute a quorum.
(3) The Board shall meet at least once each fiscal year.
(f) Director; appointment and compensation
After consultation with the Board, the Librarian shall appoint the Director of the Center. The rate of basic pay of the Director shall be fixed in accordance with section 5376(b) of title 5.
(g) Duties of Director
The Director shall be the chief executive officer of the Center. Subject to the direction of the Board and the general supervision of the Librarian, the Director shall have responsibility for carrying out functions of the Center, and shall have authority over all personnel and activities of the Center.