Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act

AN ACT To establish the Harry S Truman memorial scholarships, 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. 2001, note]) That this Act may be cited as the "Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Act”.

STATEMENTS OF FINDINGS

SEC. 2. [20 U.S.C. 2001] The Congress finds that—

because a high regard for the public trust and a lively exercise of political talents were outstanding characteristics of the thirty-third President of the United States;

because a special interest of the man from Independence in American history and a broad knowledge and understanding of the American political and economic system gained by study and experience in county and National Government culminated in the leadership of America remembered for the quality of his character, courage, and commonsense;

because of the desirability of encouraging young people to recognize and provide service in the highest and best traditions of the American political system at all levels of government, it is especially appropriate to honor former President Harry S Truman through the creation of perpetual education scholarship program to develop increased opportunities for young Americans to prepare and pursue careers in public service.

DEFINITIONS

SEC. 3. [20 U.S.C. 2003] As used in this Act, the term

(1) "Board" means the Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation;

(2) "Foundation" means the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation;

(3) "fund" means the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Fund;

(4) "institution of higher education" means any such institution as defined by section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965;

(5) "State" means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and considered as a single entity, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; and

(6) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Treasury.[20 U.S.C.2002)

SEC. 4. The Harry S Truman Scholarship Program as authorized by this Act shall be the sole Federal memorial to President Harry S Truman.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HARRY S TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

SEC. 5. [20 U.S.C. 2004] (a) There is established, as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the United States Government, the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation.

(b) (1) The Foundation shall be subject to the supervision and direction of a Board of Trustees. The Board shall be composed of thirteen members, as follows:

(A) two Members of the Senate, one from each political party, to be appointed by the President of the Senate;

(B) two Members of the House of Representatives, one from each political party, to be appointed by the Speaker;

(C) eight members not more than four of whom shall be of the same political party, to be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, of whom one shall be a chief executive officer of a State, one a chief executive officer of a city or county, one a member of a Federal Court, one a member of a State court, one a person active in postsecondary education, and three representatives of the general public; and

(D) the Commissioner of Education or his designate, who shall serve ex officio as a member of the Board, but shall not be eligible to serve as Chairman.

(c) The term of office of each member of the Board shall be six years; except that (1) the members first taking office shall serve as designated by the President, four for terms of two years, five for terms of four years, and four for terms of six years, and (2) any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the term for which his predecessor was appointed, and shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointment for that vacancy was made.

(d) Members of the Board shall serve without pay, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

SCHOLARSHIPS

SEC. 6. [20 U.S.C. 2005] (a) The Foundation is authorized to award scholarships to persons who demonstrate outstanding potential for and who plan to pursue a career in public service. Award recipients shall be known as Truman scholars.

(b) Scholarships under this Act shall be awarded for such periods as the Foundation may prescribe but not to exceed four academic years.

(c) A student awarded a scholarship under this Act may attend any institution of higher education offering courses of study, training, or other educational activities designed to prepare persons for a career in public service as determined pursuant to criteria established by the Foundation.

(d) Each student awarded a scholarship under this Act must have indicated a serious intent to enter the public service upon the completion of his or her educational program. Each institution of

higher education at which such a student is in attendance will make reasonable continuing efforts to encourage such a student to enter the public service upon completing his or her educational program.

SELECTION OF TRUMAN SCHOLARS

SEC. 7. (a) The Foundation is authorized, either directly or by contract, to provide for the conduct of a nationwide competition for the purpose of selecting Truman scholars.

(b) The Foundation shall adopt selection procedures which shall assure that at least one Truman scholar shall be selected each year from each State in which there is at least one resident applicant who meets the minimum criteria established by the Foundation. [20 U.S.C. 2006)

STIPENDS

SEC. [20 U.S.C. 2007] 8. Each student awarded a scholarship under this Act shall receive a stipend which shall not exceed the cost to such students for tuition, fees, books, room and board, or $10,000 (adjusted annually to reflect increases, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) whichever is less for each academic year of study.

SCHOLARSHIP CONDITIONS

SEC. 9. [20 U.S.C. 2008] (a) A student awarded a scholarship under the provisions of this Act shall continue to receive the payments provided in this Act only during such periods as the Foundation finds that he or she is maintaining satisfactory proficiency and devoting full time to study or research designed to prepare him or her for a career in public service and is not otherwise engaging in gainful employment other than employment approved by the Foundation pursuant to regulation.

(b) The Foundation is authorized to require reports containing such information in such form and to be filed at such times as the Foundation determines to be necessary from any student awarded a scholarship under the provisions of this act. Such reports shall be accompanied by a certificate from any appropriate official at the institution of higher education, approved by the Foundation, stating that such student is making satisfactory progress in, and is devoting essentially full time to, study or research, except as otherwise provided in subsection (a).

TRUMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

SEC. 10. [20 U.S.C. 2009] (a) There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund. The fund shall consist of amounts appropriated to it by section 14 of this act.

(b) It shall be the duty of the Secretary to invest in full amounts appropriated to the fund. Such investments may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of the United States or in obligations guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States. For such purpose, such obligations may be acquired (1) on

original issue at the issue price, or (2) by purchase of outstanding obligations at the market place. The purposes for which obligations of the United States may be issued under the Second Liberty Bond Act, as amended, are hereby extended to authorize the issuance at par of special obligations exclusively to the fund. Such special obligation shall bear interest a a rate equal to the average rate of interest, computed as to the end of the calendar month next preceding the date of such issue, borne by all marketable interest-bearing obligations of the United States then forming a part of the public debt; except that where such average rate is not a multiple of oneeighth of 1 per centum, the rate of interest of such special obligations shall be the multiple of one-eight of 1 per centum next lower than such average rate. Such special obligations shall be issued only if the Secretary determines that the purchase of other interest-bearing obligations of the United States, or of obligations guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States or original issue or at the market price, is not in the public interest.

(c) Any obligation acquired by the fund (except special obligations issued exclusively to the fund) may be sold by the Secretary at the market price, and such special obligations may be redeemed at par plus accrued interest.

(d) The interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the fund shall be credited to and form a part of the fund.

EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND

SEC. 11. [20 U.S.C. 2010] (a) The Secretary is authorized to pay to the Foundation from the interest and earnings of the fund such sums as the Board determines are necessary and appropriate to enable the Foundation to carry out the purposes of the Act.

(b) The activities of the Foundation under this Act may be audited by the General Accounting Office under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Comptroller General of the United States. The representatives of the General Accounting Office shall have access to all books, accounts, records, reports, and files and all other papers, things, or property belonging to or in use by the Foundation, pertaining to such activities and necessary to facilitate the audit.

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

SEC. 12. [20 U.S.C 2011] (a) There shall be an Executive Secretary of the Foundation who shall be appointed by the Board. The Executive Secretary shall be the chief executive officer of the Foundation and shall carry out the functions of the Foundation subject to the supervision and direction of the Board. The Executive Secretary shall carry out such other functions consistent with the provisions of this Act as the Board shall delegate.

(b) The Executive Secretary of the Foundation shall be compensated at the rate specified for employees placed in grade 18 of the General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

SEC. 13. [20 U.S.C. 2012] (a) In order to carry out the provisions of this Act, the Foundation is authorized to

(1) appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, except that in no case shall employees other than the Executive Secretary be compensated at a rate to exceed the rate provided for employees in grade 15 of the General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of title 5, United States Code;

(2) procure temporary and intermittent services of experts and consultants as are 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 such title;

(3) prescribe such regulations as it deems necessary governing the manner in which its functions shall be carried out;

(4) receive money and other property donated, bequeathed, or devised, without condition or restriction other than it be used for the purposes of the Foundation; and to use, sell, or otherwise dispose of such property for the purpose of carrying out its functions;

(5) accept and utilize the services of voluntary and noncompensated personnel and reimburse them for travel expenses, including per diem, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code;

(6) enter into contracts, grants, or other arrangements, or modifications thereof, to carry out the provisions of this Act, and such contracts or modifications thereof may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of the members of the Board, be entered into without performance or other bonds, and without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (41 U.S.C. 5);

(7) make advances, progress, and other payments which the Board deems necessary under this Act without regard to the provisions of section 3648 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (31 U.S.C. 529);

(8) rent office space in the District of Columbia; and
(9) make other necessary expenditures.

(b) The Foundation shall submit to the President and to the Congress an annual report of its operations under this Act.

APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED

SEC. 14. [20 U.S.C. 2013] There are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 to the fund.