PRINTER'S NO. 2848
No. 2136 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BASTIAN, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, BARD, BARLEY, BARRAR,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CAWLEY, COY,
CREIGHTON, DALEY, DERMODY, DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD, FLICK, GABIG,
GEORGE, GODSHALL, GORDNER, HALUSKA, HANNA, HERMAN, HESS,
LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LESCOVITZ, MANN, MARKOSEK, NAILOR,
PERZEL, PHILLIPS, PIPPY, READSHAW, ROBINSON, ROHRER, ROONEY,
RUBLEY, RYAN, SATHER, SCHULER, B. SMITH, S. H. SMITH,
SOLOBAY, T. STEVENSON, SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, VANCE,
WATSON AND G. WRIGHT, NOVEMBER 13, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, NOVEMBER 13, 2001
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Heroes of Flight 93 Memorial Commission as a
2 temporary commission to develop plans for the establishment
3 of a State memorial honoring the passengers and crew of
4 United Airlines Flight 93; requiring a report of findings,
5 recommendations and proposed legislation; and making an
6 appropriation.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Short title.
10 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Heroes of
11 Flight 93 Memorial Commission Act.
12 Section 2. Legislative findings.
13 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
14 (1) On September 11, 2001, the 40 crew members and
15 passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, in acts of
16 unselfish devotion to their fellow Americans and without
1 regard for their own safety, disrupted the hostile intent of
2 four hijackers bent on using their plane as a weapon of mass
3 destruction.
4 (2) The actions taken by the crew members and passengers
5 of United Airlines Flight 93 distracted their captors from
6 reaching their intended target, believed to be the United
7 States Capitol, thus preventing the September 11 attack on
8 the United States from claiming additional victims.
9 (3) In sacrificing their lives, these brave civilians
10 hallowed the ground in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where
11 their plane finally came to rest.
12 (4) The General Assembly believes that, in consideration
13 of the foregoing, a permanent memorial should be erected in
14 Somerset County to honor these courageous citizens and their
15 valiant sacrifice.
16 Section 3. Heroes of Flight 93 Memorial Commission.
17 (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a temporary
18 commission to be known as the Heroes of Flight 93 Memorial
19 Commission for the purpose of developing plans for the creation
20 of a Pennsylvania memorial in Somerset County in honor of the
21 crew and passengers aboard this plane.
22 (b) Composition.--The commission shall consist of nine
23 members as follows:
24 (1) The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania
25 Historical and Museum Commission, who shall be the
26 chairperson.
27 (2) The Secretary of General Services.
28 (3) Two members of the Senate, one to be appointed by
29 the President pro tempore of the Senate and one to be
30 appointed by the Minority Leader.
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1 (4) Two members of the House of Representatives, one to
2 be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
3 and one to be appointed by the Minority Leader.
4 (5) Two members to be chosen by the surviving families
5 of the victims.
6 (6) The chairman of the Somerset County Commissioners or
7 the chairman's designee.
8 (c) Compensation and expenses.--
9 (1) Members of the commission shall receive no
10 compensation for their services.
11 (2) Members of the commission who are not employed by
12 the Commonwealth or the General Assembly shall be reimbursed
13 for all necessary travel and other reasonable expenses
14 incurred in performance of their duties as members of the
15 commission.
16 Section 4. Powers and duties of Heroes of Flight 93 Memorial
17 Commission.
18 The Heroes of Flight 93 Memorial Commission shall have the
19 following powers and duties:
20 (1) To develop a detailed plan for the creation of a
21 Pennsylvania memorial to include: the identification of a
22 proposed site and plans for the acquisition of the land on
23 which it is to be located; the size and design of the
24 memorial; any infrastructure improvements that may be
25 necessary to support the memorial site; and any other items
26 deemed relevant.
27 (2) To ascertain the estimated cost for establishing the
28 memorial.
29 (3) To consult with the families of the passengers and
30 crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93 in order to solicit
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1 their suggestions and input on the design and location for
2 the memorial.
3 (4) To solicit and accept proposals from the general
4 public on ideas for the memorial.
5 (5) To present its findings and recommendations,
6 together with drafts of any legislation it believes may be
7 necessary, in a written report to the Governor, the General
8 Assembly and the Department of General Services no later than
9 one year from the effective date of this act.
10 Section 5. Appropriation.
11 The sum of $100,000 is hereby appropriated to the Heroes of
12 Flight 93 Memorial Commission to fund the operations of the
13 commission.
14 Section 6. Expiration.
15 The Heroes of Flight 93 Memorial Commission shall expire upon
16 submission of its report, or one year from the date of this act,
17 whichever occurs first.
18 Section 7. Effective date.
19 This act shall take effect immediately.
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