(a) There is established within the Office of the Commissioner of Tourism a special and temporary commission known as the Centennial Commission of the Virgin Islands (“the Commission”) for the purpose of formulating plans and making preparations to commemorate and celebrate in the year 2017 the 100th Anniversary of the transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States of America.
(b) The Commission is composed of six residents of St. Croix, one of whom must be a member of the St. Croix Friends of Denmark, Society, Inc.; six residents of St. Thomas, one of whom must be a member of the St. Thomas-St. John Friends of Denmark Society, Inc.; and three residents of St. John, all of whom must be appointed by the Governor; and two members of the Legislature, one member from the district of St. Croix, and one member from the district of St. Thomas and St. John, appointed by the President of the Legislature. The Commission shall choose its own Chairman and each member shall be entitled to one vote; a quorum of a simple majority must be present to constitute a valid action by the Commission. Members of the Commission may be removed by the Governor for cause. The Commission shall hold its meetings at Government House in each respective district and utilize teleconference and video conference services as necessary to minimize expenses of travel. All members of the Commission appointed by the Governor shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for all reasonable travel and other expenses as may be authorized by the Commissioner of Tourism.
(c) The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) To enlist the services and assistance of additional persons it deems necessary to carry out its duties and functions;
(2) To prepare an overall program for commemorating the centennial of the Virgin Islands and plan, encourage, develop and coordinate observances and activities commemorating the historic events that preceded and are associated with the transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States of America in 1917;
(3) To consider any related plans and programs developed by local and private groups, in preparation of its plans and programs, and the Commission may designate special committees with representatives from such bodies to plan, develop and coordinate specific activities;
(4) To give emphasis to the ideas associated with the transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States of America which have been important to the development of the Virgin Islands in world affairs and in mankind's quest for freedom in all of its planning;
(5) To determine if there are sites within the Virgin Islands which are appropriate for preservation or development in commemoration of the transfer of the former Danish West Indies (Virgin Islands) from Denmark to the United States of America in a manner to ensure that fitting observances and exhibits may be held at the sites during the centennial celebration;
(6) To make all efforts to interface with any Virgin Islands Centennial Commission organization with a like purpose established in Norway, Denmark, the United States of America, and the Caribbean island nations interested in celebrating with the Virgin Islands;
(7) To encourage the United States of America to join in the centennial celebration. The Virgin Islands Congressional Delegate to Congress is authorized, on behalf of the people of the Virgin Islands to extend an invitation to the Nation, the 50 states, all off-shore possessions, commonwealth and territories, to plan national and territorial events respectively. Such events must be cleared through the Centennial's master calendar maintained by the Virgin Islands Centennial Administration;
(8) To accept donations of money, property, or personal services;
(9) To deposit all non-monetary tangible personal property such as books, manuscripts and antiquities acquired by the commission for preservation in the Virgin Islands libraries, museums, archives, and other designated depositaries, or otherwise disposed of in consultation with the Director(s) of Libraries, Museums and Archives;
(10) To submit to the Governor a comprehensive report incorporating its specific recommendations for the centennial commemoration of the transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States of America and related events not later than June 30, 2014. This report may recommend activities including, but not limited to:
(A) The creation of an official web-site, the production, publication and distribution of books, pamphlets, films, videos, DVD's and other educational materials on the history, culture and political though [sic] of the period of the transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States of America;
(B) Bibliographical land documentary projects and publications;
(C) Conferences, convocations, lectures, seminars and other programs;
(D) The development of libraries, museums, historic and archeological sites and exhibits, including mobile exhibits;
(E) Ceremonies and celebrations commemorating specific events;
(F) Programs and activities on the national and international significance of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States of America and its implications for present and future generations;
(G) the issuance of official commemorative medals seals automobile license plates, videos, DVD's and certificates of recognition;
(H) the identification and commissioning of a historic design artist consultant to develop an official logo for the occasion, appropriate for the Centennial Commission of the Virgin Islands, with ownership rights to the government of the Virgin Islands; and
(I) the establishment of a master plan for the archival of all files, documents, research data and the like for the preservation locally, nationally and internationally.
(11) The report of the Commission must include recommendations for the allocation of financial and administrative responsibility among the public and private authorities and organizations the report of the Commission shall include recommendations for the allocation of financial and administrative responsibility among the public and private authorities and organizations recommended for participations by the Commission. The report must also include proposals for legislation and administrative action the Commission considers necessary to carry out its recommendations. The Governor shall transmit the Commission's report to the Legislature together with any comments and recommendations for legislations and a report of administration actions taken by him.
(d)
(1) In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Virgin Islands Centennial Commission shall consent, cooperate with and seek advice from appropriate departments and agencies of the Government of the Virgin Islands, and civic, professional and related organizations. Departments and agencies of the Government of the Virgin Islands shall cooperate with the commission in planning, encourage, developing and coordinating appropriate commemorative activities.
(2) The President of the University of the Virgin Islands shall cooperate with the Commission, especially in the encouragement and coordination of scholarly works and presentation on the history, culture, and political thought of the Transfer in 1917.
(3) The Directors of Libraries, Museums, Archaeology and History Preservation. Virgin Islands Cultural Heritage Institute, Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, shall cooperate and with the Commission, especially in the development and display of display [sic] and collections and in the development of bibliographies, catalogs and other materials relevant to the period of the 1917 Transfer.
(e) There is hereby created within the Virgin Islands Centennial Commission a Virgin Islands Centennial Administration board (the “Board”), which shall be comprised of a minimum of five members of the Commission and three ex officio members, the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Natural resources, the Commissioner of the Department of Sports, Parks and recreation and the Commissioner of the Department of Tourism.
(1) The Virgin Islands Centennial Administration Board shall be responsible for executing the policies of the Virgin Islands Centennial Commission to coordinate, to facilitate, and to aid in the scheduling of events, activities, and projects of local, state, national and international significance sponsored by both governmental and non-governmental entities in commemoration of the Virgin Islands Centennial.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Centennial Administrative Board to make and provide ongoing reports regarding its progress in fulfilling its and the Commissioner's functions, to include an accounting of monies spent, and meeting short-term and long-term objectives.
(3) It shall be the duty of the Board to make a continuing study of the activities Virgin Islands Centennial Administration. The Board shall, from time to time, but not less than every six months, report to the Virgin Islands Legislature's Committee on Education, Youth and Culture and Rules and Judiciary concerning the results of its studies, together with such recommendations as it may deem desirable.
(4) It shall be the duty of the Board to coordinate, to facilitate, and to aid in the scheduling of events activities and projects of local state National and International significance sponsored by both governmental and non-governmental entities in commemoration of the Virgin Islands Centennial.
(5) The Centennial Commission shall appoint an Administrator from the Board whose functions shall be the following:
(A) To establish and provide for the centennial master calendar or register of programs and projects, and in other ways provide a central clearinghouse online (official website) for information and coordination regarding dates, events places documents, artifacts, and personalities of centennial historic and commemorative significance;
(B) To coordinate, facilitate, and aid in the scheduling of events, programs, and projects of States and private citizens, and national and international programs, that commemorate the centennial; and
(C) To develop standards for, and evaluate the feasibility, relevance, status, and desirability of various programs and projects associated with the centennial commemoration, acting in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget in cases where federal department or agency activities are involved.
(f) Any property acquired by the Commission or Board which remains upon the termination of either or both shall be catalogued and transferred to the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources for use under this chapter, or shall be disposed of by the Commissioner of the Department as excess or surplus property as provided by law.
(g) Whoever, except as authorized by the Commission, Board or the Administrator, knowingly manufactures, produces, or uses and logos, symbols, or marks originated under authority of and certified by the Commission, Board or Administrator for use in connection with the commemoration of the Virgin Islands Centennial, or any facsimile thereof, or holds out to the public objects in such a manner as to suggest any such logos, symbols, or marks not officially authorized by the Commission, Board or Administrator, are officially authorized shall be fined not more than $5,000,00 [sic] or imprisoned not more than two years or both fined and imprisoned.
(h) An annual report of the activities of the Centennial Administrative Board, including an accounting of funds received and expended, shall be furnished by the Administrator to the Virgin Islands Legislature, and a final report must be made to the Virgin Islands Legislature's Committee on Rules and Judiciary and Education, Culture and Youth no later than September 30, 2018. The Board shall terminate on September 30, 2018, or on the date of the filing of the final report, whichever is sooner.
(i) The Commission shall exist until the earliest of the following occurs:
(1) the Commission's purpose under subsection (a) has been accomplished;
(2) the Commission is divested of its functions by law; or
(3) the Commission is extinguished by law.