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Week Ending December 16, 2005

S.959 A bill to establish the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, and for other purposes.

BRIEF

The bill would establish the Commission to plan and coordinate and execute programs, observances and other activities regarding the War of 1812. The Commission would expire December 31, 2015.

Sponsor: Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent December 16, 2005

Cost to the taxpayers: Such sums as may be necessary are authorized but no cost estimate was provided. Should the bill be come law Congress must, at a later date, determine how much will be appropriated for the project.

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MORE INFORMATION

(a) Findings- Congress finds that--

(1) the War of 1812 served as a crucial test for the United States Constitution and the newly established democratic Government;

(2) vast regions of the new multi-party democracy, including the Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Niagara Frontier, were affected by the War of 1812;

(3) the British occupation of American territory along the Great Lakes had a far-reaching effect on American society;

(4) at the Battle of Baltimore, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that celebrated the flag and later was titled `the Star-Spangled Banner';

(5) the poem led to the establishment of the flag as an American icon and became the words of the national anthem of the United States in 1932; and

(6) it is in the national interest to provide for appropriate commemorative activities to maximize public understanding of the meaning of the War of 1812 in the history of the United States.

(b) Purposes- The purposes of this Act are to--

(1) establish the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Commemoration Commission;

(2) ensure a suitable national observance of the War of 1812 by complementing, cooperating with, and providing assistance to the programs and activities of the various States involved in the commemoration;

(3) encourage War of 1812 observances that provide an excellent visitor experience and beneficial interaction between visitors and the natural and cultural resources of the various War of 1812 sites;

(4) facilitate international involvement in the War of 1812 observances;

(5) support and facilitate marketing efforts for a commemorative coin, stamp, and related activities for the War of 1812 observances; and

(6) promote the protection of War of 1812 resources and assist in the appropriate development of heritage tourism and economic benefits to the United States.

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