[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3578 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3578

  To authorize appropriations for the California Afro-American Museum.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 19, 1993

  Ms. Waters introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize appropriations for the California Afro-American Museum.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The California Afro-American Museum is among the most 
        important cultural centers in America dedicated to the 
        contributions of African-Americans to the growth and westward 
        expansion of America.
            (2) The California Afro-American Museum preserves, 
        collects, and displays African-American contributions to the 
        arts, science, religion, education, literature, entertainment, 
        politics, sports, and history of the State and the Nation.
            (3) The California Afro-American Museum is located in 
        historical Exposition Park, the venue of the 1932 and 1984 
        Olympic Games, together with the Coliseum, Rose Garden, and 
        Natural History Museum which are historical landmarks.
            (4) The California Afro-American Museum houses 3 galleries, 
        a 13,000 square foot sculpture court, multi-purpose room, 99-
        seat theater, as well as a 60,000 volume research library. 
        Attendance has increased dramatically over the last 5 years 
        with an annual rise of approximately 20,000.
            (5) The lack of a comprehensive, local context within which 
        to interpret African-American history and culture impedes the 
        ability of all Americans, particularly African-Americans, to 
        understand themselves and their relationship to America's past 
        and its future.
            (6) The continued existence of a museum on African-American 
        history and culture, which will include a wide array of 
        collections from an eclectic group of African-Americans, will 
        help all Americans, and those who visit our country from 
        abroad, better understand and appreciate the significant 
        contributions made by African-Americans to American as well as 
        world history.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Amount.--There are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to 
the Secretary of the Interior for fiscal year 1995 to sustain the 
California Afro-American Museum.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--Funds appropriated pursuant to 
subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until expended.

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