[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 451 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 451

   Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the establishment of a 
 scholarship fund to make tuition grants available to eligible former 
    students who were denied an education in Prince Edward County, 
 Virginia, when the public schools closed rather than comply with the 
        Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 2004

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas (for herself, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Lewis 
of Georgia, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Watson, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Towns, Ms. 
 Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Kucinich, Ms. Solis, Mr. Meeks of 
 New York, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Rush, 
and Mr. Clay) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the establishment of a 
 scholarship fund to make tuition grants available to eligible former 
    students who were denied an education in Prince Edward County, 
 Virginia, when the public schools closed rather than comply with the 
        Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

Whereas in 2003, the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution of ``regret'' 
        for the role that it played in closing the public schools in Prince 
        Edward County, Virginia, and elsewhere rather than comply with the 
        Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (Virginia State 
        resolution 613);
Whereas in 2004, the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill to create a 
        scholarship fund to make tuition grants available to eligible former 
        students denied education when the schools were closed (Virginia Senate 
        bill 230);
Whereas the schools in Prince Edward County were closed for 5 years, in which 
        time approximately 2,500 to 3,000 students both African-American and 
        Caucasian were denied education when the school doors were closed;
Whereas the approximate funding lost to the schools during the closing was 
        $2,000,000;
Whereas the patron of the Virginia Senate bill requested $2,000,000 to support 
        the scholarship fund;
Whereas the Virginia General Assembly appropriated only $50,000 to the 
        scholarship fund;
Whereas Governor Warner committed to a budget amendment of $2,000,000;
Whereas subsequent to the announcement of the Governor's proposed budget 
        amendment, Mr. John Kluge of Albemarle County, Virginia, offered a 
        matching $1,000,000 gift for the scholarship fund if the Virginia 
        General Assembly approves a new proposal by the Governor of $1,000,000 
        to the fund; and
Whereas the Virginia General Assembly is set to vote on the Governor's budget 
        amendment on June 16, 2004: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) a scholarship fund to make tuition grants available to 
        eligible former students who were denied an education in Prince 
        Edward County, Virginia, should be established; and
            (2) the necessary resources to establish and maintain the 
        scholarship fund should be provided by the State of Virginia.
                                 <all>