[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4147 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4147

      To establish a servitude and emancipation archival research 
                clearinghouse in the National Archives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 2, 2004

Mr. Cummings (for himself, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. Corrine Brown of 
  Florida, Ms. Carson of Indiana, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. 
 Clay, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Ford, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. 
 Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Meek of Florida, Mr. Owens, 
Mr. Payne, Mr. Rush, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Towns, Mrs. Jones 
   of Ohio, and Ms. Waters) introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To establish a servitude and emancipation archival research 
                clearinghouse in the National Archives.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Servitude and Emancipation Archival 
Research ClearingHouse Act of 2004'' or the ``SEARCH Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF DATABASE.

    (a) In General.--The Archivist of the United States shall 
establish, as a part of the National Archives, a national database 
consisting of historic records of servitude and emancipation in the 
United States to assist African Americans in researching their 
genealogy.
    (b) Maintenance.--The database established by this Act shall be 
maintained by the National Historical Publications and Records 
Commission.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) $5,000,000 to establish the national database 
        authorized by this Act; and
            (2) $5,000,000 to provide grants to States and colleges and 
        universities to preserve local records of servitude and 
        emancipation.
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