[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 586 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 586
To direct the Librarian of Congress and the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution to carry out a joint project at the Library of
Congress and the National Museum of African American History and
Culture to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and
testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil Rights
movement, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2009
Mrs. McCarthy of New York (for herself and Mr. Lewis of Georgia)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Librarian of Congress and the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution to carry out a joint project at the Library of
Congress and the National Museum of African American History and
Culture to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and
testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil Rights
movement, and for other purposes.
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 ``Civil Rights History Project Act of
2009''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
(1) A fundamental principle of American democracy is that
individuals should stand up for their rights and beliefs and
fight for justice.
(2) The actions of those who participated in the Civil
Rights movement from the 1950s through the 1960s are a shining
example of this principle in action, demonstrated in events as
varied as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the sit-ins, the Freedom
Rides, the March on Washington, the drive for voting rights in
Mississippi, and the March to Selma.
(3) While the Civil Rights movement had many visible
leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., and Rosa Parks, there were many others whose impact and
experience were just as important to the cause but who are not
as well known.
(4) The participants in the Civil Rights movement possess
an invaluable resource in their first-hand memories of the
movement, and the recording of the retelling of their stories
and memories will provide a rich, detailed history of our
Nation during an important and tumultuous period.
(5) It is in the Nation's interest to undertake a project
to collect oral histories of individuals from the Civil Rights
movement so future generations will be able to learn of their
struggle and sacrifice through primary-source, eyewitness
material. A coordinated Federal project would also focus
attention on the efforts undertaken by various public and
private entities to collect and interpret articles in all
formats relating to the Civil Rights movement, and serve as a
model for future projects undertaken in museums, libraries, and
universities throughout the Nation.
(6) The Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution
are appropriate repositories to collect, preserve, and make
available to the public a collection of these oral histories.
The Library and Smithsonian have expertise in the management of
documentation projects, and experience in the development of
cultural and educational programs for the public.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to create a new
federally sponsored, authorized, and funded project that will
coordinate at a national level the collection of video and audio
recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals who
participated in the American Civil Rights movement that will build upon
and complement previous and ongoing documentary work on this subject,
and to assist and encourage local efforts to preserve the memories of
such individuals so that Americans of all current and future
generations may hear from them directly and better appreciate the
sacrifices they made.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT PROJECT AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
TO COLLECT VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS OF HISTORIES OF
PARTICIPANTS IN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
(a) Establishment of Project.--
(1) In general.--Within the limits of available funds, the
Librarian of Congress (hereafter referred to as the
``Librarian'') and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
(hereafter referred to as the ``Secretary)'', acting jointly,
shall establish an oral history project--
(A) to survey, during the initial phase of the
project, collections of audio and video recordings of
the reminiscences of participants in the Civil Rights
movement that are housed in archives, libraries,
museums, and other educational institutions, as well as
ongoing documentary work, in order to augment and
complement these endeavors and avoid duplication of
effort;
(B) to solicit, reproduce, and collect--
(i) video and audio recordings of personal
histories and testimonials of individuals who
participated in the Civil Rights movement, and
(ii) visual and written materials (such as
letters, diaries, photographs, and ephemera)
relevant to the personal histories of
individuals;
(C) to create a collection of the recordings and
other materials obtained, and to catalog and index the
collection in a manner the Librarian and the Secretary
consider appropriate; and
(D) to make the collection available for public use
through the Library of Congress and the National Museum
of African American History and Culture, as well as
through such other methods as the Librarian and the
Secretary consider appropriate.
(2) Role of director of museum.--The Secretary shall carry
out the Secretary's duties under this Act through the Director
of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
(b) Use of and Consultation With Other Entities.--The Librarian and
the Secretary may carry out the activities described in subsection
(a)(1) through agreements and partnerships entered into with other
government and private entities, and may otherwise consult with
interested persons (within the limits of available resources) and
develop appropriate guidelines and arrangements for soliciting,
acquiring, and making available recordings under the project under this
Act.
(c) Services of Experts and Consultants; Acceptance of Volunteer
Services; Advance Payments.--In carrying out activities described in
subsection (a)(1), the Librarian and the Secretary may--
(1) procure temporary and intermittent services under
section 3109 of title 5, United States Code;
(2) accept and utilize the services of volunteers and other
uncompensated personnel and reimburse them for travel expenses,
including per diem, as authorized under section 5703 of title
5, United States Code; and
(3) make advances of money and payments in advance in
accordance with section 3324 of title 31, United States Code.
(d) Timing.--As soon as practicable after the enactment of this
Act, the Librarian and the Secretary shall begin collecting video and
audio recordings and other materials under subsection (a)(1), and shall
attempt to collect the first such recordings from the oldest
individuals involved.
(e) Definition.--In this Act, the term ``Civil Rights movement''
means the movement to secure racial equality in the United States for
African Americans that, focusing on the period 1954 through 1968,
challenged the practice of racial segregation in the Nation and
achieved equal rights legislation for all American citizens.
SEC. 4. PRIVATE SUPPORT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY PROJECT.
(a) Encouraging Solicitation and Acceptance of Donations.--The
Librarian of Congress and the Secretary are encouraged to solicit and
accept donations of funds and in-kind contributions to support
activities under section 3.
(b) Dedication of Funds Provided to Library of Congress.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law--
(1) any funds donated to the Librarian of Congress to
support the activities of the Librarian under section 3 shall
be deposited entirely into an account established for such
purpose;
(2) the funds contained in such account shall be used
solely to support such activities; and
(3) the Librarian of Congress may not deposit into such
account any funds donated to the Librarian which are not
donated for the exclusive purpose of supporting such
activities.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--
(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2010; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal
years 2011 through 2014.
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