[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6336 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.6336

                      One Hundred Twelfth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and twelve


                                 An Act


 
    To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue 
   depicting Frederick Douglass from the District of Columbia and to 
provide for the permanent display of the statue in Emancipation Hall of 
                       the United States Capitol.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
    Congress finds the following:
        (1) Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington 
    Bailey in Maryland in 1818, escaped from slavery and became a 
    leading writer, orator, and publisher, and one of the Nation's most 
    influential advocates for abolitionism, women's suffrage, and the 
    equality of all people.
        (2) The contributions of Frederick Douglass over many decades 
    were crucial to the abolition of slavery, the passage of the 13th, 
    14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, 
    the support for women's suffrage, and the advancement of African-
    Americans after the Civil War.
        (3) After living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Frederick 
    Douglass resided for 25 years in Rochester, New York, where he 
    published and edited ``The North Star'', the leading African-
    American newspaper in the United States, and other publications.
        (4) Self-educated, Frederick Douglass wrote several influential 
    books, including his best-selling first autobiography, ``Narrative 
    of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave'', published 
    in 1845.
        (5) Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly for the emancipation 
    of African-American slaves, was a pivotal figure in Underground 
    Railroad activities, and was an inspiration to enslaved Americans 
    who aspired to freedom.
        (6) As a well-known speaker in great demand, Frederick Douglass 
    traveled widely, visiting countries such as England and Ireland, to 
    spread the message of emancipation and equal rights.
        (7) Frederick Douglass was the only African-American to attend 
    the Seneca Falls Convention, a women's rights convention held in 
    Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.
        (8) During the Civil War, Frederick Douglass recruited African-
    Americans to volunteer as soldiers for the Union Army, including 2 
    of his sons, who served nobly in the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts 
    Regiment.
        (9) In 1872, Frederick Douglass moved to Washington, DC, after 
    a fire destroyed his home in Rochester, New York.
        (10) Frederick Douglass was appointed as a United States 
    Marshal in 1877 and was named Recorder of Deeds for the District of 
    Columbia in 1881.
        (11) Frederick Douglass became the first African-American to 
    receive a vote for nomination as President of the United States at 
    a major party convention for the 1888 Republican National 
    Convention.
        (12) From 1889 to 1891, Frederick Douglass served as minister-
    resident and consul-general to the Republic of Haiti.
        (13) Frederick Douglass was recognized around the world as one 
    of the most important political activists in the history of the 
    United States.
        (14) Frederick Douglass died in 1895 in Washington, DC and is 
    buried in Rochester, New York.
        (15) Frederick Douglass's achievements and influence on the 
    history of the United States merit recognition in the United States 
    Capitol.
SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS FOR PLACEMENT IN 
EMANCIPATION HALL.
    (a) Acceptance.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Joint Committee on the Library shall accept 
from the District of Columbia the donation of a statue depicting 
Frederick Douglass, subject to the terms and conditions that the Joint 
Committee considers appropriate.
    (b) Placement.--The Joint Committee shall place the statue accepted 
under subsection (a) in a suitable permanent location in Emancipation 
Hall of the United States Capitol.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.