[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 74 (Monday, May 1, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2985-H2987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
400 YEARS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY COMMISSION ACT
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1242) to establish the 400 Years of African-American History
Commission, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1242
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 ``400 Years of African-
American History Commission Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commemoration.--The term ``commemoration'' means the
commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of
Africans in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia,
in 1619.
(2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 400
Years of African-American History Commission established by
section 3(a).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.
(a) In General.--There is established a commission, to be
known as the ``400 Years of African-American History
Commission''.
(b) Membership.--
(1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 15
members, of whom--
(A) three members shall be appointed by the Secretary after
considering recommendations of Governors, including the
Governor of Virginia;
(B) six members shall be appointed by the Secretary after
considering recommendations of civil rights organizations and
historical organizations;
(C) one member shall be an employee of the National Park
Service having experience relative to the historical and
cultural resources related to the commemoration, to be
appointed by the Secretary;
(D) two members shall be appointed by the Secretary after
considering the recommendations of the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution; and
(E) three members shall be individuals who have an interest
in, support for, and expertise appropriate to the
commemoration, appointed by the Secretary after considering
the recommendations of Members of Congress.
(2) Time of appointment.--Each appointment of an initial
member of the Commission shall be made before the expiration
of the 120-day period beginning on the date of enactment of
this Act.
(3) Term; vacancies.--
(A) Term.--A member of the Commission shall be appointed
for the life of the Commission.
(B) Vacancies.--
(i) In general.--A vacancy on the Commission shall be
filled in the same manner in which the original appointment
was made.
(ii) Partial term.--A member appointed to fill a vacancy on
the Commission shall serve for the remainder of the term for
which the predecessor of the member was appointed.
(C) Continuation of membership.--If a member of the
Commission was appointed to the Commission as an employee of
the National Park Service, and ceases to be an employee of
the National Park Service, that member may continue to serve
on the Commission for not longer than the 30-day period
beginning on the date on which that member ceases to be an
employee of the National Park Service.
(c) Duties.--The Commission shall--
(1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and activities
throughout the United States--
(A) appropriate for the commemoration;
(B) to recognize and highlight the resilience and
contributions of African-Americans since 1619;
(C) to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that
enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; and
(D) to educate the public about--
(i) the arrival of Africans in the United States; and
(ii) the contributions of African-Americans to the United
States;
(2) encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational,
artistic, religious, economic, and other organizations
throughout the United States to organize and participate in
anniversary activities to expand understanding and
appreciation of--
(A) the significance of the arrival of Africans in the
United States; and
(B) the contributions of African-Americans to the United
States;
(3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and
nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration;
(4) coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly
research on, publication about, and interpretation of--
(A) the arrival of Africans in the United States; and
(B) the contributions of African-Americans to the United
States;
(5) ensure that the commemoration provides a lasting legacy
and long-term public benefit by assisting in the development
of appropriate programs; and
(6) help ensure that the observances of the commemoration
are inclusive and appropriately recognize the experiences and
heritage of all individuals present at the arrival of
Africans in the United States.
SEC. 4. COMMISSION MEETINGS.
(a) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date
on which all members of the Commission have been appointed,
the Commission shall hold the initial meeting of the
Commission.
(b) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet--
(1) at least three times each year; or
(2) at the call of the Chairperson or the majority of the
members of the Commission.
(c) Quorum.--A majority of the voting members shall
constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold meetings.
(d) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--
(1) Election.--The Commission shall elect the Chairperson
and the Vice Chairperson of the Commission on an annual
basis.
(2) Absence of the chairperson.--The Vice Chairperson shall
serve as the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson.
(e) Voting.--The Commission shall act only on an
affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the
Commission.
SEC. 5. COMMISSION POWERS.
(a) Gifts.--The Commission may solicit, accept, use, and
dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money or other
property for aiding or facilitating the work of the
Commission.
(b) Appointment of Advisory Committees.--The Commission may
appoint such advisory committees as the Commission determines
to be necessary to carry out this Act.
(c) Authorization of Action.--The Commission may authorize
any member or employee of the Commission to take any action
that the Commission is authorized to take under this Act.
(d) Procurement.--
(1) In general.--The Commission may procure supplies,
services, and property, and make or enter into contracts,
leases, or other legal agreements, to carry out this Act
(except that a contract, lease, or other legal agreement made
or entered into by the Commission shall not extend beyond the
date of termination of the Commission).
(2) Limitation.--The Commission may not purchase real
property.
(e) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions
as other agencies of the Federal Government.
(f) Grants and Technical Assistance.--The Commission may--
(1) provide grants in amounts not to exceed $20,000 per
grant to communities and nonprofit organizations for use in
developing programs to assist in the commemoration;
(2) provide grants to research and scholarly organizations
to research, publish, or distribute information relating to
the arrival of Africans in the United States; and
(3) provide technical assistance to States, localities, and
nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration.
SEC. 6. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) Compensation of Members.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a
member of the Commission shall serve without compensation.
(2) Federal employees.--A member of the Commission who is
an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall serve
without compensation other than the compensation received for
the services of the member as an officer or employee of the
Federal Government.
(b) Travel Expenses.--A member of the Commission shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from the home or regular place of business
of the member in the performance of the duties of the
Commission.
(c) Director and Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission may,
without regard to the civil service laws (including
regulations), nominate an executive director to enable the
Commission to perform the duties of the Commission.
(2) Confirmation of executive director.--The employment of
an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the
Commission.
(d) Compensation.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
Commission may fix the compensation of the executive director
and other personnel without regard to the provisions of
chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5,
United States Code, relating to classification of positions
and General Schedule pay rates.
(2) Maximum rate of pay.--The rate of pay for the executive
director and other personnel shall not exceed the rate
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section
5316 of title 5, United States Code.
(e) Detail of Government Employees.--
(1) Federal employees.--
(A) Detail.--At the request of the Commission, the head of
any Federal agency may detail, on a reimbursable or
nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the agency to
the Commission to assist the Commission in carrying out the
duties of the Commission under this Act.
(B) Civil service status.--The detail of an employee under
subparagraph (A) shall be without interruption or loss of
civil service status or privilege.
(2) State employees.--The Commission may--
[[Page H2986]]
(A) accept the services of personnel detailed from the
State; and
(B) reimburse the State for services of detailed personnel.
(f) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--
The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and
intermittent services in accordance with section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do
not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic
pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under
section 5316 of such title.
(g) Volunteer and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding
section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission
may accept and use such voluntary and uncompensated services
as the Commission determines to be necessary.
(h) Support Services.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide to the
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, such administrative
support services as the Commission may request.
(2) Reimbursement.--Any reimbursement under this paragraph
shall be credited to the appropriation, fund, or account used
for paying the amounts reimbursed.
(i) No Effect on Authority.--Nothing in this section
supersedes the authority of the National Park Service with
respect to the commemoration.
SEC. 7. PLANS; REPORTS.
(a) Strategic Plan.--The Commission shall prepare a
strategic plan for the activities of the Commission carried
out under this Act.
(b) Final Report.--Not later than July 1, 2020, the
Commission shall complete and submit to Congress a final
report that contains--
(1) a summary of the activities of the Commission;
(2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by
the Commission; and
(3) the findings and recommendations of the Commission.
SEC. 8. TERMINATION OF COMMISSION.
(a) Date of Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on
July 1, 2020.
(b) Transfer of Documents and Materials.--Before the date
of termination specified in subsection (a), the Commission
shall transfer all documents and materials of the Commission
to the National Archives or another appropriate Federal
entity.
SEC. 9. EXPENDITURES OF COMMISSION.
All expenditures of the Commission shall be made solely
from donated funds.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Comer) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 1242, the 400 Years of African-
American History Commission Act, introduced by Congressman Bobby Scott
of Virginia.
H.R. 1242 establishes a historical commission commemorating the 400th
anniversary of the arrival of Africans in Virginia in 1619. The bill
creates a commission to plan programs and activities in 2019 to
recognize the arrival, influence, and historical importance of Africans
in America.
Congress has previously established similar commissions to celebrate
historical anniversaries. For example, there was a commission on the
400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, and the 450th
anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, Florida.
As we reach the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in
Virginia, establishing this commission allows for the opportunity to
acknowledge the horrible impact slavery has had in America. This is an
opportunity to commemorate the resilience and contributions of African
Americans in our country. While that chapter in our history is a
painful one, this is a story that must be told to acknowledge how
profoundly unrecognizable our Nation would be without the contribution
of African Americans.
The commission will work with State and local groups to coordinate
the commemoration and public education. The commission will be funded
by private donations, not taxpayer dollars, and will terminate shortly
after the anniversary activities conclude. The bill authorizes the
commission to provide grants to further the historical and cultural
activities carried out in commemoration of the anniversary.
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved this bill
on March 28, 2017.
I thank Congressman Scott for his leadership on this legislation.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1242, the 400 Years of
African-American History Commission Act, introduced by my friend and
colleague from Virginia, Bobby Scott. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has
introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
In the 400 years since the first Africans arrived at Point Comfort,
Virginia, African Americans have made an indelible contribution to our
Nation. They have been pioneers in the arts and sciences. They have led
the charge for civil rights and spoken out against injustice against
anybody. They have also ascended to the highest level of politics,
athletics, and business, and sacrificed for our country in every
military engagement from the American Revolution to the present-day
fight against terrorism.
African Americans have played a crucial role in the establishment and
evolution of our Nation:
Crispus Attucks, a Black man, became the first casualty of the
American Revolution in my hometown of Boston when he confronted British
soldiers in what became known as the Boston Massacre.
James Armistead, a slave who fed false information to the British,
helped the Patriots' cause to secure victory in the Battle of Yorktown.
Abolitionists, from Sojourner Truth to Frederick Douglass to Harriet
Tubman spoke out against slavery and fought to realize the meaning of
Thomas Jefferson's founding creed that all men are created equal.
And African Americans helped our country awaken its collective
consciousness during the epochal civil rights movement, with the
courageous actions of so many from Rosa Parks in the Montgomery bus
boycott to the persevering spirit of our colleague John Lewis and the
Freedom Riders, and the bold vision, of course, of Martin Luther King,
Jr., that ``injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere.''
The bill before us today would recognize those accomplishments while
acknowledging the sorry, tragic history of slavery in America and the
subsequent era of discrimination and economic deprivation after the
Civil War. H.R. 1242 would establish a commission charged with
celebrating the rich history of African Americans in the United States.
Along with States, community groups, and nonprofit organizations, the
commission would plan and execute anniversary activities throughout the
Nation and encourage the publication and distribution of scholarly
research on African-American history.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1242.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1730
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining on this side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia has 17\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), my friend and the author of this
bill.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1242,
the 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act, which was
introduced earlier this year by Senators Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Roy
Blunt, and Cory Booker. I was proud to introduce the House version,
which has the support of Representatives Taylor, Richmond, Wittman,
Beyer, McEachin, Lewis, Comstock, Connolly, Griffith, Goodlatte, and
many others.
I would like to thank Chairman Chaffetz, Ranking Member Cummings, Mr.
Comer, and Mr. Connolly for their assistance in bringing the bill to
the floor today.
This bill would establish a commission to begin the planning of
programs
[[Page H2987]]
and activities across our Nation to recognize the contributions of
African Americans since their first arrival as African slaves in the
English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619, almost 400 years
ago.
Slavery was an abhorrent institution, but the history of Virginia and
our Nation cannot be fully understood without first recognizing the
role played by the slave trade. This institution was the foundation of
the colonial and early American agricultural system. The 20 slaves who
arrived at Point Comfort in Hampton, Virginia, in 1619 were the first
on record to be forcibly settled as involuntary laborers in the English
colonies.
This bill will establish a commission to recognize and highlight the
resilience and contributions of African Americans since 1619. From
enduring slavery to fighting in the Civil War, to working against the
oppressive Jim Crow laws, to struggling through the civil rights
movement, the rich history of African Americans in the United States
and their contributions to our Nation began hundreds of years ago.
Obviously, this history does not end there.
The commission established by this bill will be charged with the
important task of planning, developing, and implementing a series of
programs and activities throughout 2019 to tell the full story of
African Americans over the last 400 years. This 15-member commission
will include historical experts instead of politicians. Therefore, the
true legacy of African Americans will be truthfully told.
It would be a great disservice not only to African Americans, but to
all Americans, if we fail to appropriately recognize this important
milestone in our Nation's history.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank the chairman and ranking member of the
committee, Mr. Comer and Mr. Connolly, for their leadership in bringing
this bill to the floor.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend Bobby Scott for
his leadership. This is an incredible service, not only to my
Commonwealth of Virginia and his, but, frankly, to all Americans. This
isn't just an issue for African Americans or some subgroup. All of us
are formed from our history, as we know from the popularity of the
opening of the new African-American museum here in Washington, which is
an incredible contribution, I think, to our Nation's culture and our
discussion.
Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1242, ``400
Years of African-American History Commission Act'', which establishes
the 400 Years of African-American History Commission to develop and
carry out activities throughout the United States to commemorate the
400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies at
Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619.
Through this bill, the commission must:
1. Plan programs to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that
enforced racial discrimination had on the United States;
2. Encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, artistic,
religious, and economic organizations to organize and participate in
anniversary activities;
3. Assist states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further
the commemoration; and
4. Coordinate for the public scholarly research on the arrival of
Africans in the United States and their contributions to this country.
The commission may provide:
1. Grants to communities and nonprofit organizations for the
development of programs;
2. Grants to research and scholarly organizations to research,
publish, or distribute information relating to the arrival of Africans
in the United States; and
3. Technical assistance to states, localities, and nonprofit
organizations to further the commemoration.
The commission must prepare a strategic plan and submit a final
report to Congress that contains a summary of its activities, an
accounting of its received and expended funds, and its recommendations.
The commission would submit a final report to the Congress and
terminate on July 1, 2020.
H.R. 1242 would authorize the appropriation of the necessary amounts
for those purposes.
The commission would consist of 15 members who would serve without
pay but would be reimbursed for travel expenses.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1242 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year
periods beginning in 2028. Enacting H.R. 1242 would not affect
revenues.
H.R. 1242 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs
on state, local, or tribal governments.
August of 2019 will mark 400 years since the first documented arrival
of Africans who came to English America by way of Point Comfort, Va.
Not only is it appropriate to establish a commission that would
recognize the contributions of African Americans, but it is
historically significant to acknowledge that the ``20 and odd''
Africans (as it was recorded) were the first recorded group of Africans
to be sold as involuntary laborers or indentured servants in the
English colonies.
The commission would be charged with highlighting the resilience and
contributions of African Americans, as well as acknowledging the
painful impact that slavery and other atrocities have had on our
nation.
African Americans have contributed to the economic, academic, social,
cultural and moral well-being of this nation.
Could we claim America as the most innovative nation on earth without
the invention of the modern traffic light, the perfection of the carbon
filament or the use of the mathematics that propelled Apollo astronauts
to the moon?
African-American culture is American culture, and African-American
discoveries are American discoveries. Without the accomplishments of
African Americans, the United States could not boast the ingenuity and
cultural richness that we cherish.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1242, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________