[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2159-H2161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY RECOGNITION ACT

  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3250) to recognize the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum in 
Rochester, New York.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3250

       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 ``National Museum of Play 
     Recognition Act''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY IN ROCHESTER, 
                   NEW YORK.

       (a) Congressional Recognition.--Congress--
       (1) recognizes that the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum, 
     DBA Strong Museum, located in Rochester, New York, is the 
     only museum of its kind that exists for the exclusive purpose 
     of exploring the ways in which play encourages learning, 
     creativity, and discovery, and how it illuminates cultural 
     history; and
       (2) officially designates the Margaret Woodbury Strong 
     Museum as the National Museum of Play.
       (b) Effect of Recognition; Designation.--The National 
     Museum of Play recognized in subsection (a) is not a unit of 
     the National Park System and the designation under subsection 
     (a) shall not be construed to require

[[Page H2160]]

     or permit Federal funds to be expended for any purpose 
     related to the Museum.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Wyoming (Ms. Hageman) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger 
Fernandez) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming.


                             General Leave

  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3250, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Wyoming?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3250, the National Museum of 
Play Recognition Act, which recognizes the Margaret Woodbury Strong 
Museum in Rochester, New York, as the National Museum of Play.
  This bipartisan bill, led by Representatives Morelle and Langworthy, 
provides Federal recognition without adding to the Federal estate or 
burdening taxpayers.
  Inspired by her parents' passion for traveling, Margaret Woodbury 
amassed more than 27,000 dolls from around the world.
  After her passing, Ms. Woodbury left a large portion of her financial 
resources for a museum, which opened in downtown Rochester in 1982.
  Today, the museum spans over 100,000 square feet, serving as a 
reminder of the importance of play to visitors from around the country. 
As our country evaluates the implications of technology in our 
children's lives, this bill recognizes how play can be utilized to 
encourage learning, creativity, and discovery in child development.
  This bill recognizes the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum, which draws 
over half a million visitors annually, in no small part, due to its 
unique important purpose.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, with much delight and joy in my heart, I rise in support 
of H.R. 3250, the National Museum of Play Recognition Act, introduced 
by my esteemed colleague--and very playful, I might say--from New York, 
Representative  Joe Morelle.
  This legislation would designate the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum 
in Rochester, New York, as the National Museum of Play.
  The Strong Museum is a unique institution dedicated to the 
exploration of how play serves to promote learning, creativity, 
discovery, and cultural history.
  Who among us has not been in kindergarten or Head Start or preschool 
either as a child or as a parent of the child and recognize the 
importance of play in the growth of our children.
  Indeed, I was recently reading a book this weekend that pointed out 
the importance of play and how we tap into the divinity and the 
creativity in each of us.
  That is why this museum, which was established in 1969, initially 
housing the personal collections of the Rochester local, Margaret 
Woodbury Strong, is so important.
  As one of the largest museums in the country, the Strong Museum 
displays the most comprehensive collection of historical materials 
related to play and provides families with interactive exhibits and 
programs.
  This institution hosts the National Toy Hall of Fame and the World 
Video Game Hall of Fame and publishes the peer-reviewed American 
Journal of Play.
  H.R. 3250 recognizes and honors the distinct and special role that 
the Strong Museum contributes to our national story.
  I thank Representative Morelle for his leadership in this effort and 
the representatives of the Strong Museum for their advocacy.
  This is a straightforward, bipartisan, and commonsense effort to 
honor and recognize the contributions of a unique and dynamic 
institution. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle), the very serious but also 
very playful sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank my good friend, the 
gentlewoman from New Mexico, who is also playful but serious, for 
yielding. I thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming for her support of the 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 3250, 
the National Museum of Play Recognition Act. This bipartisan bill will 
designate the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, 
where I am grateful and privileged to represent, as the National Museum 
of Play.
  As has been described by my colleagues, the museum was founded by 
Margaret Woodbury Strong in 1968. It is the only museum of its kind 
that exists for the exclusive purpose of exploring the ways in which 
play encourages learning, creativity, and discovery, and how it 
illuminates cultural history.
  Children are the hope of each and every community across this 
country. We must continue to inspire future generations to learn, grow, 
and innovate, and we know the best way to do that is through play.
  In 2023, the Strong Museum completed its most recent 90,000-square 
foot expansion of new exhibit space, bringing the museum total square 
footage to 282,000 square feet of areas of play.
  The museum also features the Toy Hall of Fame. Each year, the Hall of 
Fame selects inductees like the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, the American 
Girl dolls, the board game Monopoly, the Atari 2600 game system, 
Slinky, and last year's new inductee, Cabbage Patch Kids.
  I am incredibly proud to have such a noteworthy institution in my 
district, working to serve the children and families from upstate New 
York and the entire country.

  Mr. Speaker, I extend an invitation to all of my colleagues to come 
to Rochester and spend time at the National Museum of Play.
  I also thank Representative Langworthy for his partnership with this 
legislation, as well as Chairman Westerman, Ranking Member Grijalva, 
and the House Committee on Natural Resources for advancing this bill on 
a bipartisan and unanimous basis.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3250.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, as noted above, this bill is quite 
worthy of our support. While we have been talking about it with a smile 
in our hearts, we must recognize that it is incredibly important, and 
we must be thankful to those who have compiled this collection because 
it is so essential for us to understand our history and the history of 
play in our country and the contributions it makes to our society.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, this bill provides recognition to a museum 
that is a source of local pride without draining taxpayer resources or 
increasing the burden on the National Park Service. I support this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3250.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

[[Page H2161]]

  

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