[Senate Report 108-282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
108th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 108-282
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Calendar No. 589
SERVITUDE AND EMANCIPATION ARCHIVAL RESEARCH CLEARINGHOUSE ACT OF 2003
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
to accompany
S. 1292
TO ESTABLISH A SERVITUDE AND EMANCIPATION ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
CLEARINGHOUSE IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
June 21, 2004.--Ordered to be printed
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine, Chairman
TED STEVENS, Alaska JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio CARL LEVIN, Michigan
NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois MARK DAYTON, Minnesota
JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama MARK PRYOR, Arkansas
Michael D. Bopp, Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Bonnie L. Heald, Professional Staff Member
Joyce A. Rechtschaffen, Minority Staff Director and Counsel
Jason M. Yanussi, Minority Professional Staff Member
Jackie Parker, Deputy Legislative Director for Senator Levin
Amy B. Newhouse, Chief Clerk
Calendar No. 589
108th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 108-282
======================================================================
SERVITUDE AND EMANCIPATION ARCHIVAL RESEARCH CLEARINGHOUSE ACT OF 2003
_______
June 21, 2004.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Ms. Collins, from the Committee on Governmental Affairs, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1292]
The Committee on Governmental Affairs, to whom was referred
the bill (S. 1292) to establish a servitude and emancipation
archival research clearinghouse in the National Archives,
having considered the same reports favorably thereon with
amendments and recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Summary..............................................1
II. Background.......................................................2
III. Legislative History..............................................2
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis......................................2
V. Estimated Cost of Legislation....................................3
VI. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................4
VII. Changes in Existing Law..........................................4
I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
The purpose of S. 1292 is to authorize the Archivist of the
United States to establish, as 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. S. 1292 would
authorize funds to be appropriated to establish the national
database and for grants to States, colleges, universities,
libraries, and museums to preserve local records related to
servitude and emancipation.
II. BACKGROUND
African Americans in the United States face a unique
challenge when conducting genealogical research. Currently,
records of emancipation and slavery are difficult to access,
insufficiently archived and cataloged, and slowly crumbling due
to uneven preservation efforts. Many of their ancestors'
records were kept by private slave-trading companies and large
plantation owners. Instead of looking up wills, land deeds,
birth and death certificates, and other traditional
genealogical research documents, African Americans must often
seek to identify the name of former slave owners, hoping that
the owners kept records of pertinent information, such as
births and deaths.
Even after 1865, discrimination in many States prevented
voter registration, business ownership, school attendance, and
other privileges of citizenship that would produce traceable
documentation. While National Archives maintains former
Freedman's Bureau records, many records from this era are held
in State and university collections. Some States and localities
have undertaken efforts to collect these documents with varying
degrees of success.
S. 1292 proposes the establishment of a clearinghouse to
catalog various documents that would assist African Americans
in search of a history that, because of slavery, cannot easily
be found in the most commonly searched registers and census
records.
S. 1292 authorizes $5,000,000 to create the national
database within the National Archives authorized by this Act.
It also authorizes $5,000,000 for the National Archives to
provide grants to States, colleges, universities, libraries,
and museums to preserve local records of servitude and
emancipation.
III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 1292 was introduced on June 19, 2003, by Senators
Landrieu, Levin, Bayh, Fitzgerald, Schumer, Voinovich, Durbin,
and Stabenow and was referred to the Committee on Governmental
Affairs. On June 2, 2004, the Committee considered S. 1292, and
ordered the bill, as amended, reported by voice vote.
The amendment, offered by Senator Levin, authorized such
sums as are necessary for the cost of operating and maintaining
the national clearinghouse. In addition, the amendment added
libraries and museums to States, universities, and colleges as
potential grant recipients. The Committee approved the
amendment by voice vote.
A companion bill, H.R. 4147, was introduced in the House by
Representative Elijah Cummings on April 2, 2004, and has been
referred to the Committee on Government Reform.
IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 titles the bill as the ``Servitude and
Emancipation Archival Research Clearinghouse Act of 2003.''
Section 2(a) would establish a national database consisting
of historic records of servitude and emancipation in the United
States to assist African Americans in researching their
genealogy.
Section 2(b) provides that the database established by this
Act shall be maintained by the National Historical Publications
and Records Commission.
Section 3 authorizes appropriations to establish, maintain
and provide grants to States, colleges, universities,
libraries, and museums to preserve local records of servitude
and emancipation.
V. ESTIMATED COST OF LEGISLATION
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, June 7, 2004.
Hon. Susan M. Collins,
Chairman, Committee on Governmental Affairs,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed estimate for S. 1292, the Servitude and
Emancipation Archival Research Clearinghouse Act of 2003.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Robinson
(For Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 1292--Servitude and Emancipation Archival Research Clearinghouse Act
of 2003
Summary: S. 1292 would require the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA), with the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), to establish a
national database of historic records relating to slavery in
the United States and to provide grants to states, colleges,
universities, libraries, and museums to preserve local records
concerning slavery. The legislation would authorize the
appropriation of $5 million for the national database and $5
million for local preservation grants. CBO estimates that NHPRC
would need $1 million a year to update and maintain the
database after it is established. Based on information from
NARA, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $12
million over the 2005-2009 period, assuming appropriation of
the necessary amounts. Enacting S. 1292 would not affect direct
spending or revenues.
S. 1292 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would benefit state and local governments by providing $5
million in grants to preserve local records related to slavery.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: For this
estimate, CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted by the
beginning of fiscal year 2005. CBO estimates that implementing
the bill would cost $12 million over the 2005-2009 period.
Estimated outlays are based on information from NARA and
historical spending patterns of similar programs. The estimated
budgetary impact of S. 1292 is shown on the following table.
The cost of this legislation falls within budget function 800
(general government).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
--------------------------------------------
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Establish National Database:
Authorization Level............................................ 5 0 0 0 0
Estimated Outlays.............................................. 0 3 2 0 0
Local Preservation Grants:
Authorization Level............................................ 1 1 1 1 1
Estimated Outlays.............................................. 1 1 1 1 1
Maintain National Database:
Authorization Level............................................ 0 0 0 1 1
Estimated Outlays.............................................. 0 0 0 1 1
Total Changes:
Authorization Level............................................ 6 1 1 2 2
Estimated Outlays.............................................. 1 4 3 2 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 1292
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would benefit state and local governments
by providing $5 million in grants to preserve local records
related to slavery.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Matthew Pickford;
Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Sarah Puro; and
Impact on Private-Sector: Paige Piper/Bach.
Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
VI. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT
Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has
considered the regulatory impact of this bill. CBO states that
there are no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and no costs on
state, local, or tribal governments. The legislation contains
no other regulatory impact.
VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, there are no changes in existing
law made by the bill as reported.