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HR 4539 114th Congress House Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Commemorative events and holidays Racial and ethnic relations U.S. history Virginia

400 Years of African-American History Commission Act

Introduced: April 29, 2016 Introduced by: Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" Democratic · Virginia See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 12 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 6, 2016
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 612.
Sep 6, 2016
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 114-341.
Jul 13, 2016
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Jul 6, 2016
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Jul 5, 2016
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jul 5, 2016
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4260-4262)
Jul 5, 2016
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4260-4262)
Jul 5, 2016
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4539.
Jul 5, 2016
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4260-4263)
Jul 5, 2016
Mr. Chaffetz moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Feb 11, 2016
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Feb 11, 2016
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 5, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

400 Years of African-American History Commission Act

(Sec. 3) This bill 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.

The commission must:

  • plan programs to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States;
  • encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, artistic, religious, and economic organizations to organize and participate in anniversary activities;
  • assist states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration; and
  • coordinate for the public scholarly research on the arrival of Africans in the United States and their contributions to this country.

(Sec. 5) 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.

(Sec. 7) The commission must prepare a strategic plan and submit a final report to Congress that contains a summary of its activities, an accounting of funds it received and expended, and its recommendations.

(Sec. 8) The commission shall terminate on July 1, 2020.

What's happening now September 6, 2016

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 612.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 2548 Identical bill 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act
 Bill text 4 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 33
All 33 Democratic 31 Republican 1
Comstock, Barbara
· Apr 29, 2016
 D
Bishop, Sanford D.
Georgia · Apr 21, 2016
 D
Clarke, Yvette D.
New York · Apr 21, 2016
 D
Clyburn, James E.
South Carolina · Apr 21, 2016
 D
Kelly, Robin L.
Illinois · Apr 21, 2016
 D
Veasey, Marc A.
Texas · Apr 21, 2016
 D
Wilson, Frederica S.
Florida · Apr 21, 2016
 D
Duckworth, Tammy
Illinois · Feb 26, 2016
 D
Adams, Alma S.
North Carolina · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Beatty, Joyce
Ohio · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Beyer, Donald S.
Virginia · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Carson, André
Indiana · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Castor, Kathy
Florida · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Cleaver, Emanuel
Missouri · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Doggett, Lloyd
Texas · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Green, Al
Texas · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Huffman, Jared
California · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Jeffries, Hakeem S.
New York · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Johnson, Henry C. "Hank"
Georgia · Feb 11, 2016
 D
McCollum, Betty
Minnesota · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Moore, Gwen
Wisconsin · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Norcross, Donald
New Jersey · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Plaskett, Stacey E.
Virgin Islands · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Smith, Adam
Washington · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Van Hollen, Chris
Maryland · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Florida · Feb 11, 2016
 D
Watson Coleman, Bonnie
New Jersey · Feb 11, 2016
 R
Wittman, Robert J.
Virginia · Feb 11, 2016
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4539: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-4539/
MLA
"H.R. 4539: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-4539/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4539, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-4539/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4539: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-HR-4539/)
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