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HR 1242 115th 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: February 28, 2017 Introduced by: Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" Democratic · Virginia See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 19 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 8, 2018
Became Public Law No: 115-102.
Jan 8, 2018
Signed by President.
Dec 27, 2017
Presented to President.
Dec 22, 2017
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Dec 21, 2017
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.(consideration: CR S8267-8269)
Dec 21, 2017
Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S8267-8269)
May 2, 2017
Received in the Senate, read twice.
May 1, 2017
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 62.
May 1, 2017
Mr. Comer moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
May 1, 2017
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2985-2987)
May 1, 2017
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
May 1, 2017
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2985-2986)
May 1, 2017
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H2985-2986)
May 1, 2017
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1242.
May 1, 2017
Reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 115-105.
Mar 28, 2017
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Mar 28, 2017
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Feb 28, 2017
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Feb 28, 2017
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 May 1, 2017. 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 its received and expended funds, and its recommendations.

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

(Sec. 9) All expenditures of the commission shall be made solely from donated funds.

What's happening now January 8, 2018

Became Public Law No: 115-102.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • S 1460 Related bill Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017
  • S 392 Related bill 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act
 Bill text 6 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 26
All 26 Democratic 21 Republican 3
R
Bacon, Don
Nebraska · May 1, 2017
 D
Castor, Kathy
Florida · May 1, 2017
 D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · May 1, 2017
 D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · May 1, 2017
 R
Griffith, H. Morgan
Virginia · Mar 29, 2017
 D
Lynch, Stephen F.
Massachusetts · Mar 29, 2017
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Mar 27, 2017
 D
Peters, Scott H.
California · Mar 16, 2017
 D
Chu, Judy
California · Mar 7, 2017
 D
Cleaver, Emanuel
Missouri · Mar 7, 2017
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Mar 1, 2017
 D
Beatty, Joyce
Ohio · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Beyer, Donald S.
Virginia · Feb 28, 2017
Comstock, Barbara
· Feb 28, 2017
 D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Evans, Dwight
Pennsylvania · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Green, Al
Texas · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Huffman, Jared
California · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Kelly, Robin L.
Illinois · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Moore, Gwen
Wisconsin · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Raskin, Jamie
Maryland · Feb 28, 2017
 D
Soto, Darren
Florida · Feb 28, 2017
Taylor, Scott
· Feb 28, 2017
 D
Watson Coleman, Bonnie
New Jersey · Feb 28, 2017
 R
Wittman, Robert J.
Virginia · Feb 28, 2017
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1242: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1242/
MLA
"H.R. 1242: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1242/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1242, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1242/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1242: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-1242/)
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