[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 439 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 439

      To establish a servitude and emancipation archival research 
                clearinghouse in the National Archives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 12, 2007

 Mr. Cummings (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Wynn, Mr. 
   Ruppersberger, Mr. Watt, and Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                    Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To establish a servitude and emancipation archival research 
                clearinghouse in the National Archives.

    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 ``Servitude and Emancipation Archival 
Research ClearingHouse Act'' or the ``SEARCH Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES DATABASE OF HISTORIC RECORDS 
              REGARDING SERVITUDE AND EMANCIPATION.

    (a) In General.--The Archivist of the United States shall 
establish, as a 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.
    (b) Maintenance.--The database shall be maintained by the National 
Historical Publications and Records Commission.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated--
            (1) $5,000,000 to establish the database; and
            (2) $5,000,000 to provide grants to States and colleges and 
        universities to preserve local records of servitude and 
        emancipation.
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