Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act of 2006

Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act of 2006 - Requires the Archivist of the United States to: (1) establish, as part of the National Archives, an electronically searchable database of historic records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction contained within federal agencies for genealogical and historical research; and (2) preserve relevant records.

Requires the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to provide grants to states, colleges and universities, and genealogical associations to preserve records and establish databases of local records of such information.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5216 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5216

  To require the establishment of a national database in the National 
Archives to preserve records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil 
War reconstruction and to provide grants to State and local entities to 
                   establish similar local databases.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2006

 Mr. Lantos (for himself, Mr. Tom Davis of Virginia, Mr. Cummings, Mr. 
 Van Hollen, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Owens, Mr. 
     Wexler, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
     Jefferson, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Ms. 
  Kilpatrick of Michigan, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Snyder, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. 
 Payne, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. 
 Millender-McDonald, Mr. Capuano, Mrs. Christensen, Mrs. McCarthy, Ms. 
Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Taylor of Mississippi, Mr. Serrano, 
  Mr. Fattah, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Towns, Ms. Norton, Mr. Foley, 
Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Hastings of 
Florida, Ms. Watson, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Clay, and 
 Mr. Berman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the establishment of a national database in the National 
Archives to preserve records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil 
War reconstruction and to provide grants to State and local entities to 
                   establish similar local databases.

    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 ``Preservation of Records of 
Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL DATABASE.

    (a) In General.--The Archivist of the United States shall preserve 
relevant records and establish, as part of the National Archives, an 
electronically searchable national database consisting of historic 
records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction, 
including the Southern Claims Commission Records, Freedmen's Bureau 
Records, Records of the Freedmen's Bank, Slave Impressments Records, 
Slave Payroll Records, Slave Manifest, and others, contained within the 
agencies and departments of the Federal Government to assist African 
Americans and others in conducting genealogical and historical 
research.
    (b) Maintenance.--The database established under this section shall 
be maintained by the National Archives or an entity within the National 
Archives designated by the Archivist.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE AND LOCAL DATABASES.

    (a) In General.--The National Historical Publications and Records 
Commission of the National Archives shall provide grants to States, 
colleges and universities, and genealogical associations to preserve 
records and establish electronically searchable databases consisting of 
local records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War 
reconstruction.
    (b) Maintenance.--The databases established using grants provided 
under this section shall be maintained by appropriate agencies or 
institutions designated by the National Historical Publications and 
Records Commission.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) $5,000,000 to implement section 2; and
            (2) $5,000,000 to provide grants under section 3.
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