I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5024

To require that the Director of the National Park Service construct a National Training Center at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 12, 1994

Mr. STOKES (for himself and Mr. HOBSON) introduced the following bill;

which was referred jointly to the Committees on Natural Resources and

Education and Labor

A BILL

To require that the Director of the National Park Service

construct a National Training Center at the National

Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, and for

other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Training Cen5 ter for Minority Museum, Archives, and Historic Preserva6 tion Professionals Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following

3 findings:

4 (1) By a law enacted in 1980, the National

5 Afro-American History and Culture Commission was

6 established to develop plans for the construction and

7 operation of the National Center for the Study of

8 Afro-American History and Culture (now known as

9 the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural

10 Center).

11 (2) The Museum was constructed at Wilber12 force, Ohio, and opened to the public in April 1988.

13 (3) It was the intent of Congress, and the un14 derstanding of the State of Ohio, that the Federal

15 Government would assist the State by providing

16 funds for construction and development of the Mu17 seum as a joint Federal-State project, yet this part18 nership was not clarified in the original legislation.

19 (4) The State of Ohio has assumed almost ex20 clusive financial responsibility for the Museum thus

21 far.

22 (5) There is a gross underrepresentation of mi23 nority museum, archives, and historic preservation

24 professionals in our Nation’s museums, archives,

25 and historic preservation offices, which results in the
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1 failure to preserve important artifacts, manuscripts,

2 and sites related to minority history and culture.

3 (6) The State of Ohio has gone as far as it can

4 without tangible Federal assistance and needs Fed5 eral funds for construction of a center at the Mu6 seum to be used to train minority museum, archives,

7 and historic preservation professionals for our Na8 tion’s museums, archives, and historic preservation

9 offices.

10 (7) Public Law 101–628 instructs the National

11 Park Service to develop a range of concepts to pre12 serve, interpret and commemorate the Underground

13 Railroad story. During the 19th Century, the State

14 of Ohio and its citizens played major roles in helping

15 escaped slaves to freedom via the Underground Rail16 road. Wilberforce, Ohio was an important station

17 among a network of stations in Ohio.

18 (b) PURPOSES.—In order to meet the charge of the

19 original legislation, the purposes of this Act are—

20 (1) to authorize the appropriation of funds for

21 construction and maintenance of the National Train22 ing Center at the National Afro-American Museum

23 and Cultural Center at Wilberforce, Ohio;

24 (2) to authorize the establishment of a Board

25 of Governors of the National Afro-American Mu-
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1 seum and Cultural Center jointly with the State of

2 Ohio; and

3 (3) to authorize an interpretative and research

4 center to preserve, interpret and commemorate the

5 Underground Railroad story.

6 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

7 For the purposes of this Act:

8 (1) BOARD OF GOVERNORS.—The term ‘‘Board

9 of Governors’’ means the Board of Governors of the

10 National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Cen11 ter established pursuant to section 6.

12 (2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means

13 the Director of the National Park Service.

14 (3) MUSEUM.—The term ‘‘Museum’’ means the

15 National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Cen16 ter.

17 SEC. 4. NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER CONSTRUCTION AND

18 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.

19 The Director shall—

20 (1) construct, jointly with the State of Ohio, a

21 National Training Center at the Museum which will

22 prepare professionals for our Nation’s museums, ar23 chives, and historic preservation offices; and

24 (2) through the Board of Governors established

25 pursuant to section 6, provide for the operation and
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1 maintenance of the Museum and provide for tech2 nical assistance to the Museum.

3 SEC. 5. MINORITY MUSEUM PROFESSIONAL STUDIES.

4 The Secretary of Education, acting through the

5 Board of Governors, shall—

6 (1) contract with a consortium of institutions of

7 higher education to implement a graduate degree

8 program to train minorities in museum, archives,

9 and historic preservation studies at the Museum;

10 (2) offer annual seminars in museum, archival,

11 and historic preservation practices and periodic

12 workshops, in conjunction with the African Amer13 ican Museums Association and other professional or14 ganizations, to serve the needs of minority museum

15 professionals; and

16 (3) provide scholarships and loans for students

17 and professionals in the studies established under

18 paragraphs (1) and (2).

19 SEC. 6. BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF MUSEUM.

20 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Education

21 and the Director are authorized to establish jointly with

22 the State of Ohio a Board of Governors of the National

23 Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center which meets

24 the requirements of subsection (b) and which has the au-
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1 thority to carry out the duties, responsibilities, and au2 thorities required by this Act.

3 (b) REQUIREMENTS FOR BOARD OF GOVERNORS.—

4 The requirements for the Board of Governors referred to

5 in subsection (a) are as follows:

6 (1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—

7 (A) Four members of the Board of Gov8 ernors are appointed by the Governor of Ohio,

9 who are—

10 (i) the presidents of Central State

11 University, Wright State University, and

12 Wilberforce University, or their designees;

13 and

14 (ii) the Director of the Ohio Historical

15 Society, or the Director’s designee.

16 (B) Five members of the Board of Gov17 ernors who shall be from diverse disciplines and

18 geographical residence and shall be committed

19 to the advancement of knowledge and African

20 American and minority history and culture, of

21 whom—

22 (i) three shall be appointed by the

23 Governor of Ohio;

24 (ii) one shall be appointed by the Sec25 retary; and
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1 (iii) one shall be appointed by the Di2 rector.

3 (2) TERMS.—

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in

5 subparagraph (B), the term for members of the

6 Board of Governors is three years and members

7 may be reappointed.

8 (B) STAGGERED TERMS.—As designated

9 by the appointing authority at the time of ini10 tial appointments pursuant to paragraph

11 (1)(B), the term of one member expires at the

12 end of one year, the terms of two members ex13 pire at the end of two years, and the terms of

14 three members expire at the end of three years.

15 (3) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Board of

16 Governors shall not affect its powers and shall be

17 filled in the manner in which the original appoint18 ment was made. Any member appointed to fill a va19 cancy occurring before the expiration of the term for

20 which the predecessor of the member was appointed

21 for the remainder of the term.

22 (4) NO COMPENSATION.—Except as provided in

23 paragraph (5), members of the Board of Governors

24 appointed pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) shall serve

25 without pay.
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1 (5) EXPENSES.—Members of the Board of Gov2 ernors appointed pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) shall

3 receive per diem, travel, and transportation expenses

4 for each day, including travel time, during which

5 they are engaged in the performance of the duties of

6 the Board of Governors in accordance with section

7 5703 of title 5, United States Code, with respect to

8 employees serving intermittently in the Government

9 service.

10 (6) CHAIRPERSON.—The Board of Governors

11 shall elect a chairperson by a majority vote of the

12 members of the Board of Governors.

13 (7) MEETINGS.—The Board of Governors shall

14 meet at the call of the chairperson or upon the writ15 ten request of a majority of its members, but shall

16 meet not less than twice each year.

17 (8) QUORUM.—A majority of the Board of Gov18 ernors shall constitute a quorum for purposes of

19 conducting business, but a lesser number may re20 ceive information on behalf of the Board of Gov21 ernors.

22 (9) VOLUNTARY SERVICES.—Notwithstanding

23 section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the

24 chairperson of the Board of Governors may accept
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1 for the Board of Governors voluntary services pro2 vided by a member of the Board of Governors.

3 (c) COMMISSION TERMINATION.—Effective 30 days

4 after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Cen5 ter for the Study of Afro-American History and Culture

6 Act (20 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) is repealed.

7 SEC. 7. DUTIES, AUTHORITIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF

8 THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE MU9 SEUM.

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—The duties of the Board of Gov11 ernors established pursuant to section 6(a) are as follows:

12 (1) To recommend annual budgets for the Mu13 seum and the National Training Center established

14 pursuant to section 4.

15 (2) To have the sole authority to—

16 (A) loan, exchange, sell, or otherwise dis17 pose of any part of the collections of the Mu18 seum, but only if the funds generated by such

19 disposition are used for additions to the collec20 tions of the Museum or for additions to the en21 dowment of the Museum;

22 (B) subject to the availability of funds and

23 the provisions of annual budgets of the Mu24 seum, purchase, accept, borrow, or otherwise
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1 acquire artifacts and other property for addi2 tion to the collections of the Museum;

3 (C) establish policy with respect to the uti4 lization of the collections of the Museum; and

5 (D) establish policy regarding program6 ming, education, exhibitions, and research, with

7 respect to the life and culture of African Ameri8 cans, the role of African Americans in the his9 tory of the United States, especially the signifi10 cance of the Underground Railroad, and the

11 contributions of African Americans to society.

12 (3) To have authority to—

13 (A) provide for restoration, preservation,

14 and maintenance of the collections of the Mu15 seum;

16 (B) solicit funds for the Museum and de17 termine the purposes to which those funds shall

18 be used;

19 (C) approve expenditures from the endow20 ment of the Museum, or of income generated

21 from the endowment, for any purpose of the

22 Museum; and

23 (D) consult with, advise, and support the

24 Director in the operation of the Museum.
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1 (4) To establish programs in cooperation with

2 other minority museums, historical societies, edu3 cational institutions, cultural and other organiza4 tions for the education and promotion of under5 standing regarding minority life, art, history, and

6 culture.

7 (5) To support the efforts of other minority

8 museums and cultural and other organizations to

9 educate and promote understanding regarding mi10 nority life, art, history, and culture, including—

11 (A) development of cooperative programs

12 and exhibitions;

13 (B) identification, management, and care

14 of collections;

15 (C) participation in the training of mu16 seum archives and historic preservation profes17 sionals; and

18 (D) creating opportunities for—

19 (i) research fellowships; and

20 (ii) professional and student intern21 ships.

22 (6) To adopt bylaws to carry out the functions

23 of the Board of Governors.

24 (7) To report annually to Congress and the

25 Ohio legislature on the acquisition, disposition, and
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1 display of minority American objects and artifacts

2 and on other appropriate matters.

3 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

4 (a) CAPITAL.—There is authorized to be appro5 priated to the Director for construction, equipment, and

6 exhibit installation pursuant to section 4(1) (1)

7 $2,000,000 for fiscal year 1996 for planning and design;

8 and (2) $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1997 and

9 1998 for construction, equipment and exhibit installation.

10 (b) OPERATIONS.—There is authorized to be appro11 priated to the Director (1) $1,000,000 for operation and

12 maintenance pursuant to section 4(2); and (2) $25,000

13 annually for the Board of Governors pursuant to section

14 6(b)(5).

15 (c) MINORITY MUSEUM PROFESSIONAL STUDIES.—

16 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary

17 such sums as may be necessary to carry out section 5.

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