I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9274 

To permit the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino and 

the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum to be located within 

the Reserve of the National Mall, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 2, 2024 

Ms. MALLIOTAKIS (for herself, Ms. CHU, Mrs. GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N, and Mr. 

CA ́RDENAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 

Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To permit the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s 

History Museum to be located within the Reserve of 

the National Mall, 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 ‘‘Smithsonian History 

5 of American Women and Latino Act’’ or the ‘‘SHAWL 

6 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. SITE OF SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE 

2 AMERICAN LATINO. 

3 (a) AUTHORIZING SITE WITHIN RESERVE OF NA4 TIONAL MALL.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

6 provision of law or regulation, including section 

7 8908(c) of title 40, United States Code, the Smith8 sonian National Museum of the American Latino 

9 may be located within the Reserve (as defined in sec10 tion 8902(a) of title 40, United States Code). 

11 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

12 201(g)(4) of division T of the Consolidated Appro13 priations Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. 80u(g)(4)) is amend14 ed by striking ‘‘, except that’’ and all that follows 

15 and inserting a period. 

16 (b) USE OF SITE UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF AN17 OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY.—Section 201(g)(2) of division 

18 T of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (20 

19 U.S.C. 80u(g)(2)) is amended to read as follows: 

20 ‘‘(2) SITE UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF AN21 OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY.— 

22 ‘‘(A) NOTIFICATION TO OTHER AGENCY OR

23 ENTITY.—The Board of Regents shall not des24 ignate a site for the Museum that is under the 

25 administrative jurisdiction of another Federal 


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1 agency or entity without first notifying the head 

2 of the Federal agency or entity. 

3 ‘‘(B) NOTIFICATION TO COMMITTEES.— 

4 Once notified under subparagraph (A), the head 

5 of the Federal agency or entity shall promptly 

6 submit written notification to the Chair and 

7 ranking minority members of the Committee on 

8 Rules and Administration, the Committee on 

9 Appropriations, and the Committee on Energy 

10 and Natural Resources of the Senate, and the 

11 Committee on House Administration, the Com12 mittee on Natural Resources, the Committee on 

13 Transportation and Infrastructure, and the 

14 Committee on Appropriations of the House of 

15 Representatives, stating that the Federal agen16 cy or entity was notified by the Board of Re17 gents that a site under its jurisdiction was des18 ignated and that a transfer will be initiated as 

19 soon as practicable. 

20 ‘‘(C) TRANSFER.—As soon as practicable 

21 after the date on which the individuals de22 scribed in subparagraph (B) receive the written 

23 notification described in such subparagraph, the 

24 head of the Federal agency or entity shall 

25 transfer to the Smithsonian Institution its adVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:24 Sep 06, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9274.IH H9274

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1 ministrative jurisdiction over the land or struc2 ture that has been designated as the site for the 

3 Museum.’’. 

4 (c) ENSURING DIVERSITY OF POLITICAL VIEW5 POINTS AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES.—Section 

6 201(d)(2)(D) of division T of the Consolidated Appropria7 tions Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. 80u(d)(2)(D)) is amended to 

8 read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(D) ENSURING DIVERSITY OF POLITICAL

10 VIEWPOINTS AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES.— 

11 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Board of 

12 Trustees shall ensure that the exhibits and 

13 programs of the Museum accurately and 

14 comprehensively represent the varied cul15 tures, histories, events, and values of His16 panic or Latino communities. 

17 ‘‘(ii) SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.—In 

18 carrying out its duties, the Board of Trust19 ees shall ensure that it seeks and utilizes 

20 to its maximum ability guidance from a 

21 broad array of knowledgeable and re22 spected sources reflecting the diversity of 

23 the political viewpoints and authentic expe24 riences held by Hispanics or Latinos in the 

25 United States, and shall seek such guidVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:24 Sep 06, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9274.IH H9274

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1 ance for both the creation and substantial 

2 revision of exhibits and programs. 

3 ‘‘(iii) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara4 graph— 

5 ‘‘(I) the term ‘broad array’ 

6 means a range of experts and publica7 tions that represent the broad spec8 trum of Hispanic or Latino commu9 nities, to include varied viewpoints, 

10 political ideologies, cultures, and lived 

11 experiences in the United States; and 

12 ‘‘(II) the term ‘knowledgeable 

13 and respected source’ means an indi14 vidual who has gained through edu15 cation, publication, or witnessing an 

16 important or historical event, the abil17 ity to advise on at least one unique 

18 viewpoint or experience of a particular 

19 Hispanic or Latino community, and 

20 whose knowledge has been relied upon 

21 by a notable segment of that commu22 nity for education, heritage preserva23 tion, or historical purposes, and in24 cludes the work of such an individual 


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1 which reflects such ability and knowl2 edge.’’. 

3 (d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 120 

4 days after the date of enactment of this Act and every 

5 2 years thereafter, the Secretary of the Smithsonian shall 

6 submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 

7 House of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and 

8 Natural Resources of the Senate, the Committee on House 

9 Administration of the House of Representatives, the Com10 mittee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, the 

11 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

12 House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropria13 tions of the House of Representatives, and the Committee 

14 on Appropriations of the Senate, a report on actions taken 

15 by the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of 

16 the American Latino Museum and the Board of Trustees 

17 of the Museum to comply with the requirements of the 

18 amendments made by subsection (c), including a descrip19 tion of actions taken with respect to substantial revisions 

20 of current exhibits and programs as well the planning of 

21 future exhibits and programs. 

22 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend23 ments made by this section shall take effect as if included 

24 in the enactment of section 201 of division T of the Con25 solidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. 80u). 


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1 SEC. 3. SITE OF SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN’S HIS2 TORY MUSEUM. 

3 (a) AUTHORIZING SITE WITHIN RESERVE OF NA4 TIONAL MALL.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

6 provision of law or regulation, including section 

7 8908(c) of title 40, United States Code, the Smith8 sonian American Women’s History Museum may be 

9 located within the Reserve (as defined in section 

10 8902(a) of title 40, United States Code). 

11 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

12 107(d) of division T of the Consolidated Appropria13 tions Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. 80t–5(d)) is amended by 

14 striking ‘‘, except that’’ and all that follows and in15 serting a period. 

16 (b) USE OF SITE UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF AN17 OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY.—Section 107(b) of division T 

18 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. 

19 80t–5(b) is amended to read as follows: 

20 ‘‘(b) SITE UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF ANOTHER

21 FEDERAL AGENCY.— 

22 ‘‘(1) NOTIFICATION TO OTHER AGENCY OR EN23 TITY.—The Board of Regents shall not designate a 

24 site for the Museum that is under the administrative 

25 jurisdiction of another Federal agency or entity 


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1 without first notifying the head of the Federal agen2 cy or entity. 

3 ‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION TO COMMITTEES.—Once 

4 notified under paragraph (1), the head of the Fed5 eral agency or entity shall promptly submit written 

6 notification to the Chair and ranking minority mem7 bers of the Committee on Rules and Administration, 

8 the Committee on Appropriations, and the Com9 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen10 ate, and the Committee on House Administration, 

11 the Committee on Natural Resources, the Committee 

12 on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Com13 mittee on Appropriations of the House of Represent14 atives, stating that the Federal agency or entity was 

15 notified by the Board of Regents that a site under 

16 its jurisdiction was designated and that a transfer 

17 will be initiated as soon as practicable. 

18 ‘‘(3) TRANSFER.—As soon as practicable after 

19 the date on which the individuals described in para20 graph (2) receive the written notification described 

21 in such subparagraph, the head of the Federal agen22 cy or entity shall transfer to the Smithsonian Insti23 tution its administrative jurisdiction over the land or 

24 structure that has been designated as the site for 

25 the Museum.’’. 


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1 (c) ENSURING DIVERSITY OF POLITICAL VIEW2 POINTS AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES.—Section 

3 104(b)(4) of division T of the Consolidated Appropriations 

4 Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. 80t–2(b)(4) is amended to read as 

5 follows: 

6 ‘‘(4) ENSURING DIVERSITY OF POLITICAL VIEW7 POINTS AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall en9 sure that the exhibits and programs of the Mu10 seum accurately and comprehensively represent 

11 the varied cultures, histories, events, and values 

12 held by women in the United States. 

13 ‘‘(B) SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.—In car14 rying out its duties, the Council shall ensure 

15 that it seeks and utilizes to its maximum ability 

16 guidance from a broad array of knowledgeable 

17 and respected sources reflecting the diversity of 

18 the political viewpoints and authentic experi19 ences held by women in the United States, and 

20 shall seek such guidance for both the creation 

21 and substantial revision of exhibits and pro22 grams. 

23 ‘‘(C) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara24 graph— 


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1 ‘‘(i) the term ‘broad array’ means a 

2 range of experts and publications that rep3 resent the broad spectrum of communities 

4 of women, to include varied viewpoints, po5 litical ideologies, cultures, and lived experi6 ences in the United States; and 

7 ‘‘(ii) the term ‘knowledgeable and re8 spected source’ means an individual who 

9 has gained through education, publication, 

10 or witnessing an important or historical 

11 event, the ability to advise on at least one 

12 unique viewpoint or experience of a par13 ticular community of women in the United 

14 States, and whose knowledge has been re15 lied upon by a notable segment of that 

16 community for education, heritage preser17 vation, or historical purposes, and includes 

18 the work of such an individual which re19 flects such ability and knowledge.’’. 

20 (d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 120 

21 days after the date of enactment of this Act and every 

22 2 years thereafter, the Secretary of the Smithsonian shall 

23 submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 

24 House of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and 

25 Natural Resources of the Senate, the Committee on House 


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1 Administration of the House of Representatives, the Com2 mittee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, the 

3 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

4 House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropria5 tions of the House of Representatives, and the Committee 

6 on Appropriations of the Senate, a report on actions taken 

7 by the Director of the Smithsonian American Women’s 

8 History Museum and the Council of the Museum to com9 ply with the requirements of the amendments made by 

10 subsection (c), including a description of actions taken 

11 with respect to substantial revisions of current exhibits 

12 and programs as well the planning of future exhibits and 

13 programs. 

14 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend15 ments made by this section shall take effect as if included 

16 in the enactment of title I of division T of the Consolidated 

17 Appropriations Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. 80t et seq.). 

Æ 


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