I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4812 

To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to enter into an agreement 

with the Harriet Tubman Statue Commission of the State of Maryland 

for the acceptance of a statue of Harriet Tubman for display in a 

suitable location in the United States Capitol. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 17, 2016 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Mr. HOYER, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. EDWARDS, Mr. HARRIS, and Mr. 

DELANEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 

A BILL 

To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to enter into 

an agreement with the Harriet Tubman Statue Commission of the State of Maryland for the acceptance of 

a statue of Harriet Tubman for display in a suitable 

location in the United States Capitol. 

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) Harriet Tubman was born a slave under the 

2 given name Araminta Ross in Maryland in about 

3 1820. 

4 (2) Beaten severely as a child, she suffered a 

5 traumatic head injury at the hand of a slave owner 

6 early in her life, which caused a lifetime of head7 aches, seizures, and vision difficulties. 

8 (3) In 1849, she fled north to freedom and then 

9 immediately returned to Maryland, risking her life to 

10 free her family. 

11 (4) She joined the Underground Railroad, 

12 which was a secret network for free African-Ameri13 cans and White sympathizers who helped runaways 

14 escape the South. 

15 (5) She became known as ‘‘the Moses to her 

16 people’’ as a conductor on the Underground Rail17 road, risking her life time and time again to return 

18 to Maryland and lead slaves to freedom. 

19 (6) When the Civil War began, she became a 

20 Union spy, organizing an espionage network of 

21 slaves and freedmen who operated behind Confed22 erate lines. 

23 (7) On several occasions, she led military raid24 ing parties and also tended to the Union wounded 

25 as an army nurse. 


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1 (8) After the Civil War, she devoted herself to 

2 women’s suffrage, the care of orphans and invalids, 

3 and the establishment of freedmen’s schools. 

4 (9) The State of Maryland, where Harriet Tub5 man was born, has authorized a gift of a statue of 

6 Harriet Tubman from the citizens of Maryland to 

7 the United States government to commemorate her 

8 work on behalf of civil rights and service to our Na9 tion. 

10 SEC. 2. AGREEMENT FOR ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF HAR11 RIET TUBMAN; DISPLAY OF STATUE IN CAP12 ITOL. 

13 (a) AGREEMENT WITH MARYLAND COMMISSION.— 

14 Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment 

15 of this Act, the Joint Committee on the Library shall enter 

16 into an agreement with the Harriet Tubman Statue Com17 mission of the State of Maryland under which the Com18 mission shall provide, and the Joint Committee shall ac19 cept, a statue of Harriet Tubman, under such terms and 

20 conditions as the Joint Committee and the Commission 

21 consider appropriate. 

22 (b) DISPLAY IN CAPITOL.—After receiving the statue 

23 provided under the agreement entered into under sub24 section (a), the Joint Committee on the Library shall place 


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1 the statue in a suitable permanent location in the United 

2 States Capitol. 

Æ 


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