I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6561 

To establish the History is Learned from the Living grant program to 

enable communities to learn about historical events in the United States 

in the past century through the oral histories of community members 

who participated in those events, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 21, 2010 

Ms. RICHARDSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To establish the History is Learned from the Living grant 

program to enable communities to learn about historical 

events in the United States in the past century through 

the oral histories of community members who participated in those events, 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 ‘‘History Is Learned 

5 from the Living Act’’. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with BILLS

2 

•HR 6561 IH

1 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING PRESERVATION 

2 OF STORIES OF HEROES OF HISTORICAL 

3 MOVEMENTS AND EVENTS IN THE UNITED 

4 STATES. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The historical events in the United States 

7 over the past century have been integral to growth, 

8 progress, and innovation in the United States. 

9 (2) Notable examples of such historical move10 ments include the Women’s Suffrage, Reagan Revo11 lution, Peace, Veteran, Civil Rights, Tea Party, Chi12 cano (El Movimiento), Environmental, and Deficit 

13 Reduction Movements. 

14 (3) Martin Luther King, Jr., Gloria Steinem, 

15 Cesar Chavez, William Buckley, Susan B. Anthony, 

16 Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Rachel Carson, Howard 

17 Jarvis and John Muir are among the many well18 known heroes of such historical events. 

19 (4) In addition to the well-known heroes of such 

20 historical events, there are numerous unsung heroes 

21 living in local communities across the United States. 

22 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con23 gress that the stories of the unsung heroes of historical 

24 events in the United States over the past century should 

25 be preserved and archived, and the historical events in 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with BILLS

3 

•HR 6561 IH

1 which they participated remembered, for generations to 

2 come. 

3 SEC. 3. HISTORY IS LEARNED FROM THE LIVING GRANT 

4 PROGRAM. 

5 (a) GRANT PROGRAM.—There is established the His6 tory Is Learned from the Living grant program (in this 

7 section referred to as the ‘‘HILL grant program’’), to be 

8 carried out by the Secretary of the Interior. 

9 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—Under the HILL grant pro10 gram, the Secretary shall make 1-year grants in the 

11 amount of $200,000 to community groups, organizations, 

12 or institutions to— 

13 (1) carry out projects through which the com14 munity may learn about historical events in the 

15 United States in the past century through the oral 

16 histories of members of the community who partici17 pated in those events; and 

18 (2) submit to the Secretary a digital report (in19 cluding interviews, documents, videos, photos, etc.) 

20 on the projects, in such form and containing such 

21 information as may be specified by the Secretary, in22 cluding but not limited to— 

23 (A) each oral history described in para24 graph (1); 

25 (B) the relevance of such oral history; and 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with BILLS

4 

•HR 6561 IH

1 (C) the background of those interviewed 

2 and the community, organizations and/or insti3 tutions to whom the oral history belongs. 

4 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant under 

5 this section, a community group, organization, or institu6 tion shall submit to the Secretary an application at such 

7 time, in such manner, and containing such information as 

8 the Secretary may require. 

9 (d) PRESERVATION OF ORAL HISTORIES.—The Sec10 retary shall establish a system to preserve and make avail11 able to the public the digital reports submitted under sub12 section (b)(2). 

13 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

14 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

15 out the HILL grant program $5,000,000 for fiscal year 

16 2011 and each fiscal year thereafter. 

Æ 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with BILLS