I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4543 
To establish the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2016 
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To establish the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial 
Commission. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Frederick Douglass 
Bicentennial Commission Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of 
Maryland in 1818 and given the name Frederick 
Augustus Washington Bailey after his mother Har-
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riet Bailey, Frederick Douglass has been called the 
father of the civil rights movement. 
(2) Douglass rose through determination, bril-
liance, and eloquence to shape the American Nation. 
He was an abolitionist, human rights and women’s 
rights activist, orator, author, journalist, publisher, 
and social reformer. 
(3) Taught basic reading skills by his mistress 
until she was forced to stop, Douglass continued to 
teach himself to read and write and taught other 
slaves to read despite risks including death. 
(4) During the course of his remarkable life 
Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery, became 
internationally renowned for his eloquence in the 
cause of liberty, and went on to serve the national 
government in several official capacities. 
(5) Forced to leave the country to avoid arrest 
as an escaped slave, he returned to become a 
staunch advocate of the Union cause and helped re-
cruit African-American troops for the Union Army, 
including two of his sons, Charles and Lewis Doug-
lass. His personal relationship with Abraham Lin-
coln helped persuade the President to make emanci-
pation a cause of the Civil War. 
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(6) With the abolition of slavery at the close of 
the Civil War, Douglass then turned his attention to 
the full integration of African-Americans into the 
political and economic life of the United States. 
Committed to freedom, Douglass dedicated his life 
to achieving justice for all Americans, in particular 
African-Americans, women, and minority groups. He 
envisioned America as an inclusive Nation strength-
ened by diversity and free of discrimination. 
(7) Douglass served as an advisor to Presi-
dents. Abraham Lincoln referred to him as the most 
meritorious man of the nineteenth century. Douglass 
was appointed to several offices. He served as the 
United States Marshal of the District of Columbia 
under Rutherford B. Hayes’ administration; Presi-
dent James Garfield appointed Douglass the District 
of Columbia Recorder of Deeds. In 1889, President 
Benjamin Harrison appointed Frederick Douglass to 
be the United States minister to Haiti. He was also 
appointed by President Grant to serve as Assistant 
Secretary of the Commission of Inquiry to Santo 
Domingo. 
(8) Douglass lived in the District of Columbia 
for 23 of his 57 years as a free man, and in recogni-
tion of his leadership and continuous fight for jus-
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tice and freedom, his home, Cedar Hill, was estab-
lished as a National Historic Site in Anacostia, in 
Southeast Washington, DC. 
(9) Frederick Douglass was deeply committed 
to obtaining equal congressional voting and self-gov-
ernment rights for District of Columbia residents 
and his statue in the United States Capitol is a gift 
from the almost 650,000 American citizens of the 
District of Columbia. 
(10) All Americans could benefit from studying 
the life of Frederick Douglass, for Douglass dedi-
cated his own life to ensuring freedom and equality 
for future generations of Americans. This Nation 
should ensure that his tireless struggle, trans-
formative words, and inclusive vision of humanity 
continue to inspire and sustain us. 
(11) The year 2018 marks the bicentennial an-
niversary of the birth of Frederick Douglass, and a 
commission should be established to study and rec-
ommend to Congress activities that are fitting and 
proper to celebrate that anniversary in a manner 
that appropriately honors Frederick Douglass. 
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established a commission to be known as the 
Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission (referred to 
in this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
SEC. 4. DUTIES. 
The Commission shall have the following duties: 
(1) To study activities that may be carried out 
by the Federal Government to determine whether 
the activities are fitting and proper to honor Fred-
erick Douglass on the occasion of the bicentennial 
anniversary of Douglass’ birth, including— 
(A) the issuance of a Frederick Douglass 
bicentennial postage stamp; 
(B) the convening of a joint meeting or 
joint session of Congress for ceremonies and ac-
tivities relating to Frederick Douglass; 
(C) a rededication of the Frederick Doug-
lass National Historic Site, or other activity 
with respect to the Site; and 
(D) the acquisition and preservation of ar-
tifacts associated with Frederick Douglass. 
(2) To recommend to Congress the activities 
that the Commission considers most fitting and 
proper to honor Frederick Douglass on such occa-
sion, and the entity or entities in the Federal Gov-
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ernment that the Commission considers most appro-
priate to carry out such activities. 
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 
shall be composed of 16 members appointed as follows: 
(1) Two members, each of whom shall be a 
qualified citizen described in subsection (b), ap-
pointed by the President. 
(2) One member, who shall be a qualified cit-
izen described in subsection (b), appointed by the 
President on the recommendation of the Governor of 
Maryland. 
(3) One member, who shall be a qualified cit-
izen described in subsection (b), appointed by the 
President on the recommendation of the Governor of 
Massachusetts. 
(4) One member, who shall be a qualified cit-
izen described in subsection (b), appointed by the 
President on the recommendation of the Governor of 
New York. 
(5) One member, who shall be a qualified cit-
izen described in subsection (b), appointed by the 
President on the recommendation of the Mayor of 
the District of Columbia. 
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the expiration of the 120-day period beginning on the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
(d) CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—If a member 
of the Commission was appointed to the Commission as 
a Member of Congress, and ceases to be a Member of Con-
gress, that member may continue to serve on the Commis-
sion for not longer than the 30-day period beginning on 
the date that member ceases to be a Member of Congress. 
(e) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed for the 
life of the Commission. 
(f) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall 
not affect the powers of the Commission but shall be filled 
in the manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
(g) BASIC PAY.—Members shall serve on the Com-
mission without pay. 
(h) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member shall receive 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 
in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(i) QUORUM.—Six members of the Commission shall 
constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hear-
ings. 
(j) CHAIR.—The Commission shall select a Chair 
from among the members of the Commission. 
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(c) DONATIONS.—The Commission may accept dona-
tions of supplies, money, and services to carry out its re-
sponsibilities. 
SEC. 7. POWERS. 
(a) HEARINGS
AND SESSIONS.—The Commission 
may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold such 
hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such 
testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission 
considers to be appropriate. 
(b) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any mem-
ber or agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the 
Commission, take any action that the Commission is au-
thorized to take by this Act. 
(c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission 
may secure directly from any department or agency of the 
United States information necessary to enable the Com-
mission to carry out this Act. Upon request of the Chair 
of the Commission, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the Commission. 
(d) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United 
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as other departments and agencies of the United 
States. 
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 
the request of the Commission, the Administrator of Gen-
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eral Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reim-
bursable basis, the administrative support services nec-
essary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act. 
SEC. 8. REPORTS. 
(a) INTERIM REPORTS.—The Commission may sub-
mit to Congress such interim reports as the Commission 
considers to be appropriate. 
(b) FINAL REPORT.—The Commission shall submit 
a final report to Congress no later than December 1, 
2017. The final report shall contain— 
(1) a detailed statement of the findings and 
conclusions of the Commission; 
(2) the recommendations of the Commission; 
and 
(3) any other information that the Commission 
considers to be appropriate. 
SEC. 9. TERMINATION. 
The Commission shall terminate 120 days after sub-
mitting the final report of the Commission pursuant to 
section 8. 
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act. 
Æ 
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