I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5599 
To establish the Plymouth 400th Commemoration Commission, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 28, 2016 
Mr. KEATING (for himself, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. 
CICILLINE, 
Ms. 
CLARK
of 
Massachusetts, 
Mr. 
KENNEDY, 
Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NEAL, Mr. POCAN, 
Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. WELCH, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. DELAURO, and Ms. MCCOL-
LUM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To establish the Plymouth 400th Commemoration 
Commission, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Plymouth 400th Com-
memoration Commission Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
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(1) the voyage of the Mayflower and the found-
ing of the colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 
1620, the first permanent and sustaining English 
colony in the New World, and the treaty of mutual 
protection between the Wampanoag indigenous tribe 
and the English colonists, has major significance in 
the history of the United States; 
(2) the colonists that traveled with their fami-
lies were the first true immigrants to the New 
World; relocating their families in search of the right 
to self-governance and religious freedom; 
(3) Plymouth Colony brought people together to 
form a multicultural society, including English and 
other European settlers and indigenous tribes; 
(4) the economic, political, religious, and social 
institutions that developed during the early years of 
Plymouth Colony including the signing of the 
Mayflower Compact and the treaty that ensured 50 
years of peaceful relations between the indigenous 
Wampanoags and the English colonists at Plymouth 
continue to have profound effects on the United 
States; influencing the content of United States 
Constitution, English common law and language, 
cross-cultural relationships, and economic structure 
and status; and 
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(5) in 2016, the Commonwealth of Massachu-
setts designated Plymouth 400, Incorporated as the 
official agency responsible for planning and imple-
menting the commemoration of the 400th anniver-
sary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of 
Plymouth Colony. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab-
lish the Plymouth 400th Commemoration Commission— 
(1) to ensure a suitable national and inter-
national observances of the 400th anniversary of the 
Plymouth Colony during calendar year 2020 (re-
ferred to in this subsection as the ‘‘Plymouth 2020 
observances’’) by complementing the programs and 
activities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; 
(2) to cooperate with and assist the programs 
and activities of the State in the Plymouth 2020 ob-
servances; 
(3) to assist in ensuring that the Plymouth 
2020 observances provide an excellent visitor experi-
ence and beneficial interaction among— 
(A) visitors; and 
(B) the natural and cultural resources of— 
(i) the town of Plymouth, Massachu-
setts; and 
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