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 ‘‘COVID–19 American 
History Project Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) COVID–19 is a highly infectious respiratory 
illness caused by a virus called SARS–CoV–2. This 
disease has caused a worldwide pandemic affecting 
millions of people and has fundamentally altered the 
operations of the world’s cities, businesses, and 
schools. 
(2) The outbreak of COVID–19 was first de-
tected in Wuhan, China, and on January 21, 2020, 
the first confirmed case of COVID–19 was diag-
nosed in the United States. 
(3) The World Health Organization (WHO) de-
clared COVID–19 a global pandemic on March 11, 
2020, and the President of the United States issued 
a national emergency declaration concerning the 
pandemic on March 13, 2020. 
(4) To date, 194 million individuals have tested 
positive for COVID–19. Of those, 35 million are 
Americans; that is, more than one of every 10 Amer-
icans. Almost 4.2 million people have died from 
COVID–19 globally, and over 610,000 deaths have 
occurred in the United States. 
(5) The first American received the COVID–19 
vaccine on December 14, 2020. Since then, 163 mil-
lion Americans have been vaccinated and 188.5 mil-
lion have received at least one dose. The vaccine be-
came available to every American adult 18 and older 
on April 19, 2021. 
(6) While there are still remaining cases, and 
healthcare professionals and researchers are tire-
lessly working to eradicate the disease, it is impor-
tant we begin work to fully capture the firsthand 
personal stories of those impacted by COVID–19, a 
major national event in the history of this country. 
(7) Oral histories are of immeasurable value to 
historians, researchers, authors, journalists, film 
makers, scholars, students, and citizens of all walks 
of life. Survivors of the pandemic, survivors of loved 
ones who lost their lives to COVID–19, and frontline 
healthcare workers should be remembered and can 
provide valuable firsthand knowledge on how this 
pandemic impacted their everyday lives. 
(8) It is in the Nation’s best interest to collect 
and catalog oral histories of Americans who were af-
fected by the pandemic so that future generations 
will have original sources of information regarding 
the lives and times of those who lived through or 
died from the COVID–19 pandemic and conditions 
under which they endured. These accounts will allow 
an opportunity for Americans to remember those 
who lost their lives and may learn firsthand of the 
heroics, loneliness, horrors, and triumphs of the 
healthcare workers who combated this pandemic. 
(9) The Library of Congress, as the Nation’s 
oldest Federal cultural institution and largest and 
most inclusive library in human history, is an appro-
priate repository to collect, preserve, and make avail-
able to the public an archive of these oral histories. 
The Library’s American Folklife Center has exper-
tise in the management of documentation projects 
and experience in the development of cultural and 
educational projects for the public. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to create 
a new federally sponsored, authorized, and funded project 
that will coordinate at a national level the collection of 
video and audio recordings of personal histories and 
testimonials, written materials, and photographs of Ameri-
cans who contracted COVID–19, individuals who lost fam-
ily members and friends to COVID–19, and healthcare
workers who fought to treat the illness. These stories will 
inform, assist, and encourage local efforts to preserve the 
stories of this pandemic and the ones who lost their battle 
to the pandemic. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROJECT AT AMERICAN 
FOLKLIFE CENTER TO COLLECT VIDEO AND 
AUDIO RECORDINGS, WRITTEN MATERIALS, 
AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF INDIVIDUALS AF-
FECTED BY COVID–19. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the American 
Folklife Center at the Library of Congress shall establish 
a history project to be known as the ‘‘COVID–19 Amer-
ican History Project’’ (hereafter referred to as the 
‘‘Project’’) to— 
(1) collect video and audio recordings of per-
sonal histories and testimonials of individuals who 
contracted COVID–19, individuals who lost family 
members to COVID–19, and frontline healthcare 
workers who fought to treat the illness; 
(2) create a collection of the recordings ob-
tained (including a catalog and index) which will be 
available for public use through the National Digital 
Library of the Library of Congress and such other 
methods as the Director considers appropriate, to
the extent feasible and subject to available resources; 
and 
(3) solicit, reproduce, and collect written mate-
rials (such as letters and diaries) and photographs 
relevant to the personal histories of individuals who 
contracted COVID–19, individuals who lost family 
members and friends to COVID–19, and frontline 
healthcare workers who fought to treat the illness, 
and catalog such materials in a manner the Director 
considers appropriate, consistent with and com-
plimentary to the efforts described in paragraphs (1) 
and (2). 
(b) USE OF AND CONSULTATION WITH OTHER ENTI-
TIES.—The Director may carry out the activities described 
in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (a) through agree-
ments and partnerships entered into with other govern-
ment and private entities, and may otherwise consult with 
interested persons (within the limits of available re-
sources) and develop appropriate guidelines and arrange-
ments for soliciting, acquiring, and making available re-
cordings, written materials, and photographs under the 
Project. The recordings, written materials, and photo-
graphs shall be available on the Library of Congress 
website and may be used to educate the public on the im-
pacts COVID–19 has on everyday Americans.
(c) TIMING.—As soon as practicable after the enact-
ment of this Act, the Director shall begin collecting video 
and audio recordings under subsection (a)(1). 
SEC. 4. PRIVATE SUPPORT. 
(a) ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS.—The Librarian of 
Congress may solicit and accept donations of funds and 
in-kind contributions to carry out the Project, subject to 
subsection (c). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
SEPARATE
GIFT
AC-
COUNT.—There is established in the Treasury (among the 
accounts of the Library of Congress) a gift account for 
the Project. 
(c) DEDICATION OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law— 
(1) any funds donated to the Librarian of Con-
gress to carry out the Project shall be deposited en-
tirely into the gift account established under sub-
section (b); 
(2) the funds contained in such account shall be 
available only to the extent and in the amounts pro-
vided in advance in appropriations Acts; 
(3) the funds contained in such account shall be 
used solely to carry out the Project; and 
(4) the Librarian of Congress may not deposit 
into such account any funds donated to the Librar-
ian which are not donated for the exclusive purpose 
of carrying out the Project. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act— 
(1) $250,000 for fiscal year 2023; and 
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each 
succeeding fiscal year, except that no funds are au-
thorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act for 
any fiscal year which begins after the expiration of 
the 3-year period beginning on the date of the termi-
nation of the declaration of the public health emer-
gency declared by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services pursuant to section 319 of the Pub-
lic Health Service Act on January 31, 2020, entitled 
‘‘Determination that a Public Health Emergency 
Exists Nationwide as the Result of the 2019 Novel 
Coronavirus’’. 
SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 
shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 
titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 
Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 
by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro-
vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 
vote on passage. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 29, 
2022. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4738 
AN ACT 
To direct the American Folklife Center at the Li-
brary of Congress to establish a history project 
to collect video and audio recordings of personal 
histories and testimonials, written materials, and 
photographs of those who were affected by 
COVID–19, and for other purposes.