(1) On March 3, 1807, President Thomas Jef-
ferson signed into law a bill approved by Congress 
‘‘An Act to prohibit the importation of slaves into 
any port or place within the jurisdiction of the 
United States’’ and made it unlawful ‘‘to import or 
bring into the United Sates or territories thereof 
from any foreign kingdom, place or country, any 
negro, mulatto, or person of colour, with intent to 
hold, sell, or dispose of such . . . as a slave, or to be 
held to service or labour’’. 
(2) Article I, Section 9 of the United States 
Constitution clearly spelled out that the inter-
national slave trade could not be banned before 
1808, and it is only on January 1, 1808, that the 
American Act went into effect. 
(3) An Act entitled ‘‘An Act to continue in 
force ‘An act to protect the commerce of the United 
States, and punish the crime of piracy,’ and also to 
make further provisions for punishing the crime of 
piracy’’, enacted May 15, 1820, made it unlawful for 
any citizen of the United States to engage ‘‘in the 
slave trade, or . . . , being of the crew or ship’s com-
pany of any ship . . . , seize any negro or mulatto . . . 
with the intent to make . . . a slave . . . or forcibly 
bring . . . on board any such ship . . . .’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
(4) The transatlantic slave trade was the cap-
ture and procurement of Africans, mostly from West 
Africa, in order to bring them to the United States 
and the colonies that became the United States, for 
the purpose of enslavement between the sixteenth 
and late nineteenth centuries. 
(5) The Middle Passage was the forced migra-
tion through overseas transport of millions of Afri-
cans to the Americas, many of whom suffered abuses 
of rape and perished as a result of torture, malnutri-
tion, disease, and resistance in transit, with those 
who survived sold into slavery. 
(6) During the transatlantic slave trade more 
than 12,000,000 Africans were transported in bond-
age from their African homelands to the Americas. 
(7) The thirteenth amendment to the Constitu-
tion of the United States recognizes that ‘‘Neither 
slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a pun-
ishment for crime whereof the party shall have been 
duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, 
or any place subject to their jurisdiction.’’. 
(8) The slave trade and the legacy of slavery 
continue to have a profound impact on social and 
economic disparity, hatred, bias, racism, and dis-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
crimination, and continue to affect people of African 
descent today. 
(9) In 2007, the British Parliament marked the 
200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade 
in the former British Empire with plans launched by 
the Department for Education and Skills which pro-
vided joint funding of £910,000 ($1,800,000) for 
the understanding slavery initiative, and the Herit-
age Lottery Fund announced awards of over 
£20,000,000 ($40,000,000) for projects to com-
memorate the anniversary. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab-
lish the 200th Anniversary Commemoration Commission 
of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade to— 
(1) ensure a suitable national observance of the 
200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-
atlantic slave trade by sponsoring and supporting 
commemorative programs; 
(2) cooperate with and assist the programs and 
activities throughout the United States in observ-
ance of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the 
transatlantic slave trade; 
(3) assist in ensuring that the observations of 
the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the trans-
atlantic slave trade are inclusive and appropriately 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
recognize the experiences of all people during this 
period in history; and 
(4) support and facilitate international involve-
ment in observances of the 200th anniversary of the 
abolition of the transatlantic slave trade act. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established a commission to be known as the 
‘‘Transatlantic Slave Trade 200th Anniversary Commis-
sion’’ (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
SEC. 4. THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE 200TH ANNI-
VERSARY COMMISSION. 
(a) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission shall be 
composed of 9 members, of whom— 
(A) 4 shall be appointed by the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives; 
(B) 3 shall be appointed by the majority 
leader of the Senate; 
(C) 1 shall be appointed by the minority 
leader of the House of Representatives; and 
(D) 1 shall be appointed by the minority 
leader of the Senate. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the Com-
mission shall be individuals with demonstrated ex-
pertise or experience in the study and program fa-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
cilitation on the transatlantic slave trade and the in-
stitution of slavery as it relates to the United States, 
or both. 
(3) TERM; VACANCIES.— 
(A) TERM.—A member of the Commission 
shall be appointed for the life of the Commis-
sion. 
(B) VACANCIES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—A vacancy on the 
Commission shall be filled in the same 
manner in which the original appointment 
was made. 
(ii) PARTIAL TERM.—A member ap-
pointed to fill a vacancy on the Commis-
sion shall serve for the remainder of the 
term for which the predecessor of the 
member was appointed. 
(4) MEETINGS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 
meet— 
(i) as many times as necessary; or 
(ii) at the call of the Chairperson or 
the majority of the members of the Com-
mission. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the 
Commission may, without regard to the civil 
service laws (including regulations), appoint 
and terminate an executive director and such 
other additional personnel as are necessary to 
enable the Commission to perform its duties. 
(B) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.— 
(i) 
QUALIFICATIONS.—The 
Chair-
person shall appoint an executive director 
with demonstrated expertise or experience 
in the study and program facilitation on 
the transatlantic slave trade and the insti-
tution of slavery particularly as it relates 
to the United States, or both. 
(ii) 
CONFIRMATION.—The 
employ-
ment of an executive director shall be sub-
ject to confirmation by the members of the 
Commission. 
(C) COMPENSATION.—The Chairperson of 
the Commission may fix the compensation of 
the executive director and other personnel with-
out regard to the provision of chapter 51 and 
subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United 
States Code, relating to classification of posi-
tions and General Schedule pay rates, except 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
that the rate of pay for the executive director 
and other personnel may not exceed the rate 
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of such title. 
(D) VOLUNTEER
AND
UNCOMPENSATED 
SERVICES.—Notwithstanding section 1342 of 
title 31, United States Code, the Commission 
may accept and use voluntary and uncompen-
sated services as the Commission determines 
necessary. 
(e) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT-
TENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission 
may procure temporary and intermittent services in ac-
cordance with section 3109(b) of title 5, United States 
Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily 
equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 
level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
that title. 
(f) NON-APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—Section 14(b) of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
not apply to the Commission. 
SEC. 5. TERMINATION. 
(a) DATE OF TERMINATION.—The Commission shall 
terminate on December 31, 2009. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
(b) FINAL REPORT.—Upon termination, the Com-
mission shall submit to the Congress a report con-
taining— 
(1) a detailed statement of the activities of the 
Commission; and 
(2) a final accounting of the funds received and 
expended by the Commission. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this Act 
Æ 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
21:02 Aug 09, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3432.IH
H3432
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS