Title: COVID–19 American History Project Act
Policy area: Arts, Culture, Religion

Summary:
COVID-19 American History Project Act
This bill directs the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish a history project to be known as the COVID-19 American History Project to collect and make publicly available individual stories and records of experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The bill includes a requirement to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of those who were affected by the pandemic.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4738 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4738

 To direct the American Folklife Center at the Library 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2021

  Ms. Letlow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                   Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the American Folklife Center at the Library 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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 detected in Wuhan, 
        China, and on January 21, 2020, the first confirmed case of 
        COVID-19 was diagnosed in the United States.
            (3) The World Health Organization (WHO) declared 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 Americans. 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 million Americans have been 
        vaccinated and 188.5 million have received at least one dose. 
        The vaccine became 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 tirelessly working to 
        eradicate the disease, it is important 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 affected 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 appropriate repository to collect, 
        preserve, and make available to the public an archive of these 
        oral histories. The Library's American Folklife Center has 
        expertise 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 Americans who contracted COVID-19, individuals who 
lost family 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 AFFECTED 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 American History Project'' (hereafter referred to as 
the ``Project'') to--
            (1) collect video and audio recordings of personal 
        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 obtained 
        (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 materials (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 complimentary to the 
        efforts described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
    (b) Use of and Consultation With Other Entities.--The Director may 
carry out the activities described in paragraphs (1) and (3) of 
subsection (a) through agreements and partnerships entered into with 
other government and private entities, and may otherwise consult with 
interested persons (within the limits of available resources) and 
develop appropriate guidelines and arrangements for soliciting, 
acquiring, and making available recordings, written materials, and 
photographs under the Project. The recordings, written materials, and 
photographs shall be available on the Library of Congress website and 
may be used to educate the public on the impacts COVID-19 has on 
everyday Americans.
    (c) Timing.--As soon as practicable after the enactment 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.
    (b) Establishment of Separate Gift Account.--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 Congress to carry 
        out the Project shall be deposited entirely into the gift 
        account established under subsection (b);
            (2) the funds contained in such account shall be used 
        solely to carry out the Project; and
            (3) the Librarian of Congress may not deposit into such 
        account any funds donated to the Librarian 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 2022; and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding 
        fiscal year, except that no funds are authorized 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 termination of the declaration of the public 
        health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service 
        Act on January 31, 2020, entitled ``Determination that a Public 
        Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the 2019 
        Novel Coronavirus''.
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