Veterans' Oral History Project Act
PL 106-380 (H.R.5212), enacted 10/27/2000

PUBLIC LAW 106-380—OCT. 27, 2000 
114 STAT. 1447 
Public Law 106-380 
106th Congress 
An Act 
To direct the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to estabUsh 
n t 97 9finn 
a program to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and 
— - — — - L — — 
testimonials of American war veterans, and for other purposes. 
[H.R. 5212] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled 
Veterans' Oral 
History Project 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
Act. 
This Act may be cited as the "Veterans' Oral History Project f^^^^ ^^°^ 
Act". 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
20 USC 2141. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Military service during a time of war is the highest 
sacrifice a citizen may make for his or her country. 
(2) 4,700,000 Americans served in World War I, 16,500,000 
Americans served in World War II, 6,800,000 Americans served 
in the Korean Conflict, 9,200,000 Americans served in the 
Vietnam Conflict, 3,800,000 Americans served in the Persian 
Gulf War, and countless other Americans served in military 
engagements overseas throughout the 20th century. 
(3) The Department of Vetereois Affairs reports that there 
are almost 19,000,000 war veterans living in this Nation today. 
(4) Today there are only approximately 3,400 living vet-
erans of World War I, and of the some 6,000,000 veterans 
of World War II alive today, almost 1,500 die each day. 
(5) Oral histories are of immeasurable value to historians, 
researchers, authors, journalists, film makers, scholars, stu-
dents, and citizens of all walks of life. 
(6) War veterans possess an invaluable resource in their 
memories of the conflicts in which they served, and can provide 
a rich history of our Nation and its people through the retelling 
of those memories, yet frequently those who served during 
times of conflict are reticent to family and fidends about their 
experiences. 
(7) It is in the Nation's best interest to collect and catalog 
oral histories of American war veterans so that future genera-
tions will have original sources of information regarding the 
lives and times of mose who served in war and the conditions 
under which they endured, so that Americans will always 
remember those who served in war and may learn fiirst-hand 
of the heroics, tediousness, horrors, and triumphs of war. 
(8) The Libr£uy of Congress, as the Nation's oldest Federal 
cultural institution and largest and most inclusive library in 
human history (with nearly 119,000,000 items in its multimedia 
114 STAT. 1448 
PUBLIC LAW 106-380—OCT. 27, 2000 
collection) 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 programs for the 
public. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to create a new 
federally sponsored, authorized, and funded program that will 
coordinate at a national level the collection of video £uid audio 
recordings of personal histories and testimonials of American war 
veterans, and to assist and encourage local efforts to preserve 
the memories of this Nation's war veterans so that Americans 
of all current and future generations may hear directly from vet-
erans and better appreciate the realities of war and the sacrifices 
made by those who served in iiniform during wartime. 
20 use 2142. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM AT AMERICAN 
FOLKLIFE 
CENTER TO COLLECT VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS 
OF HISTORIES OF VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—^The Director of the American FoUdife Center 
at the Library of Congress shall establish an oral history program— 
(1) to collect video sind audio recordings of personal his-
tories and testimonials of veterans of the Armed Forces who 
served during a period of war; 
(2) to 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 subject to available resources; 
and 
(3) to solicit, reproduce, £ind collect written materials (such 
as letters and diaries) relevant to the personal histories of 
veterans of the Armed Forces who served during a period 
of war and to 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 under the program under this Act. 
(c) TIMING.—^As soon as practicable after the enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall begin collecting video eind audio 
recordings under subsection (a)(1), and shall attempt to collect 
the first such recordings from the oldest veterans. 
20 use 2143. 
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 oral history program iinder section 3. 
(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 oral history program under 
section 3. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-380—OCT. 27, 2000 
114 STAT. 1449 
(c) DEDICATION OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law— 
(1) any funds donated to the Librarian of Congress to 
carry out the oral history program under section 3 shall be 
deposited entirely into the gift account established under sub-
section (b); 
(2) the funds contained in such account sheill be used 
solely to carry out the oral history program under section 
3; 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 oral 
history program under section 3. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
20 USC 2144. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act— 
(1) $250,000 for fiscal year 2001; and 
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding 
fiscal year. 
Approved October 27, 2000. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 5212: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 146 (2000): 
Oct. 4, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 17, considered and passed Senate.