S. 2548: 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act

114th Congress · introduced 2016-02-11 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 626.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-02-11 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 626. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

400 Years of African-American History Commission Act

Plain summary

400 Years of African-American History Commission Act (Sec. 3) This bill establishes the 400 Years of African-American History Commission to develop and carry out activities throughout the United States to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619. The commission must: plan programs to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, artistic, religious, and economic organizations to organize and participate in anniversary activities; assist states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration; and coordinate for the public scholarly research on the arrival of Africans in the United States and their contributions to this country. (Sec. 5) The commission may provide: (1) grants to communities and nonprofit organizations for the development of programs; (2) grants to research and scholarly organizations to research, publish, or distribute information relating to the arrival of Africans in the United States; and (3) technical assistance to states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration. (Sec. 7) The commission must prepare a strategic plan and submit a final report to Congress that contains a summary of its activities, an accounting of its received and expended funds, and its recommendations. (Sec. 9) The commission shall terminate on July 1, 2020.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

400 Years of African-American History Commission Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 2548, 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act (2016-08-11)

Cosponsors on this site

Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] reported raising $903,436 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

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Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2548.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2548 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114