H.R. 10812: Armenian American Cultural Heritage Act

This bill would direct the Library of Congress to identify, organize, and describe the materials in its collections that relate to Armenian Americans. The goal is to make it easier to preserve and access documents, recordings, and other items that tell the story of Armenian Americans, including their immigration to the United States, especially after the Armenian Genocide, and their lives in America.

What the Library of Congress would have to do

• Maintain catalog information that identifies and lists Armenian American-related materials in the Library’s holdings.
• Make digitized copies or reproductions of those materials, if funds are available and copyright law allows it.
• Use those materials in the Library of Congress’s educational and digital collections work.
• Submit a report to Congress within one year describing what it has done under the law.
• May seek and use donated funds to help carry out the bill.

Public event and exhibit

The bill would also require the Librarian of Congress to host an event at the Library of Congress by the end of 2026 that includes an exhibition of materials related to Armenian American communities, culture, and history. If the Library already held such an event in 2026 before the bill becomes law, that would satisfy this requirement.

Funding and limits

The bill does not create a guaranteed funding amount. Instead, it says the Library of Congress should carry out the requirements only if funds are available, and it authorizes whatever sums may be needed in future appropriations. Any digitization work would also have to comply with copyright law.

Relevant Companies

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