Equality in the Halls of Congress Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Equality in the Halls of Congress Act extends National Statuary Hall participation to five U.S. territories and commonwealths. Current law is written around state-provided statues; this bill amends the definition of State in 2 U.S.C. 2132 so that American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands can provide statues for the National Statuary Hall Collection under the same specifications and procedures. The bill also directs the Architect of the Capitol to take the measures needed to acquire those statues and carry out the Act, including measures taken on behalf of the Joint Committee on the Library.
Who Benefits and How
Residents, territorial governments, artists, historians, civic organizations, and cultural institutions in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands benefit because their public figures could be represented in the Capitol collection on terms matching states. Members of Congress, visitors, educators, and students benefit from a collection that more visibly reflects U.S. territories and commonwealths.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Architect of the Capitol and Joint Committee on the Library staff must administer the acquisition process, verify that territorial statues meet collection specifications, coordinate placement, and update collection records. Territorial governments choosing to participate must select honorees, commission or furnish statues, coordinate delivery, and pay or arrange any local costs not covered by federal administration.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes American Samoa to furnish statues for the National Statuary Hall Collection.
- Authorizes Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to furnish statues for the collection.
- Amends the statutory definition of State to include the five territories and commonwealths for collection purposes.
- Directs the Architect of the Capitol to take measures needed to acquire the statues and carry out the Act.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Allows American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to furnish statues for the National Statuary Hall Collection under the same rules used by states and directs the Architect of the Capitol to carry out the acquisition process.
Key Policy Areas
Government, Tribal Nations
Primary Purpose
Allows American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to furnish statues for the National Statuary Hall Collection under the same rules used by states and directs the Architect of the Capitol to carry out the acquisition process.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- American Samoa residents
- Guam residents
- Northern Mariana Islands residents
- Puerto Rico residents
- U.S. Virgin Islands residents
- Territorial artists
- Capitol visitors
Identified Costs
- Architect of the Capitol staff
- Joint Committee on the Library staff
- Territorial governments furnishing statues
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Introduced in House
Mr. Moylan (for himself, Ms. Plaskett, Mr. Hernández, Ms. King-Hinds, …
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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