Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
Latest action · Dec 11, 2024 Became Public Law No: 118-144.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 20, 2024
- Passed HouseSep 23, 2024
- Passed SenateDec 3, 2024
- To the PresidentDec 5, 2024
- Became lawDec 11, 2024Public Law 118-144
Summary
Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
This act establishes a commission to study the potential transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia to the Smithsonian Institution. The commission must report its plan and recommendations to Congress and the President no later than two years after the commission's first meeting.
The commission shall be composed of eight voting members appointed from among individuals or representatives of institutions with relevant expertise or interests (as further specified in the act). The Senate majority leader, Senate minority leader, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and House minority leader shall each appoint two voting members, with the chair elected by the commission members.
The commission's report must detail (1) the museum's collections and the extent to which such collections are already represented in the Smithsonian Institution; (2) the impact of the museum on educational and governmental efforts to study and counter antisemitism; (3) the museum's financial assets and liabilities; and (4) operating and maintenance costs for the museum. The report must also contain a fundraising plan and legislative recommendations.
The commission terminates 30 days after the final versions of its report, plan, and recommendations are submitted to Congress.
Cosponsors 94
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 20, 2024 to Sep 16, 2024; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-PA | Brendan F. Boyle | Original | Mar 20, 2024 |
| R-OH | Max L. Miller | Original | Mar 20, 2024 |
| R-OH | Michael R. Turner | Original | Mar 20, 2024 |
| D-NY | Joseph D. Morelle | Mar 21, 2024 | |
| D-PA | Mary Gay Scanlon | Apr 5, 2024 | |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Apr 9, 2024 | |
| D-NJ | Josh Gottheimer | Apr 9, 2024 | |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | Apr 20, 2024 | |
| D-NJ | Bill Pascrell, Jr. | Apr 23, 2024 | |
| D-CA | Juan Vargas | Apr 23, 2024 | |
| D-NY | Ritchie Torres | Apr 23, 2024 | |
| R-WA | Cathy McMorris Rodgers | Apr 29, 2024 | |
| D-NY | Daniel S. Goldman | Apr 29, 2024 | |
| R-NY | Nicole Malliotakis | Apr 29, 2024 | |
| D-NJ | Donald Norcross | Apr 30, 2024 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Committee on House Administration | Referred Mar 20, 2024Markup Sep 11, 2024Reported Sep 18, 2024 |
| Senate | Rules and Administration Committee | Referred Sep 24, 2024Discharged Dec 4, 2024 |
Actions 18
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 11, 2024Signed by President.
- Dec 11, 2024Became Public Law No: 118-144.
- Dec 5, 2024Presented to President.
- Dec 4, 2024Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 3, 2024Senate Committee on Rules and Administration discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 3, 2024Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S6789)
- Sep 24, 2024Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
- Sep 23, 2024Mr. Steil moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Sep 23, 2024Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5641-5644)
- Sep 23, 2024DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7764.
- Sep 23, 2024Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5641-5642)
- Sep 23, 2024Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Sep 17, 2024Reported (Amended) by the Committee on House Administration. H. Rept. 118-683.
- Sep 17, 2024Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 578.
- Sep 11, 2024Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Sep 11, 2024Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote.
- Mar 20, 2024Introduced in House
- Mar 20, 2024Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6789 | Charles E. Schumer D-NY | Dec 3, 2024 |
| House | Debate and remarks H5641–H5644Text printed H5641 | Bryan Steil R-WI, Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-FL, Joseph D. Morelle D-NY, Kathy E. Manning D-NC, Michael R. Turner R-OH | Sep 23, 2024 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 170, no. 49, March 20, 2024, page H1296.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | MARKUP OF H.R. 9488, H.R. 7764, H.R. 6394, H.R. 6969, H.R. 9489, H.R. 9487, and H.R. 624262 pages | Committee on House Administration | Sep 11, 2024 |
CRS reports 4
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 4
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R40076 | Congressional Commissions: Overview and Considerations for Congress | Report | Jan 21, 2026 |
| R48785 | Funding a Congressional Advisory Commission: Options for Congress | Report | Jan 8, 2026 |
| R44370 | Smithsonian Institution Museums: Selected Issues for Congress | Report | May 5, 2025 |
| IF12719 | Smithsonian Institution: Selected Legislation, 118th Congress | Resource | Dec 17, 2024 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 4001 | Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act | Identical bill | Mar 20, 2024 |
Titles 6
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To establish a commission to study the potential transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Commission to Study the Potential Transfer of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to the Smithsonian Institution Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Arts, Culture, Religion.
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Sep 24, 2024Referred in Senate
- Sep 23, 2024Engrossed in House
- Sep 17, 2024Reported in House
- Mar 20, 2024Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
