,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bghi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ac1
 #bjbc,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,coons1
 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4      
,booker1 and ,mr4 ,merkley7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on the  
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the   
,president to designate a month as      
,african ,diaspora ,heritage ,month4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,african ,diaspora ,heritage    
,month ,act of #bjbc4  #b4 ,findings    
,congress finds that-- 7#a7 the ,african
 diaspora population in the ,united     
,states has grown significantly in      
recent years1 with the number of        
,african immigrants growing at a rate of
 almost #bdf percent from #bjjj to      
#bjai2  7#b7 the ,african diaspora      
community is one of the most diverse    
communities in the ,united ,states1     
inclusive of people who speak multiple  

languages1 whose rich heritage comes    
from all across the ,african continent1 
and whose members practice various      
faiths2  7#c7 during the #agth1 #ahth1  
and #aith centuries1 a significant      
number of enslaved people from ,africa  
were brought to the ,united ,states2    
7#d7 immigrants of ,african origin boast
 some of the highest educational        
achievements of any immigrant group2    
7#e7 ,african diaspora households       
contribute billions of dollars to the   
economy of the ,united ,states1 with an 
estimated #aj1ajj1jjj1jjj in ,federal   
taxes1 #d1gjj1jjj1jjj in ,state and     
local taxes1 and a spending power of    
more than #dj1cjj1jjj1jjj in #bjae2     
7#f7 ,sub-,saharan ,african immigrants  
living in the ,united ,states1 ,europe1 
and elsewhere sent back #df1jjj1jjj1jjj 
in remittances to the continent of      
,africa in #bjba2  7#g7 ,government     
agencies1 including the ,international  
,development ,finance ,corporation1 the 
,department of ,commerce1 the           

,department of the ,treasury1 and the   
,united ,states ,trade ,representative  
are critical to investments and enduring
 mutual partnerships between the ,united
 ,states and ,african nations2  7#h7 in 
#bjba1 through the ,african ,growth and 
,opportunity ,act 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #cgja  
et seq471 the ,united ,states imported  
#f1gjj1jjj1jjj in goods2  7#i7 ,prosper 
,africa and other similar ,government   
initiatives are critical to building and
 strengthening ties between the ,united 
,states and ,african businesses2  7#aj7 
the total two-way goods trade with      
,sub-,saharan ,africa totaled           
#dd1hjj1jjj1jjj in #bjba1 a             
#ba4h-percent increase from             
#cf1gjj1jjj1jjj in #bjai2  7#aa7 the    
,african diaspora plays an invaluable   
role in shaping ,government policy2     
7#ab7 members of the ,african diaspora  
have an invaluable understanding of     
cross-cultural engagement between the   
,united ,states and ,africa1 existing   
relations and networks on the ,african  

continent1 and can support efforts to   
facilitate stronger ties between the    
,united ,states and ,africa2  7#ac7 the 
,united ,states is committed to         
strengthening the                       
government-to-government relationships  
between the ,united ,states and         
countries throughout the ,african       
continent2  7#ad7 ,congress strongly    
supports the hosting of the second      
,united ,states-,africa ,leaders ,summit
 by the ,united ,states1 which was held 
in ,december #bjbb1 to boost            
collaboration between the ,government   
and the ,african diaspora community in  
the ,united ,states1 and to strengthen  
ties between the ,united ,states and    
,african nations by bringing together   
approximately #di ,african heads of     
state2  7#ae7 the ,african diaspora     
harbors a deep commitment to family and 
community1 an enduring work ethic1 and a
 perseverance to succeed and contribute 
to the society of the ,united ,states2  
7#af7 all members of the ,african       

diaspora in the ,united ,states deserve 
access to ,federal resources and a voice
 in the ,government of the ,united      
,states2  7#ag7 the ,united ,states is  
committed to strengthening the dialogue 
between the ,african diaspora and       
,government officials through the       
creation of the ,president's ,advisory  
,council on ,african ,diaspora          
,engagement in the ,united ,states2 and 
7#ah7 the ,african diaspora community   
significantly contributes to the growth 
and prosperity of the ,united ,states1  
and ,congress honors this abundant and  
growing community4  #c4 ,african        
,diaspora ,heritage ,month  7a7 ,in     
general ,chapter #a of title #cf1       
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by redesignating the second section    
#adf as section #adg2 and  7#b7 by      
adding at the end the following3  #adh4 
,african ,diaspora ,heritage ,month ,the
 ,president shall issue each year a     
proclamation-- 7#a7 designating a month 
as ,african ,diaspora ,heritage ,month2 

7#b7 calling on ,state and local        
governments and the people of the       
,united ,states to observe ,african     
,diaspora ,heritage ,month with         
appropriate programs and activities2 and
  7#c7 urging civil and educational     
authorities of ,states and local        
governments to observe ,african         
,diaspora ,heritage ,month through      
appropriate programs and activities4  4 
7b7 ,technical and conforming amendment 
,the table of sections for chapter #a of
 title #cf1 ,united ,states ,code1 is   
amended by striking the item relating to
 the second section #adf and inserting  
the following3  #adg4 ,choose ,respect  
,day4#adh4 ,african ,diaspora ,heritage 
,month4  4