To establish a grant program in the Department of Labor to assist unemployed and under-employed workers to document the American experience.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · August 11, 2023
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The 21st Century Federal Writers' Project Act would create a new grant program within the Department of Labor to employ unemployed and underemployed workers to document contemporary American life through writing and photography, modeled on Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era Federal Writers' Project. Eligible applicants for grants include nonprofits, newsrooms, libraries, and communications unions, which would then distribute funds to individual writers and artists, with preference given to those with professional experience in writing and education fields. The bill prioritizes geographic diversity across urban, rural, and tribal areas, requires all completed works to be archived at the Library of Congress for public access, and mandates annual reporting to Congress on program outcomes and participant demographics. The Secretary of Labor would establish the program within 180 days of enactment and can reserve up to 5 percent of funds for administrative costs, while grant recipients can reserve up to 10 percent. The bill authorizes $60 million in funding for fiscal year 2024 to support this initiative, which aims to address declining local news coverage and create a contemporary record of American society similar to the original project's acclaimed American Guide Series.
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