Proposed new legislation on behalf of jazz

If anyone in the history of the U.S. Congress has ever fit the mantle of the Jazz Congressman, its the Honorable Congressman John Conyers. A tireless advocate on behalf of the art form, Cong. Conyers has proposed the following new legislation on behalf of jazz. Contact your representative in Congress and let’s make this happen!

H.R. 2823

A BILL

To preserve knowledge and promote education about jazz in the United States and abroad.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Jazz Preservation and Education Act of 2011’’.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL JAZZ PRESERVATION PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a National Jazz Preservation
Program, to be carried out by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution through the Director of the National Museum of American History and in collaboration with other Smithsonian museums, to preserve knowledge and promote education about jazz.

(b) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—Under the National Jazz Preservation
Program, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution shall—

(1) record audio and video interviews with leading jazz artists;
(2) acquire and preserve jazz artifacts, and interpret the artifacts through activities such as exhibitions and performances by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra;
(3) continue to recognize Jazz AppreciationMonth; and
(4) establish, with governmental agencies, universities, museums, and community-based organizations with jazz archival collections, collaborative agreements for the sharing of jazz artifacts.

(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2014, to remain available until expended.

SEC. 3. JAZZ EDUCATION IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Section 5411(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7243(b)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (10); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following new paragraph:

“(9) Programs to promote jazz education, which may include—

‘‘(A) a Jazz Artists in the Schools program to provide support for State arts agencies to bring jazz artists to elementary and secondary schools in collaboration with local educational agencies;
‘‘(B) a program for—
‘‘(i) the development by jazz artists and educators of lesson plans and other educational materials about jazz;
‘‘(ii) the distribution of such educational materials by organizations that may include the National Endowment for
the Arts, educational institutions, or nonprofit organizations; and
‘‘(iii) teacher training on jazz education by jazz artists and educators; and

‘‘(C) an Ambassadors of Jazz program to send jazz musicians, and jazz orchestras from secondary schools, abroad to perform for diverse audiences on missions of goodwill, education, and cultural exchange, in collaboration with the Secretary of State.’’.