US House passes National Asian American and Pacific Islander museum bill

• On Tuesday, April 26, the US House unanimously passed a bill to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American history and culture.
• All representatives in the House voted for the bill, and it had 120 co-sponsors.

On Tuesday, April 26, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would kickstart the creation of a National Asian American and Pacific Islander museum.

"It's an honor to champion this cause so close to my heart and I am grateful for the allyship of my colleagues as we have stood together fighting for similar efforts to create the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum in recent years," Representative Grace Meng from New York, who first introduced the bill in May, said on Twitter.

—Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) April 26, 2022

The bill titled H.R. 3525, Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act, had 120 co-sponsors.

It would establish an eight-person commission comprising of individuals well versed in Asian American history or who have a background in museum development. The commission would be tasked with drafting fundraising plans and submitting suggestions on how to move forward with the creation of the museum.

The bill will now be sent to the US Senate for passage before it is sent to President Joe Biden's desk.

If the museum is created, it would sit alongside the National Museum of the American Latino and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.