{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/2022/12/rep-sewell-s-legislation-designating-alabama-s-black-belt-as-a-national-heritage-area-passes-the-house-and-senate", "Rep. Sewell\u2019s Legislation Designating Alabama\u2019s Black Belt as a National Heritage Area Passes the House and Senate", "2022-12-22", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri A. Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", "sewell", "https://sewell.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) celebrated as her bill, H.R. 3222, the Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area Act, passed the House and Senate. The legislation will designate the 14 counties of Alabama\u2019s Black Belt as a National Heritage Area, preserving the rich history of the region while creating new funding and tourism opportunities. H.R. 3222 passed the House in July 2022 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 365-57. An amended version was included in S. 1942, the National Heritage Act, which passed the Senate unanimously on December 20, 2022. Today, the House passed the amended version by a vote of 326 to 95, sending it to President Biden\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cToday is a truly historic day for Alabama\u2019s Black Belt!\u201d celebrated Rep. Sewell. \u201cFor the first time, many historic areas in the Black Belt will be designated as a National Heritage Area, freeing up additional federal resources for historic preservation, tourism, and economic development. Passage of this bill is the culmination of years of tireless advocacy and negotiation on behalf of the residents of the Black Belt!\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the birthplace of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights movements, the Black Belt is where some of the most consequential chapters of American history played out,\u201d continued Sewell. \u201cAs a proud daughter of the Black Belt, I\u2019m thrilled that this region will be getting the national recognition it deserves, and I remain endlessly grateful to my colleagues for their support in this worthwhile endeavor!\u201d\n\nNational Heritage Areas are established by Congress for the purpose of assisting efforts to protect and promote communities that are regarded as distinctive because of their culture, history, resources, and environment. These historic areas are authorized to receive up to $1 million in federal funding annually to preserve, protect and promote important sites. Under the Alabama Black Belt National Heritage Area Act, the University of West Alabama would collaborate with the National Park Service and Black Belt communities to determine a strategic management plan.\n\n\u201cDesignating Alabama\u2019s Black Belt as a National Heritage Area is a tremendous achievement and marks the culmination of more than a decade of work and support by countless volunteers and organizations not only across the Black Belt but from throughout the State of Alabama and across the nation,\u201d said Dr. Tina Naremore Jones, Assistant Provost and Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development at the University of West Alabama. \u201cOur grassroots organizations have been steadfast supporters of this effort, and we are thankful for Congresswoman Sewell and Senator Shelby\u2019s leadership in moving this legislation forward.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/2022/12/rep-sewell-s-legislation-designating-alabama-s-black-belt-as-a-national-heritage-area-passes-the-house-and-senate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9941039606928825, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}