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The bill ensures a Shirley Chisholm statue is placed in the U.S. Capitol and gives the Architect of the Capitol authority and flexible funding to complete it quickly, at the trade-off of open-ended taxpayer exposure and reduced procedural flexibility or time for procurement and public input.
Federal agencies, construction workers, and taxpayers will have the Architect of the Capitol authorized to manage procurement, contracts, and have flexible 'such sums as may be necessary' funding, which makes it more likely the statue project can be completed without annual reauthorization delays or procurement holdups.
Visitors, students, and the general public (including taxpayers and schools/universities) will see a permanent statue of Shirley Chisholm in the U.S. Capitol, increasing public recognition of her historic role as the first Black woman elected to Congress.
Taxpayers may bear open-ended costs for the statue and associated contracts because the bill authorizes 'such sums as may be necessary' with no specified spending cap.
The bill mandates placement of the statue in the U.S. Capitol, which limits the Joint Committee on the Library’s flexibility to consider alternate commemorative options or locations.
The two-year deadline to enter an agreement may pressure procurement and design processes, potentially increasing costs or reducing time for public input and careful vendor selection.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Requires the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain and place a statue of Shirley Chisholm in a permanent public location in the U.S. Capitol and authorizes necessary funding and contracting.
Requires the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library to obtain and place a statue of Shirley Chisholm in a permanent, publicly accessible location in the United States Capitol. The Joint Committee may use the Architect of the Capitol to enter agreements and contracts to acquire the statue, must enter into an agreement within two years of enactment, and is authorized to spend "such sums as may be necessary," with those funds remaining available until expended.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Yvette Diane Clarke · Last progress March 26, 2026