(CNN) A Smithsonian museum dedicated to women's history is a step closer to reality after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill to create one. It now heads to the Senate.

H.R. 1980 , also known as the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, passed 374-37 last week.

The bill establishes a council that will make recommendations to the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Museum on the planning, design and construction of the museum.

The board is charged with designating a site for the museum. Any site that is on or near the National Mall will be given priority. The National Mall in Washington, DC, is home to a number of national monuments, memorials and Smithsonian museums.

"For too long, women's history has been left out of the telling of our nation's history," the bill's sponsors said in a joint statement . "Today, the House of Representatives took an important first step to change that. Women are part of every American moment, and their contributions should be recognized and celebrated.

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