[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 160 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 160
To amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to establish a
battlefield acquisition grant program for the acquisition and
protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites
of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 4, 2007
Mr. Holt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
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A BILL
To amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to establish a
battlefield acquisition grant program for the acquisition and
protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites
of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and for other purposes.
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 ``Revolutionary War and War of 1812
Battlefield Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The battlefields of the American Revolutionary War and
the War of 1812 provide a unique means for the people of the
United States to relate to these epic struggles in the history
of the United States and to understand their importance in the
establishment and early development of the United States.
(2) Urbanization, suburban sprawl, and unplanned commercial
and residential development are constantly encroaching on many
of the nationally significant battlefields of the American
Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, as well as on associated
sites, and this encroachment poses a severe and growing risk to
the preservation of such battlefields and related sites.
(3) According to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812
Historical Preservation Study, prepared by the National Park
Service, and dated September 2003, of the 825 principal
nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the
American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812--
(A) thirteen percent are lost;
(B) thirty percent are fragmented or in poor
condition; or
(C) twenty-seven percent may be destroyed or
impaired within the next ten years, and nine percent of
this percentage figure are in imminent danger of damage
occurring within the next three years.
SEC. 3. BATTLEFIELD ACQUISITION GRANT PROGRAM FOR BATTLEFIELDS OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND WAR OF 1812.
(a) Grant Program.--The American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996
(section 604 of division I of Public Law 104-333; 16 U.S.C. 469k) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new
subsection:
``(e) Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program for Battlefields of the
Revolutionary War and War of 1812.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Battlefield report.--The term `battlefield
report' means the document entitled `Revolutionary War
and War of 1812 Historic Preservation Study', prepared
by the National Park Service, and dated September 2003.
``(B) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity'
means a State or local government.
``(C) Eligible site.--The term `eligible site'
means a site that--
``(i) is not within the exterior boundaries
of a unit of the National Park System; and
``(ii) is identified in the battlefield
report.
``(D) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the
Secretary of the Interior, acting through the American
Battlefield Protection Program.
``(2) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a
battlefield acquisition grant program for nationally
significant battlefields and associated sites of the
Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under which the Secretary
may make grants to eligible entities to pay the Federal share
of the cost of acquiring fee-simple or lesser interests from
willing sellers in eligible sites for the preservation and
protection of those eligible sites.
``(3) Nonprofit partners.--An eligible entity may acquire
an interest in an eligible site using a grant under this
subsection in partnership with a nonprofit organization.
``(4) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the
total cost of acquiring an interest in an eligible site under
this subsection shall be not less than 50 percent.
``(5) Limitations on land use.--An interest in an eligible
site acquired under this subsection shall be subject to section
6(f)(3) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16
U.S.C. 4601-8(f)(3)).
``(6) Reports.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the
date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the activities
carried out under this subsection.
``(B) Update on battlefield report.--Not later than
3 years after the date of the enactment of this
subsection, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report that updates the battlefield report to reflect--
``(i) preservation activities carried out
at the 871 battlefields and associated sites
identified in the battlefield report during the
period between publication of the battlefield
report and the update;
``(ii) changes in the condition of the
battlefields and associated sites during that
period; and
``(iii) any other relevant developments
relating to the battlefields and associated
sites during that period.
``(7) Authorizations of appropriations.--
``(A) In general.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund to provide grants under this
subsection $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008
through 2010.
``(B) Update of battlefield report.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry
out paragraph (6)(B), $500,000.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) References to other battlefield acquisition program.--
Subsection (d) of the American Battlefield Protection Act of
1996, as added by section 3 of Civil War Battlefield
Preservation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-359; 116 Stat. 3016),
is amended--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking
``Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program'' and inserting
``Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program for
Battlefields of the Civil War''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``grant program''
and inserting ``grant program for battlefields of the
Civil War''; and
(2) Termination of authority.--Subsection (f) of the
American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996, as redesignated by
subsection (a)(1), is amended--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking
``Repeal'' and inserting ``Expiration''; and
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``is repealed''
and inserting ``expires''.
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