Cesar Estrada Chavez Lands Legacy Study Act

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1034 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1034

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada
Chavez and the farm labor movement.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 27, 2003

Ms. Solis (for herself, Mr. Pastor, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr.
Becerra, Mr. Owens, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Christensen, Mr.
Gutierrez, Mrs. Napolitano, and Mr. Acevedo-Vila) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada
Chavez and the farm labor movement.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CESAR ESTRADA CHAVEZ STUDY ACT.

(a) Short Title.-- This Act may be cited as the ``Cesar Estrada
Chavez Lands Legacy Study Act''.
(b) Findings.-- Congress finds the following:
(1) On March 31, 1927, Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on a
small farm near Yuma, Arizona.
(2) At age 10, Chavez and his family became migrant farm
workers after they lost their farm in the Great Depression.
(3) Throughout his youth and into adulthood, Chavez
migrated across the Southwest, laboring in fields and
vineyards.
(4) During this period, Chavez was exposed to the hardships
and injustices of farm worker life.
(5) In 1952, Chavez's life as an organizer and public
servant began when he left the fields and joined the Community
Service Organization, a community-based self-help organization.
(6) While with the Community Service Organization, Chavez
conducted--
(A) voter registration drives; and
(B) campaigns against racial and economic
discrimination.
(7) During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Chavez served as
the national director of the Community Service Organization.
(8) In 1962, Chavez founded the National Farm Workers
Association, an organization that--
(A) was the first successful farm workers union in
the United States; and
(B) became known as the ``United Farm Workers of
America''.
(9) From 1962 to 1993, as leader of United Farm Workers of
America, Chavez achieved for tens of thousands of farm
workers--
(A) dignity and respect;
(B) fair wages;
(C) medical coverage;
(D) pension benefits;
(E) humane living conditions; and
(F) other rights and protections.
(10) The leadership and humanitarianism of Cesar Chavez
continue to influence and inspire millions of citizens of the
United States to seek social justice and civil rights for the
poor and disenfranchised.
(11) The life of Cesar Chavez and his family provides an
outstanding opportunity to illustrate and interpret the history
of agricultural labor in the western United States.
(c) Resource Study.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in
this section as the ``Secretary'') shall complete a resource study of
sites in the State of Arizona, the State of California, and other
States that are significant to the life of Cesar E. Chavez and the farm
labor movement in the western United States to determine--
(1) appropriate methods for preserving and interpreting the
sites; and
(2) whether any of the sites meets the criteria for listing
on the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a
national historic landmark under--
(A) the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et
seq.); and
(B) the National Historic Preservation Act (16
U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
(d) Requirements.--In conducting the study under this section, the
Secretary shall--
(1) consider the criteria for the study of areas for
potential inclusion in the National Park System under section
8(b)(2) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(b)(2)); and
(2) consult with--
(A) the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation;
(B) the United Farm Workers Union;
(C) State and local historical associations and
societies; and
(D) the State Historic Preservation Officers of the
State of Arizona, the State of California, and any
other State in which a site described in subsection (a)
is located.
(e) Report.--On completion of the study under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate a report on--
(1) the findings of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
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