[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4376 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4376
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 18, 2006
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize the National Park Service to enter into a cooperative
agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf of
Springfield Technical Community College, 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 ``Springfield Armory National Historic
Site, Massachusetts Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Site commemorates the role of the Springfield
Armory in the Nation's military history, a role that the Armory
served for almost 200 years.
(2) The role of the Springfield Armory began in 1777, when
the site was selected as the location for a magazine and
laboratory for the development, production and storage of guns
and powder during the American Revolution.
(3) Following the American Revolutionary War, in 1794
Congress officially established the Springfield Armory and for
much of the 19th century the Springfield Armory developed and
supplied most of the military small arms manufactured by the
United States for the United States Armed Services.
(4) In addition to its historical role in the development
and manufacturing of small arms, the Springfield Armory was
also the site of Shay's Rebellion.
(5) In 1968 the Armory was deactivated as a military
installation and in 1974 Congress established the Springfield
Armory National Historic Site. A portion of the Site is
administered by the National Park Service. The remainder of the
Springfield Armory National Historic Site, known as the
``Preservation Control Area'', is owned and administered by the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf of Springfield
Technical Community College.
(6) The Preservation Control Area contains several historic
buildings that are in a state of disrepair. The deteriorating
condition of these historic buildings threatens to undermine
the character and integrity of the Springfield Armory National
Historic Site and their repair, renovation, maintenance and
rehabilitation is essential to the continued preservation of
the Site and its museum and collections.
SEC. 3. PRESERVATION CONTROL AREA DEFINED.
For purposes of this Act, the term ``Preservation Control Area''
means that portion of the Site that is owned by the Commonwealth, as
defined in the Memorandum of Understanding Between the United States
and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts dated August 21, 1999.
SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE PRESERVATION CONTROL
AREA.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the
National Park Service, may enter into a cooperative agreement with the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf of Springfield Technical
Community College to provide financial assistance to that college for
the purpose of maintaining, preserving, renovating, and rehabilitating
any historic structures within the Springfield Armory National Historic
Site, including historic structures located within the Preservation
Control Area.
(b) Fifty Percent Match.--The Federal share of the cost of
activities carried out using any assistance or grant under this Act
shall not exceed 50 percent.
Passed the House of Representatives July 17, 2006.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.