IIB
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 548
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 4, 2009
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
AN ACT
To assist citizens, public and private institutions, and governments at all levels in planning, interpreting, and protecting sites where historic battles were fought on American soil during the armed conflicts that shaped the growth and development of the United States, and for other purposes.
Short Title
This Act may be cited as the
Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act
of 2009
.
American Battlefield Protection Program
The purpose of this Act is to assist citizens, public and private institutions, and governments at all levels in planning, interpreting, and protecting sites where historic battles were fought on American soil during the armed conflicts that shaped the growth and development of the United States, in order that present and future generations may learn and gain inspiration from the ground where Americans made their ultimate sacrifice.
Preservation assistance
In general
Using the established national historic preservation program to the extent practicable, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the American Battlefield Protection Program, shall encourage, support, assist, recognize, and work in partnership with citizens, Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations in identifying, researching, evaluating, interpreting, and protecting historic battlefields and associated sites on a National, State, and local level.
Financial assistance
To carry out subsection (a), the Secretary may use a cooperative agreement, grant, contract, or other generally adopted means of providing financial assistance.
Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 annually to carry out this section, to remain available until expended.
Battlefield acquisition grant program
Definitions
In this section:
Battlefield Report
The term Battlefield Report means the
document entitled Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields
,
prepared by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, and dated July
1993.
Eligible entity
The term eligible entity means a State or local government.
Eligible site
The term eligible site means a site—
that is not within the exterior boundaries of a unit of the National Park System; and
that is identified in the Battlefield Report.
Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the American Battlefield Protection Program.
Establishment
The Secretary shall establish a battlefield acquisition grant program under which the Secretary may provide grants to eligible entities to pay the Federal share of the cost of acquiring interests in eligible sites for the preservation and protection of those eligible sites.
Nonprofit partners
An eligible entity may acquire an interest in an eligible site using a grant under this section in partnership with a nonprofit organization.
Non-Federal share
The non-Federal share of the total cost of acquiring an interest in an eligible site under this section shall be not less than 50 percent.
Limitation on land use
An interest in an eligible site acquired under this section shall be subject to section 6(f)(3) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–8(f)(3)).
Willing sellers
Acquisitions of land and interests in land under this Act shall be limited to acquisitions, from willing sellers only, of conservation easements and fee-simple purchases of eligible sites.
Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide grants under this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
Repeal
This Act shall be repealed on September 30, 2019.
Passed the House of Representatives March 3, 2009.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk.