[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3256 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3256

 To establish the Nicodemus National Historic Site in Kansas, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 16, 1996

 Mr. Roberts introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Nicodemus National Historic Site in Kansas, 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. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the town of Nicodemus, in Kansas, has national 
        significance as the only remaining western town established by 
        African-Americans during the Reconstruction period following 
        the Civil War;
            (2) the town of Nicodemus is symbolic of the pioneer spirit 
        of African-Americans who dared to leave the only region they 
        had been familiar with to seek personal freedom and the 
        opportunity to develop their talents and capabilities; and
            (3) the town of Nicodemus continues to be a viable African-
        American community.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit and 
        enjoyment of present and future generations, the remaining 
        structures and locations that represent the history (including 
        the settlement and growth) of the town of Nicodemus, Kansas; 
        and
            (2) to interpret the historical role of the town of 
        Nicodemus in the Reconstruction period in the context of the 
        experience of westward expansion in the United States.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Historic site.--The term ``historic site'' means the 
        Nicodemus National Historic Site established by section 3.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Nicodemus National 
Historic Site in Nicodemus, Kansas.
    (b) Description.--
            (1) In general.--The historic site shall consist of the 
        First Baptist Church, the St. Francis Hotel, the Nicodemus 
        School District Number 1, the African Methodist Episcopal 
        Church, and the Township Hall located within the approximately 
        161.35 acres designated as the Nicodemus National Landmark in 
        the Township of Nicodemus, Graham County, Kansas, as registered 
        on the National Register of Historic Places pursuant to section 
        101 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470a), 
        and depicted on a map entitled ``Nicodemus National Historic 
        Site'', numbered 80,000 and dated August 1994.
            (2) Map and boundary description.--The map referred to in 
        paragraph (1) and an accompanying boundary description shall be 
        on file and available for public inspection in the office of 
        the Director of the National Park Service and any other office 
        of the National Park Service that the Secretary determines to 
        be an appropriate location for filing the map and boundary 
        description.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE HISTORIC SITE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the historic site 
in accordance with--
            (1) this Act; and
            (2) the provisions of law generally applicable to units of 
        the National Park System, including the Act entitled ``An Act 
        to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes'', 
        approved August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), and the Act of 
        August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666, chapter 593; 16 U.S.C. 461 et 
        seq.).
    (b) Cooperative Agreements.--To further the purposes specified in 
section 1(b), the Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement with 
any interested individual, public or private agency, organization, or 
institution.
    (c) Technical and Preservation Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may provide to any eligible 
        person described in paragraph (2) technical assistance for the 
        preservation of historic structures of, the maintenance of the 
        cultural landscape of, and local preservation planning for, the 
        historic site.
            (2) Eligible persons.--The eligible persons described in 
        this paragraph are--
                    (A) an owner of real property within the boundary 
                of the historic site, as described in section 3(b); and
                    (B) any interested individual, agency, 
                organization, or institution that has entered into an 
                agreement with the Secretary pursuant to subsection 
                (b).

SEC. 5. ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary is 
authorized to acquire by donation, exchange, or purchase with funds 
made available by donation or appropriation, such lands or interests in 
lands as may be necessary to allow for the interpretation, 
preservation, or restoration of the First Baptist Church, the St. 
Francis Hotel, the Nicodemus School District Number 1, the African 
Methodist Episcopal Church, or the Township Hall, as described in 
section 3(b)(1), or any combination thereof.
    (b) Limitations.--
            (1) Acquisition of property owned by the state of kansas.--
        Real property that is owned by the State of Kansas or a 
        political subdivision of the State of Kansas that is acquired 
        pursuant to subsection (a) may only be acquired by donation.
            (2) Consent of owner required.--No real property may be 
        acquired under this section without the consent of the owner of 
        the real property.

SEC. 6. GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than the last day of the third full 
fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall, in consultation with the officials described in 
subsection (b), prepare a general management plan for the historic 
site.
    (b) Consultation.--In preparing the general management plan, the 
Secretary shall consult with an appropriate official of each of the 
following:
            (1) The Nicodemus Historical Society.
            (2) The Kansas Historical Society.
            (3) Appropriate political subdivisions of the State of 
        Kansas that have jurisdiction over all or a portion of the 
        historic site.
    (c) Submission of Plan to Congress.--Upon the completion of the 
general management plan, the Secretary shall submit a copy of the plan 
to--
            (1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the 
Interior such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>