[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1635 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1635

                       One Hundred Fifth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twenty-seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-
                                  eight


                                 An Act


 
To establish within the United States National Park Service the National 
Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program, 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 ``National Underground Railroad 
Network to Freedom Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
        (1) The Underground Railroad, which flourished from the end of 
    the 18th century to the end of the Civil War, was one of the most 
    significant expressions of the American civil rights movement 
    during its evolution over more than three centuries.
        (2) The Underground Railroad bridged the divides of race, 
    religion, sectional differences, and nationality; spanned State 
    lines and international borders; and joined the American ideals of 
    liberty and freedom expressed in the Declaration of Independence 
    and the Constitution to the extraordinary actions of ordinary men 
    and women working in common purpose to free a people.
        (3) Pursuant to title VI of Public Law 101-628 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5 
    note; 104 Stat. 4495), the Underground Railroad Advisory Committee 
    conducted a study of the appropriate means of establishing an 
    enduring national commemorative Underground Railroad program of 
    education, example, reflection, and reconciliation.
        (4) The Underground Railroad Advisory Committee found that--
            (A) although a few elements of the Underground Railroad 
        story are represented in existing National Park Service units 
        and other sites, many sites are in imminent danger of being 
        lost or destroyed, and many important resource types are not 
        adequately represented and protected;
            (B) there are many important sites which have high 
        potential for preservation and visitor use in 29 States, the 
        District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands;
            (C) no single site or route completely reflects and 
        characterizes the Underground Railroad, since its story and 
        associated resources involve networks and regions of the 
        country rather than individual sites and trails; and
            (D) establishment of a variety of partnerships between the 
        Federal Government and other levels of government and the 
        private sector would be most appropriate for the protection and 
        interpretation of the Underground Railroad.
        (5) The National Park Service can play a vital role in 
    facilitating the national commemoration of the Underground 
    Railroad.
        (6) The story and significance of the Underground Railroad can 
    best engage the American people through a national program of the 
    National Park Service that links historic buildings, structures, 
    and sites; routes, geographic areas, and corridors; interpretive 
    centers, museums, and institutions; and programs, activities, 
    community projects, exhibits, and multimedia materials, in a manner 
    that is both unified and flexible.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are the following:
        (1) To recognize the importance of the Underground Railroad, 
    the sacrifices made by those who used the Underground Railroad in 
    search of freedom from tyranny and oppression, and the sacrifices 
    made by the people who helped them.
        (2) To authorize the National Park Service to coordinate and 
    facilitate Federal and non-Federal activities to commemorate, 
    honor, and interpret the history of the Underground Railroad, its 
    significance as a crucial element in the evolution of the national 
    civil rights movement, and its relevance in fostering the spirit of 
    racial harmony and national reconciliation.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD NETWORK TO FREEDOM PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall establish in the National Park 
Service a program to be known as the ``National Underground Railroad 
Network to Freedom'' (in this Act referred to as the ``national 
network''). Under the program, the Secretary shall--
        (1) produce and disseminate appropriate educational materials, 
    such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or electronic 
    information;
        (2) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements and memoranda 
    of understanding to provide technical assistance under subsection 
    (c); and
        (3) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or device for 
    the national network and issue regulations for its use.
    (b) Elements.--The national network shall encompass the following 
elements:
        (1) All units and programs of the National Park Service 
    determined by the Secretary to pertain to the Underground Railroad.
        (2) Other Federal, State, local, and privately owned properties 
    pertaining to the Underground Railroad that have a verifiable 
    connection to the Underground Railroad and that are included on, or 
    determined by the Secretary to be eligible for inclusion on, the 
    National Register of Historic Places.
        (3) Other governmental and nongovernmental facilities and 
    programs of an educational, research, or interpretive nature that 
    are directly related to the Underground Railroad.
    (c) Cooperative Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding.--To 
achieve the purposes of this Act and to ensure effective coordination 
of the Federal and non-Federal elements of the national network 
referred to in subsection (b) with National Park Service units and 
programs, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and 
memoranda of understanding with, and provide technical assistance to--
        (1) the heads of other Federal agencies, States, localities, 
    regional governmental bodies, and private entities; and
        (2) in cooperation with the Secretary of State, the governments 
    of Canada, Mexico, and any appropriate country in the Caribbean.
    (d) Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out this Act not more than $500,000 for each fiscal year. No 
amounts may be appropriated for the purposes of this Act except to the 
Secretary for carrying out the responsibilities of the Secretary as set 
forth in section 3(a).

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.