[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4513 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4513

To designate former United States Route 66 as ``America's Main Street'' 
   and authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 6, 1998

    Mrs. Wilson (for herself, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, and Ms. 
 Millender-McDonald) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                     to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To designate former United States Route 66 as ``America's Main Street'' 
   and authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance.

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

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Route 66.--The term ``Route 66'' means--
                    (A) portions of the highway formerly designated as 
                United States Route 66 that remain in existence as of 
                the date of enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) public and private land in the vicinity of the 
                highway.
            (2) Preservation office.--The term ``Preservation Office'' 
        means the Office for the Preservation of America's Main Street 
        established by the Secretary under section 3.
            (3) Preservation of route 66.--The term ``preservation of 
        Route 66'' means the preservation or restoration of portions of 
        the highway, businesses and sites of interest or potentially of 
        interest to the public along the highway, or other resources of 
        the highway.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means a State in which a 
        portion of Route 66 is located.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

    Route 66 is designated as ``America's Main Street''.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Establishment of Office.--The Secretary shall establish an 
office, to be known as the ``Office for the Preservation of America's 
Main Street''.
    (b) Designation of Officials.--The Secretary shall designate 
officials of the National Park Service stationed at locations 
convenient to the States and interested persons in the States, to 
perform the functions of the Preservation Office under this Act.
    (c) General Functions.--The Preservation Office shall--
            (1) support efforts of State and local public and private 
        persons and entities in the States to preserve Route 66 by 
        providing technical assistance, participating in cost-sharing 
        programs, and making grants and loans;
            (2) act as a clearinghouse for communication among Federal, 
        State, and local agencies and private persons and entities 
        interested in the preservation of Route 66; and
            (3) assist the States in determining the appropriate form 
        of and establishing and supporting a non-Federal entity or 
        entities to perform the functions of the Preservation Office 
        after the Preservation Office is terminated.
    (d) Authorities.--In carrying out this Act, the Preservation Office 
may--
            (1) enter into cooperative agreements;
            (2) accept donations;
            (3) provide cost-share grants;
            (4) provide technical assistance in historic preservation 
        and fundraising; and
            (5) conduct research.
    (e) Road Signs.--The Preservation Office shall sponsor a road sign 
program on Route 66 to be implemented on a cost-sharing basis with 
State and local organizations.
    (f) Preservation Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Preservation Office shall provide 
        assistance in the preservation of Route 66 in a manner that is 
        compatible with the idiosyncratic nature of the highway.
            (2) Planning.--The Preservation Office shall not prepare or 
        require preparation of an overall management plan for Route 66, 
        but shall cooperate with the States and local public and 
        private persons and entities in developing local preservation 
        plans to guide efforts to protect the most important or 
        representative resources of Route 66.

SEC. 4. RESOURCE TREATMENT.

    (a) Technical Assistance Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Preservation Office shall develop a 
        program of technical assistance in the preservation of Route 
        66.
            (2) Guidelines for preservation needs.--
                    (A) In general.--As part of the program under 
                paragraph (1), the Preservation Office shall establish 
                guidelines for setting priorities for preservation 
                needs.
                    (B) Basis.--The guidelines under subparagraph (A) 
                may be based on national register standards, modified 
                as appropriate to meet the needs of Route 66 so as to 
                allow for the preservation of the spirit of Route 66 by 
                including more modern resources that are integral to 
                the evolution of the Route 66 experience.
    (b) Program for Coordination of Activities.--
            (1) In general.--The Preservation Office shall coordinate a 
        program of historic research, curation, preservation 
        strategies, and the collection of oral and video histories of 
        Route 66.
            (2) Design.--The program under paragraph (1) shall be 
        designed for continuing use and implementation by other 
        organizations after the Preservation Office is terminated.
    (c) Cost-share Grants.--Cost-share grants for preservation of Route 
66 shall be available for resources that meet the guidelines under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.

SEC. 6. TERMINATION.

    The Preservation Office shall terminate on the date that is 10 
years after the date of enactment of this Act.
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