[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2232 Referred in House (RFH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                 S. 2232


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 5, 1998

                 Referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To establish the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site 
           in the State of Arkansas, 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 PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board 
        of Education, which mandated an end to the segregation of 
        public schools, was one of the most significant Court decisions 
        in the history of the United States.
            (2) the admission of nine African-American students, known 
        as the ``Little Rock Nine'', to Little Rock's Central High 
        School as a result of the Brown decision, was the most 
        prominent national example of the implementation of the Brown 
        decision, and served as a catalyst for the integration of 
        other, previously segregated public schools in the United 
        States;
            (3) 1997 marked the 70th anniversary of the construction of 
        Central High School, which has been named by the American 
        Institute of Architects as ``the most beautiful high school 
        building in America'';
            (4) Central High School was included on the National 
        Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated by the 
        Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark in 
        1982 in recognition of its national significance in the 
        development of the Civil Rights movement in the United States; 
        and
            (5) the designation of Little Rock Central High School as a 
        unit of the National Park System will recognize the significant 
        role the school played in the desegregation of public schools 
        in the South and will interpret for future generations the 
        events associated with early desegregation of southern schools;
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to preserve, protect, and 
interpret for the benefit, education, and inspiration of present and 
future generations, Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and 
its role in the integration of public schools and the development of 
the Civil Rights movement in the United States.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Little Rock Central High School National 
Historic Site in the State of Arkansas (hereinafter referred to as the 
``historic site'') is hereby established as a unit of the National Park 
System. The historic site shall consist of lands and interests therein 
comprising the Central High School campus and adjacent properties in 
Little Rock, Arkansas, as generally depicted on a map entitled 
``Proposed Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site'', 
numbered LIRO-20,000 and dated July, 1998. Such map shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the 
National Park Service.
    (b) Administration of Historic Site.--The Secretary of the Interior 
(hereinafter referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall administer the 
historic site in accordance with this Act. Only those lands under the 
direct jurisdiction of the Secretary shall be administered in 
accordance with the provisions of law generally applicable to units of 
the National Park System including the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 
U.S.C. 1, 2-4) and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461-467). 
Nothing in this Act shall affect the authority of the Little Rock 
School District to administer Little Rock Central High School nor shall 
this Act affect the authorities of the City of Little Rock in the 
neighborhood surrounding the school.
    (c) Cooperative Agreements.--(1) The Secretary may enter into 
cooperative agreements with appropriate public and private agencies, 
organizations, and institutions (including, but not limited to, the 
State of Arkansas, the City of Little Rock, the Little Rock School 
District, Central High Museum, Inc., Central High Neighborhood, Inc., 
or the University of Arkansas) in furtherance of the purposes of this 
Act.
    (2) The Secretary shall coordinate visitor interpretation of the 
historic site with the Little Rock School District and the Central High 
School Museum, Inc.
    (d) General Management Plan.--Within three years after the date 
funds are made available, the Secretary shall prepare a general 
management plan for the historic site. The plan shall be prepared in 
consultation and coordination with the Little Rock School District, the 
City of Little Rock, Central High Museum, Inc., and with other 
appropriate organizations and agencies. The plan shall identify 
specific roles and responsibilities for the National Park Service in 
administering the historic site, and shall identify lands or property, 
if any, that might be necessary for the National Park Service to 
acquire in order to carry out its responsibilities. The plan shall also 
identify the roles and responsibilities of other entities in 
administering the historic site and its programs. The plan shall 
include a management framework that ensures the administration of the 
historic site does not interfere with the continuing use of Central 
High School as an educational institution.
    (e) Acquisition of Property.--The Secretary is authorized to 
acquire by purchase with donated or appropriated funds by exchange, or 
donation the lands and interested therein located within the boundaries 
of the historic site: Provided, That the Secretary may only acquire 
lands or interests therein within the consent of the owner thereof: 
Provided further, That lands or interests therein owned by the State of 
Arkansas or a political subdivision thereof, may only be acquired by 
donation or exchange.

SEC. 3. DESEGREGATION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION THEME STUDY.

    (a) Theme Study.--Within two years after the date funds are made 
available, the Secretary shall prepare and transmit to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on 
Resources of the House of Representatives a National Historic Landmark 
Theme Study (hereinafter referred to as the ``theme study'') on the 
history of desegregation in public education. The purpose of the theme 
study shall be to identify sites, districts, buildings, structures, and 
landscapes that best illustrate or commemorate key events or decisions 
in the historical movement to provide for racial desegregation in 
public education. On the basis of the theme study, the Secretary shall 
identify possible new national historic landmarks appropriate to this 
theme and prepare a list in order of importance or merit of the most 
appropriate sites for national historic landmark designation.
    (b) Opportunities for Education and Research.--The theme study 
shall identify appropriate means to establish linkages between sites 
identified in subsection (a) and between those sites and the Central 
High School National Historic Site established in section 2, and with 
other existing units of the National Park System to maximize 
opportunities for public education and scholarly research on 
desegregation in public education. The theme study also shall recommend 
opportunities for cooperative arrangements with State and local 
governments, educational institutions, local historical organizations, 
and other appropriate entities to preserve and interpret key sites in 
the history of desegregation in public education.
    (c) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into 
cooperative agreements with one or more educational institutions, 
public history organizations, or civil rights organizations 
knowledgeable about desegregation in public education to prepare the 
theme study and to ensure that the theme study meets scholarly 
standards.
    (d) Theme Study Coordination With General Management Plan.--The 
theme study shall be prepared as part of the preparation and 
development of the general management plan for the Little Rock Central 
High School National Historic Site established in section 2.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

            Passed the Senate October 2, 1998.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.