[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2557 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
                                S. 2557

 To authorize construction and operation of the Valley Forge Museum of 
 the American Revolution at Valley Forge National Historical Park, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

              October 6 (legislative day, October 2), 1998

  Mr. Specter (for himself and Mr. Santorum) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment 
                            and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize construction and operation of the Valley Forge Museum of 
 the American Revolution at Valley Forge National Historical Park, 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 ``Valley Forge Museum of the American 
Revolution Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1)(A) Valley Forge National Historical Park, formerly a 
        State park, was established in 1976 as a unit of the National 
        Park System under Public Law 94-337 (16 U.S.C. 410aa et seq.); 
        and
            (B) the National Park Service acquired various parcels of 
        land and structures associated with the Park, including a 
        visitor center, from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
            (2) the Park maintains an extensive collection of--
                    (A) artifacts, books, and other items relating to 
                the 1777-1778 winter encampment of General George 
                Washington's Continental Army at Valley Forge;
                    (B) artifacts of military life from the 
                Revolutionary War era;
                    (C) important archaeological resources; and
                    (D) numerous structures and associated artifacts;
            (3) between 1982 and 1997, the National Park Service 
        completed a general management plan, long-range interpretive 
        plan, and strategic business plan for the Park that establish 
        goals and priorities for management of the Park;
            (4) the plans--
                    (A) identify inadequacies in the Park's visitor 
                center and interpretive programs;
                    (B) call for development of a new or significantly 
                renovated visitor center that would make the collection 
                accessible to the public through exhibits and research 
                facilities; and
                    (C) call for improving the interpretation of the 
                landscape and improving the circulation of visitors 
                into and through the Park;
            (5) the Valley Forge Historical Society--
                    (A) was established in 1918 as a nonprofit 
                organization to preserve and interpret for future 
                generations the significant history and artifacts of 
                the American Revolution in the historic setting of 
                Valley Forge;
                    (B) has amassed valuable holdings of artifacts, 
                art, books, and other items relating to the 1777-1778 
                encampment, the American Revolution, and the American 
                colonial era; and
                    (C) continues to pursue additional important 
                collections through bequests, exchanges, and 
                acquisitions;
            (6)(A) as of the date of enactment of this Act, the 
        Society's collection is housed in a facility that is inadequate 
        to properly maintain, preserve, and display the ever-growing 
        collection; and
            (B) the Society is interested in developing an up-to-date 
        museum and education facility;
            (7) the Society and the National Park Service have 
        discussed the idea of a joint museum, education facility, and 
        visitor center that would--
                    (A) directly support the historical, educational, 
                and interpretive activities and needs of the Park and 
                such activities and needs of the Society;
                    (B) combine 2 outstanding museum collections; and
                    (C) provide an enhanced experience at Valley Forge 
                for visitors, scholars, and researchers;
            (8) under section 1602 of the Transportation Equity Act for 
        the 21st Century (112 Stat. 262), $3,000,000 was set aside to 
        construct access roads and parking facilities for such a joint 
        museum, education facility, and visitor center at Valley Forge; 
        and
            (9) the Society has proposed to raise funds to construct a 
        new museum, education facility, and visitor center on Park 
        property that would be planned, developed, and operated jointly 
with the National Park Service.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to authorize the Secretary 
of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Society to 
construct and operate, in cooperation with the Secretary, a museum 
within the boundary of the Park.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agreement.--The term ``agreement'' means the agreement 
        described in section 4(a).
            (2) Museum.--The term ``Museum'' means the Valley Forge 
        Museum of the American Revolution described in section 4.
            (3) Park.--The term ``Park'' means Valley Forge National 
        Historical Park.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (5) Society.--The term ``Society'' means the Valley Forge 
        Historical Society.

SEC. 4. VALLEY FORGE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

    (a) Authorization.--In administering the Park, the Secretary may 
enter into an agreement under appropriate terms and conditions with the 
Society to facilitate the planning, construction, and operation of the 
Valley Forge Museum of the American Revolution on Federal land within 
the boundary of the Park.
    (b) Activities of Society.--The Agreement shall authorize the 
Society--
            (1) to operate the Museum in cooperation with the 
        Secretary;
            (2) to provide at the Museum, to visitors to the Park, 
        programs and services relating to the story of Valley Forge and 
        the American Revolution; and
            (3) acting as a private nonprofit organization, to engage 
        in activities appropriate for operation of a museum, including 
        charging fees, conducting events, and selling merchandise, 
        tickets, and food to visitors to the Museum.
    (c) Activities of Secretary.--The Agreement shall authorize the 
Secretary to carry out at the Museum activities relating to the 
management of the Park, including provision of appropriate visitor 
information and interpretive facilities and programs relating to the 
Park.
    (d) Use of Revenues.--Revenues from the facilities and services of 
the Museum shall be used to offset the expenses of operation of the 
Museum.
    (e) Museum Structures.--The Agreement shall authorize the Society 
to occupy and use any structure constructed at the Park for the 
purposes of the Museum during the term specified in the Agreement and 
subject to the following terms and conditions:
            (1) Conveyance to united states.--The Society shall convey 
        to the United States all right, title, and interest in each 
        such structure.
            (2) Conditions on occupancy and use.--The right of the 
        Society to occupy and use each such structure--
                    (A) shall be for the purposes of--
                            (i) exhibiting, preserving, and 
                        interpreting artifacts associated with the 
                        Valley Forge encampment and the impact of the 
                        encampment on the American Revolution;
                            (ii) enhancing the experience of visitors 
                        to the Park; and
                            (iii) conducting the activities of the 
                        Society consistent with the mission of the 
                        Society; and
                    (B) shall not be transferred without the consent of 
                the Secretary.
            (3) Other terms and conditions.--The Agreement shall 
        include such other terms and conditions as the Secretary 
        considers appropriate.

SEC. 5. PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION.

    Nothing in this Act authorizes the Secretary or the Society to take 
any action in derogation of the preservation and protection of the 
values and resources of the Park.
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