[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3712 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3712

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 
 study concerning the preservation and public use of sites in Auburn, 
   New York, associated with Harriet Tubman, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 29, 2000

  Mr. Houghton (for himself and Mrs. Meek of Florida) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 
 study concerning the preservation and public use of sites in Auburn, 
   New York, associated with Harriet Tubman, 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 ``Harriet Tubman Special Resource 
Study Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Harriet Tubman is an important figure in American 
        history and is most famous for her role as a ``conductor'' on 
        the Underground Railroad, in which as a fugitive slave she 
        helped hundreds of enslaved individuals to escape to freedom 
        before and during the Civil War.
            (2) During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman served the Union 
        Army as a guide, spy, and nurse. After the Civil War, she was 
        an advocate for the education of black children.
            (3) Harriet Tubman settled in Auburn, New York, in 1857 and 
        lived there until 1913. While in Auburn, she dedicated her life 
        to caring selflessly and tirelessly for people who could not 
        care for themselves, was an influential member of the community 
        and an active member of the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion 
        Church, and established a home for the elderly.
            (4) Harriet Tubman was a friend of William Henry Seward, 
        who was a Governor and Senator from New York and President 
        Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State. William Henry Seward also 
        lived in Auburn, New York, and defied the Supreme Court's 
        decision in Dred Scott (holding that African Americans were not 
        citizens of the United States) by selling a house in Auburn to 
        Harriet Tubman.
            (5) Four sites in Auburn directly relate to Harriet Tubman 
        and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as 
        follows:
                    (A) Harriet Tubman's home.
                    (B) The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged.
                    (C) The Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church.
                    (D) Harriet Tubman's grave at Fort Hill Cemetery.
            (6) The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged and William Henry 
        Seward's home in Auburn are National Historic Landmarks.

SEC. 3. STUDY CONCERNING SITES IN AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSOCIATED WITH 
              HARRIET TUBMAN AND WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD.

    (a) Study Required.--The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a 
special resource study of the national significance, long-term 
preservation, and public use of the following sites in Auburn, New 
York, associated with Harriet Tubman:
            (1) Harriet Tubman's home, located at 182 South Street.
            (2) The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, located at 180 
        South Street.
            (3) The Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, located at 33 
        Parker Street.
            (4) Harriet Tubman's grave at Fort Hill Cemetery, located 
        at 19 Fort Street.
            (5) William Henry Seward's home, located at 33 South 
        Street.
    (b) Possible Inclusion in the National Park System.--The study 
under subsection (a) shall include the Secretary's analysis and 
recommendations regarding the suitability and feasibility of 
incorporating the sites into the National Park System.
    (c) Consultation.--In preparing the study, the Secretary shall 
consult with the Governor of the State of New York, the Mayor of the 
City of Auburn, New York, the owners of the sites listed in subsection 
(a), and the appropriate representatives of the Thompson Memorial 
A.M.E. Zion Church and the Harriet Tubman Foundation.
    (d) Report.--Not later than two years after the date on which funds 
are made available for the study, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Congress a report describing the results of the study.
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