[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 581 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 581

 To protect the Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsylvania, to 
 authorize a Valley Forge Museum of the American Revolution at Valley 
        Forge National Historical Park, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 10, 1999

  Mr. Specter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To protect the Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsylvania, to 
 authorize a 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 ``Pennsylvania Battlefields Protection 
Act of 1999''.

               TITLE I--PAOLI AND BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELDS

SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Brandywine battlefield.--The term ``Brandywine 
        Battlefield'' means land in an area generally known as the 
        Meetinghouse Road Corridor, located in Chester County, 
        Pennsylvania, as depicted on the Brandywine map.
            (2) Brandywine map.--The term ``Brandywine map'' means the 
        map entitled ``Brandywine Battlefield-Meetinghouse Road 
        Corridor'', numbered ________ and dated ______________.
            (3) Paoli battlefield.--The term ``Paoli Battlefield'' 
        means the area located in the borough of Malvern, Pennsylvania, 
        as generally depicted on the Paoli map.
            (4) Paoli map.--The term ``Paoli map'' means the map 
        entitled ``Paoli Battlefield'', numbered 71572 and dated 
        February 17, 1998.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        Pennsylvania.

SEC. 102. PAOLI BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.

    (a) Paoli Battlefield.--
            (1) Funding.--The Secretary may provide funds to the 
        borough of Malvern, Pennsylvania for the protection and 
        preservation of the Paoli Battlefield.
            (2) Availability of paoli map.--The Paoli map shall be on 
        file in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
    (b) Cooperative Agreement and Technical Assistance.--
            (1) Cooperative agreement.--The Secretary shall enter into 
        a cooperative agreement with the borough of Malvern, 
        Pennsylvania for management of the Paoli Battlefield by the 
        borough.
            (2) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may provide 
        technical assistance to the borough of Malvern to ensure the 
        preservation and interpretation of the resources of the Paoli 
        battlefield.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        $2,500,000 to carry out this section.
            (2) Use of appropriated funds.--Amounts made available 
        under paragraph (1) shall be provided to the borough of 
        Malvern, Pennsylvania only to the extent that the funds are 
        matched, on an 1-to-1 basis, with contributions from non-
        Federal sources.
            (3) Agreement on provision of funds.--Any use of funds 
        provided by the Secretary shall be in accordance with an 
        agreement that protects the resources of the Paoli Battlefield.

SEC. 103. BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.

    (a) Brandywine Battlefield.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to provide 
        funds to the State, a political subdivision of the State, or 
        the Brandywine Conservancy for the protection and preservation 
        of the Brandywine Battlefield.
            (2) Availability of brandywine map.--The Brandywine map 
        shall be on file in the appropriate offices of the National 
        Park Service.
    (b) Cooperative Agreement and Technical Assistance.--
            (1) Cooperative agreement.--The Secretary shall enter into 
        a cooperative agreement with the entity that is provided funds 
        under subsection (a) for management of the Brandywine 
        Battlefield by the entity.
            (2) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may provide 
        technical assistance to the entity described in paragraph (1) 
        to ensure the preservation and interpretation of the resources 
of the Brandywine Battlefield.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        $3,000,000 to carry out this section.
            (2) Use of appropriated funds.--Amounts made available 
        under paragraph (1) shall be provided to the entity described 
        in subsection (a) only to the extent that the funds are 
        matched, on an 1-to-1 basis, with contributions from non-
        Federal sources.
            (3) Agreement on provision of funds.--Any use of funds 
        provided by the Secretary shall be in accordance with an 
        agreement that protects the resources of the Brandywine 
        Battlefield.

SEC. 104. STUDY OF BATTLEFIELDS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date on which 
funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall 
submit a resource study of the property described in sections 101 and 
102 to--
            (1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (b) Contents.--The resource study described in subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) identify the full range of resources and historic 
        themes associated with the Paoli Battlefield and the Brandywine 
        Battlefield, including the relationship of the resources and 
        historic themes to the American Revolutionary War and the 
        Valley Forge National Historical Park; and
            (2) identify alternatives for National Park Service 
        involvement at the sites, including cost estimates for any 
        necessary acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, 
        and maintenance associated with the alternatives identified.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.

            TITLE II--VALLEY FORGE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

SEC. 201. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) Valley Forge National Historical Park was established 
        as a unit of the National Park System in 1976;
            (2) the National Park Service acquired various land and 
        structures associated with the Park, including a visitor 
        center, from the State of Pennsylvania;
            (3) the Park maintains an extensive collection of--
                    (A) artifacts, books, and other documents 
                associated with the Continental Army's winter 
                encampment during 1777 and 1778 at Valley Forge;
                    (B) Revolutionary War-era artifacts of military 
                life;
                    (C) important archaeological resources; and
                    (D) numerous structures and associated artifacts;
            (4) during the period 1982 through 1997, the National Park 
        Service completed a general management plan, a long-range 
        interpretive plan, and a strategic business plan that 
        established goals and priorities for management of the Park;
            (5) the plans described in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) identify inadequacies in the visitor center and 
                interpretive programs of the Park;
                    (B) call for the development of a new or 
                significantly renovated visitor center that would make 
                the Park's collection accessible to the public through 
                exhibits and research facilities; and
                    (C) call for improvements to the interpretation of 
                the landscape and the circulation into and through the 
                Park;
            (6) the Valley Forge Historical Society 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 their historic setting at Valley Forge;
            (7) the Society has amassed valuable holdings of artifacts, 
        art, books, and other documents relating to the encampment of 
        Washington's Continental Army at Valley Forge during 1777 and 
        1778, the American Revolution, and the American colonial era;
            (8) the Society continues to acquire additional important 
        collections through bequests, exchanges, and other 
        acquisitions;
            (9) the Society's collection is housed in a facility that 
        is inadequate to properly maintain, preserve, and display the 
        ever-growing collection;
            (10) the Society would like to develop an up-to-date museum 
        and education facility;
            (11) the Society and the National Park Service have 
        discussed the idea of a joint museum, education, and visitor 
        facility that would directly support the historical, 
        educational, and interpretive activities and needs of the Park 
        and the Society;
            (12) the joint facility described in paragraph (11) would--
                    (A) combine 2 outstanding museum collections; and
                    (B) provide an enhanced experience at Valley Forge 
                for visitors, scholars, and researchers; and
            (13) the Society has submitted a proposal to raise funds to 
        construct a new museum, education, and visitor center on Park 
        property that would be planned, developed, and operated jointly 
        with the Park.
    (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 a museum within the boundary of the Park.

SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Museum.--The term ``Museum'' means the Valley Forge 
        Museum of the American Revolution established under section 
        203(a).
            (2) Park.--The term ``Park'' means the Valley Forge 
        National Historic Park.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (4) Society.--The term ``Society'' means the Valley Forge 
        Historical Society.

SEC. 203. VALLEY FORGE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) Valley Forge Museum Agreement.--The Secretary, in administering 
the Park, is authorized to enter into an agreement with the Society to 
facilitate the planning, construction, and operation of the Museum on 
Federal land within the Park.
    (b) Specific Purposes of Agreement.--The agreement described in 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) authorize the Society--
                    (A) to operate the Museum in cooperation with the 
                Secretary;
                    (B) to provide Museum programs and services related 
                to the story of Valley Forge and the American 
                Revolution to visitors to the Park;
                    (C) to engage, as a nonprofit organization, in 
                activities appropriate for operation of a museum that 
                may include--
                            (i) charging fees;
                            (ii) conducting events; and
                            (iii) selling merchandise, tickets, and 
                        food to visitors to the Museum; and
                    (D) to occupy any structure constructed for the 
                term specified in the agreement described in subsection 
                (a), subject to--
                            (i) the conveyance by the Society to the 
                        United States of the right, title, and interest 
                        in any structure to be constructed at the Park; 
                        and
                            (ii) the right of the Society, that shall 
                        not be transferred or conveyed without the 
                        express consent of the Secretary, to occupy and 
                        use any structure--
                                    (I) for the exhibition, 
                                preservation, and interpretation of 
                                artifacts associated with the Valley 
                                Forge story and the American 
                                Revolution;
                                    (II) to enhance visitor experience 
                                to the Park;
                                    (III) to conduct appropriately 
                                related activities of the Society 
                                consistent with its mission; and
                                    (IV) any other terms and conditions 
                                as may be determined by the Secretary;
            (2) authorize the Secretary to undertake at the Museum 
        activities related to the management of the Park, including the 
        provision of appropriate visitor information, interpretive 
        facilities, and programs related to the Park; and
            (3) provide that the Society's revenues from the Museum's 
        facilities and services shall be used to offset the expenses of 
        the operation of the Museum.

SEC. 204. PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION.

    Nothing in this Act authorizes the Secretary or the Society to act 
in derogation of the preservation and protection of the values and 
resources of the Park.
                                 <all>