[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4736 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4736

     To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of 
 Coltsville in the State of Connecticut for potential inclusion in the 
             National Park System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2002

  Mr. Larson of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of 
 Coltsville in the State of Connecticut for potential inclusion in the 
             National Park System, 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 ``Coltsville Study Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Hartford, Connecticut, home to Colt Manufacturing 
        Company (referred to in this Act as ``Colt''), played a major 
        role in the Industrial Revolution.
            (2) Samuel Colt, founder of Colt, and his wife, Elizabeth 
        Colt, inspired Coltsville, a community in the State of 
        Connecticut that flourished during the Industrial Revolution 
        and included Victorian mansions, an open green area, botanical 
        gardens, and a deer park.
            (3) The residence of Samuel and Elizabeth Colt in Hartford, 
        Connecticut, known as ``Armsmear'', is a national historic 
        landmark, and the distinctive Colt factory is a prominent 
        feature of the Hartford, Connecticut, skyline.
            (4) The Colt legacy is not only about firearms, but also 
        about industrial innovation and the development of technology 
        that would change the way of life in the United States. Samuel 
        Colt worked with Samuel Morse in the development of the 
        telegraph. Colt contributed to the development of technology in 
        many ways, including as a training ground for jet engine 
        pioneers Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney, who served as 
        apprentices at Colt.
            (5) The influence of Colt extended beyond the United States 
        when Samuel Colt was the first resident of the United States to 
        open a manufacturing plant overseas.
            (6) Coltsville set the standard for excellence during the 
        Industrial Revolution and continues to prove significant--
                    (A) as a place in which people of the United States 
                can learn about that important period in history; and
                    (B) by reason of the close proximity of Coltsville 
                to the Mark Twain House, Trinity College, Old North 
                Cemetery, and many historic homesteads and 
                architecturally renowned buildings.
            (7) In 1998, the National Park Service conducted a special 
        resource reconnaissance study of the Connecticut River Valley 
        to evaluate the significance of precision manufacturing sites.
            (8) The report on the study stated that--
                    (A) no other region of the United States contains 
                an equal concentration of resources relating to the 
                precision manufacturing theme that began with firearms 
                production;
                    (B) properties relating to precision manufacturing 
                encompass more than merely factories; and
                    (C) further study, which should be undertaken, may 
                recommend inclusion of churches and other social 
                institutions.

SEC. 3. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which 
funds are made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall complete 
a study of the site in the State of Connecticut commonly known as 
``Coltsville'' to evaluate--
            (1) the national significance of the site and surrounding 
        area;
            (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the site 
        and surrounding area as a unit of the National Park System; and
            (3) the importance of the site with respect to its role in 
        the history of precision manufacturing.
    (b) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection (a) shall 
be conducted in accordance with Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et 
seq.).

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 30 days after the date on which the study under 
section 3(a) is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that describes--
            (1) the findings of the study; and
            (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary 
        regarding those findings.
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