[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2388 Reported in Senate (RS)]

                                                       Calendar No. 586
107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2388

                          [Report No. 107-269]

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the 
    historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the 
                          Reconstruction Era.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 29, 2002

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

                           September 11, 2002

              Reported by Mr. Bingaman, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the 
    historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the 
                          Reconstruction Era.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``National Reconstruction 
Study Area Act of 2002''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Reconstruction Era, during which Congress 
        adopted the 13th amendment ending slavery, the 14th amendment 
        guaranteeing civil rights, and the 15th amendment guaranteeing 
        voting rights to all citizens of the United States, saw the 
        occurrence of a transforming series of events in the history of 
        the United States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Beaufort, South Carolina, and the surrounding 
        sea islands--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) contain significant historical and 
                archaeological sites associated with the Reconstruction 
                Era; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) offer a unique opportunity for 
                preserving and interpreting the Reconstruction 
                Era;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the first African-Americans to hear the 
        reading of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation 
        assembled on January 1, 1863, at the Old Fort Plantation on the 
        Beaufort River in the State of South Carolina;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the Penn School, a national historic landmark 
        located on St. Helena Island, South Carolina--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) was the first educational experiment 
                of the Reconstruction Era and the eventual end of 
                chattel slavery; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) remains 1 of the most significant 
                African-American cultural and educational institutions 
                in the United States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the Freedmen's Bureau, located in the restored 
        Beaufort College, served as the chief policy arm of the Federal 
        Government for matters related to emancipated slaves during the 
        Reconstruction Era;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Beaufort County, South Carolina, and the 
        surrounding sea islands have many other noteworthy historic 
        buildings and archaeological sites, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) buildings and sites associated with 
                Robert Smalls, a former slave who--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) became a hero to the Union 
                        cause when he and several slaves seized control 
                        of the armed Confederate ship on which they 
                        served and then turned the ship over to the 
                        Union navy; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) represented the State of 
                        South Carolina in the House of Representatives 
                        during the Reconstruction Era;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the first Freedmen's Village of 
                Mitchellville on Hilton Head Island, South 
                Carolina;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) Camp Sexton, the site of the first 
                African-American regiment mustered in the United States 
                Army; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) Penn School and Beaufort 
                College;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) the National Park System does not have a park 
        or historic site that focuses primarily on the preservation and 
        interpretation of the Reconstruction Era; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) the Reconstruction Era was a period of deep 
        cultural, political, and economic division in the United 
        States, and it is necessary to better understand this complex 
        period of history and the continuing impact of this period on 
        the United States.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
        Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the 
        National Park Service.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Study area.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--The term ``study area'' 
                means the area comprised of historical sites in the 
                historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating 
                to the Reconstruction Era.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``study area'' 
                includes--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the Penn School;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) the Old Fort Plantation on 
                        the Beaufort River;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) the Freedmen's Bureau in 
                        Beaufort College;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) the First Freedmen's Village 
                        of Mitchellville on Hilton Head 
                        Island;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) various historic buildings and 
                        archaeological sites associated with Robert 
                        Smalls;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vi) the Beaufort Arsenal; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (vii) other significant sites 
                        relating to the Reconstruction Era.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. STUDY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date on 
which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary 
shall complete a study of the study area to assess the suitability and 
feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National 
Park System.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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.).</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. REPORT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Not later than 2 years after the date on which the study 
under section 4(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--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the findings of the study; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 
        Secretary.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
necessary to carry out this Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Beaufort, South Carolina Study Act 
of 2002''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (2) Study area.--The term ``study area'' means the area 
        comprised of historical sites in Beaufort County, South 
        Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction Era, and includes the 
        following sites--
                    (A) the Penn School;
                    (B) the Old Fort Plantation on the Beaufort River;
                    (C) the Freedmen's Bureau in Beaufort College;
                    (D) the First Freedmen's Village of Mitchellville 
                on Hilton Head Island;
                    (E) various historic buildings and archaeological 
                sites associated with Robert Smalls;
                    (F) the Beaufort Arsenal; and
                    (G) other significant sites relating to the 
                Reconstruction Era.

SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource 
study to determine whether the study area or individual sites within it 
are suitable and feasible for inclusion in the National Park System.
    (b) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection (a) shall 
be conducted in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 
U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
    (c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 
are made available for the study under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall submit the study to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
Representatives.

SEC. 4. THEME STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a National Historic 
Landmark theme study to identify sites and resources throughout the 
United States that are significant to the Reconstruction Era.
    (b) Contents.--The theme study shall include recommendations for 
commemorating and interpreting sites and resources identified by the 
theme study, including sites for which new national historic landmarks 
should be nominated, and sites for which further study for potential 
inclusion in the National Park System is needed.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 
are made available for the study under subsection (a), the Secretary 
submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
and the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report 
that describes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the 
study.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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




                                                       Calendar No. 586

107th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2388

                          [Report No. 107-269]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the 
    historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the 
                          Reconstruction Era.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 11, 2002

                       Reported with an amendment