[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1034 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1034

    To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 
   resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada 
                  Chavez and the farm labor movement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2003

   Ms. Solis (for herself, Mr. Pastor, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr. 
 Becerra, Mr. Owens, Ms. Berkley, Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. 
   Gutierrez, Mrs. Napolitano, and Mr. Acevedo-Vila) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 
   resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada 
                  Chavez and the farm labor movement.

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

SECTION 1. CESAR ESTRADA CHAVEZ STUDY ACT.

    (a) Short Title.-- This Act may be cited as the ``Cesar Estrada 
Chavez Lands Legacy Study Act''.
    (b) Findings.-- Congress finds the following:
            (1) On March 31, 1927, Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on a 
        small farm near Yuma, Arizona.
            (2) At age 10, Chavez and his family became migrant farm 
        workers after they lost their farm in the Great Depression.
            (3) Throughout his youth and into adulthood, Chavez 
        migrated across the Southwest, laboring in fields and 
        vineyards.
            (4) During this period, Chavez was exposed to the hardships 
        and injustices of farm worker life.
            (5) In 1952, Chavez's life as an organizer and public 
        servant began when he left the fields and joined the Community 
        Service Organization, a community-based self-help organization.
            (6) While with the Community Service Organization, Chavez 
        conducted--
                    (A) voter registration drives; and
                    (B) campaigns against racial and economic 
                discrimination.
            (7) During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Chavez served as 
        the national director of the Community Service Organization.
            (8) In 1962, Chavez founded the National Farm Workers 
        Association, an organization that--
                    (A) was the first successful farm workers union in 
                the United States; and
                    (B) became known as the ``United Farm Workers of 
                America''.
            (9) From 1962 to 1993, as leader of United Farm Workers of 
        America, Chavez achieved for tens of thousands of farm 
        workers--
                    (A) dignity and respect;
                    (B) fair wages;
                    (C) medical coverage;
                    (D) pension benefits;
                    (E) humane living conditions; and
                    (F) other rights and protections.
            (10) The leadership and humanitarianism of Cesar Chavez 
        continue to influence and inspire millions of citizens of the 
        United States to seek social justice and civil rights for the 
        poor and disenfranchised.
            (11) The life of Cesar Chavez and his family provides an 
        outstanding opportunity to illustrate and interpret the history 
        of agricultural labor in the western United States.
    (c) Resource Study.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in 
this section as the ``Secretary'') shall complete a resource study of 
sites in the State of Arizona, the State of California, and other 
States that are significant to the life of Cesar E. Chavez and the farm 
labor movement in the western United States to determine--
            (1) appropriate methods for preserving and interpreting the 
        sites; and
            (2) whether any of the sites meets the criteria for listing 
        on the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a 
        national historic landmark under--
                    (A) the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et 
                seq.); and
                    (B) the National Historic Preservation Act (16 
                U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
    (d) Requirements.--In conducting the study under this section, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) consider the criteria for the study of areas for 
        potential inclusion in the National Park System under section 
        8(b)(2) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(b)(2)); and
            (2) consult with--
                    (A) the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation;
                    (B) the United Farm Workers Union;
                    (C) State and local historical associations and 
                societies; and
                    (D) the State Historic Preservation Officers of the 
                State of Arizona, the State of California, and any 
                other State in which a site described in subsection (a) 
                is located.
    (e) Report.--On completion of the study under subsection (a), 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 on--
            (1) the findings of the study; and
            (2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
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