[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 500 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 500

 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

                             March 3, 2003

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Beaufort, South Carolina, Study Act 
of 2003''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (2) Study area.--
                    (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.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``study area'' includes--
                            (i) the Penn School;
                            (ii) the Old Fort Plantation on the 
                        Beaufort River;
                            (iii) the Freedmen's Bureau in Beaufort 
                        College;
                            (iv) the First Freedmen's Village of 
                        Mitchellville on Hilton Head Island;
                            (v) various historic buildings and 
                        archaeological sites associated with Robert 
                        Smalls;
                            (vi) the Beaufort Arsenal; and
                            (vii) other significant sites relating to 
                        the Reconstruction Era.

SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource 
study of the study area to assess the suitability and feasibility of 
designating the study area as a unit of 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 to carry out 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 that describes--
            (1) the findings of the study; and
            (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

SEC. 4. THEME STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a national historic 
landmark theme study to identify sites and resources in 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--
            (1) sites that should be nominated as national historic 
        landmarks; and
            (2) sites for which further study for potential inclusion 
        in the National Park System should be authorized.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 
are made available to carry out 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 that describes--
            (1) the findings of the study; and
            (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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