[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 500 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
                                 S. 500


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 17, 2003

                 Referred to the Committee on Resources

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                                 AN ACT


 
 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 County, 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.--The term ``study area'' means the 
        historical sites in Beaufort County, South Carolina, relating 
        to the Reconstruction Era including--
                    (A) the Penn School;
                    (B) the Old Fort Plantation on the Beaufort River;
                    (C) the Freedman's Bureau in Beaufort College;
                    (D) the first Freedman'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) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource study of 
the study area to assess the national significance, suitability and 
feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National 
Park System in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 
U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
    (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 
are made available to carry out the special resource study, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes the findings 
of the study and any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

SEC. 4. THEME STUDY.

    (a) Study.--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, and shall 
include recommendations for commemorating and interpreting sites and 
resources identified by the theme study such as sites that should be 
nominated as national historic landmarks and sites that warrant further 
study for potential inclusion in the National Park System.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds 
are made available to carry out the theme study, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Congress a report that describes the findings of the 
study and any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

            Passed the Senate June 16, 2003.

            Attest:

                                             EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

                                                             Secretary.