II 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2144 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 19, 2005 Mr. Talent introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Soldiers’ Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System.

1.

National park service study regarding the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum

(a)

Findings

Congress finds that— (1)the Soldiers' Memorial is a tribute to all veterans located in the greater St. Louis area, including Southern Illinois; (2)the current annual budget for the memorial is $185,000 and is paid for exclusively by the City of St. Louis; (3)in 1923, the City of St. Louis voted to spend $6,000,000 to purchase a memorial plaza and building dedicated to citizens of St. Louis who lost their lives in World War I; (4)the purchase of the 7-block site exhausted the funds and no money remained to construct a monument; (5)in 1933, Mayor Bernard F. Dickmann appealed to citizens and the city government to raise $1,000,000 to construct a memorial building and general improvement of the plaza area, and the construction of Soldiers' Memorial began on October 21, 1935; (6)on October 14, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated the site; and (7)on Memorial Day in 1938, Mayor Dickmann opened the building to the public. (b)

Study

The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum, located at 1315 Chestnut, St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System. (c)

Study process and completion

Section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of the study under this section. (d)

Report

The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a report describing the results the study under this section.