[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5773 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5773

 To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a long-term 
ground lease for the operation and maintenance of Rock Creek, Langston, 
       and East Potomac as golf courses, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2008

 Ms. Norton (for herself and Mr. Clay) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a long-term 
ground lease for the operation and maintenance of Rock Creek, Langston, 
       and East Potomac as golf courses, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. GOLF COURSE PRESERVATION AND MODERNIZATION.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Langston Golf Course, Rock Creek Golf Course, and East 
        Potomac Golf Course are owned by the United States and are 
        under the administrative jurisdiction of the National Park 
        Service, and each golf course has a long history of service to 
        the general public as an integral part of the Nation's capital, 
        including services to local and regional residents, visitors, 
        and tourists.
            (2) Golf courses differ considerably from other lands 
        administered by the National Park Service because they require 
        a significant and continuing investment that cannot be required 
        of a concessionaire.
            (3) East Potomac Golf Course opened in 1920 with three 
        courses to accommodate all levels of play, including an 18-hole 
        tournament-level course and two 9-hole practice courses, and 
        was initially segregated, with African-Americans allowed to 
        play on Mondays.
            (4) Rock Creek Golf Course opened in 1923 as a 9-hole 
        course, and in 1925 the course was completed as an 18-hole 
        tournament-level course. This course was located in Rock Creek 
        Park, a major recreation and picnic facility for residents.
            (5) Langston Golf Course opened in 1939 as a golf facility 
        for African-Americans and has been the home course of both the 
        Royal Golf Club and the Wake Robin Golf Club, the Nation's 
        first golf clubs for African-American men and women, 
        respectively. The golf course was named for John Mercer 
        Langston, the first African-American Congressman from Virginia, 
        elected in 1888.
            (6) Each of the three courses contains valuable historic 
        components that must be maintained.
            (7) Langston Golf Course is listed on the National Register 
        of Historic Places.
            (8) Langston Golf Course is believed to be the first 
        regulation course built in the United States almost entirely on 
        a refuse landfill.
            (9) The first American-born golf professional of African-
        American ancestry was John Shippen, who was born in 1879 in the 
        Anacostia area of Washington, DC, placed fifth in the second 
        United States Open golf tournament in 1896 at 16 years of age, 
        and helped found the Capitol City Golf Club in 1925.
            (10) The Capitol City Open golf tournament has made 
        Langston Golf Course its home for the past 40 years.
            (11) The Capitol City Golf Club, renamed the Royal Golf 
        Club and Wake Robin Women's Club, has historically promoted a 
        safe golf facility for African-Americans in Washington, DC, 
        during an era of few available facilities, and these two clubs 
        remain the oldest African-American golf clubs in the United 
        States.
            (12) The Langston facility provides important recreational 
        outlets, instructional forums, and a ``safe haven center'' for 
        the enhancement of the lives of inner city youth and other 
        residents in Washington, DC.
            (13) The Langston, Rock Creek, and East Potomac golf 
        courses provide a home for the Nation's important minority 
        youth ``First Tee'' golf instruction and recreational program 
        in Washington, DC.
            (14) The Langston, Rock Creek, and East Potomac golf 
        courses have traditionally provided additional quality of life 
        value to Washington, DC, and regional residents and visitors 
        and the golf courses will reach their considerable potential 
        once upgraded to meet their athletic and historical promise.
    (b) Management of Golf Courses.--
            (1) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section, the 
        following apply:
                    (A) Rock creek.--The term ``Rock Creek'' means the 
                federally owned golf course and related facilities 
                located at 16th and Rittenhouse NW., Washington, DC 
                20011, within the boundaries of 16th Street, NW. to the 
                East; Military Road, NW. to the South; Beach Drive NW. 
                to the West; and Sherrill Drive, NW. to the North.
                    (B) Langston.--The term ``Langston'' means the 
                federally owned golf course and related facilities 
                located at 26th and Benning Road NE., Washington, DC 
                20002, within the boundaries of Anacostia River to the 
                East; Hickory Hill Road to the Northeast; Valley Road 
                NE. to the Northeast; Azalea Road NE. to the North; 
                Ellipse Road NE. to the West; M Street NE. to the 
                North; Maryland Avenue NE. to the Northwest; 22nd 
                Street NE. to the West; 26th Street to the West; and 
                Benning Road NE. to the South.
                    (C) East potomac.--The term ``East Potomac'' means 
                the federally owned golf course and related facilities 
                located at 972 Ohio Drive SW., Washington, DC 20024, 
                within the boundaries of Ohio Drive to the East, South, 
                and West; and Buckeye Drive SW. to the North.
                    (D) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
                Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director 
                of the National Park Service.
    (c) Continued Leases.--The Secretary shall ensure, to the extent 
practicable, that month-to-month concessions contracts are continued 
for the operation and maintenance of Rock Creek and Langston until the 
lease in force on the date of the enactment of this Act for East 
Potomac expires, at which time the lease referred to in subsection (c) 
shall commence.
    (d) Lease.--The lease referred to in subsection (e) is a lease for 
the continued operation and maintenance of Rock Creek, Langston, and 
East Potomac as golf courses. A lease entered into under this section 
shall include the 3 golf courses in one lease agreement and require 
that the golf courses be operated and maintained in a manner that--
            (1) retains the historic nature of the courses including an 
        appropriate commemoration of the Langston Golf Course's 
        historic place in African American golf history;
            (2) at least 2 of the 3 courses maintain fees related to 
        use of the golf courses to be affordable in light of the 
        current fee system used today at the courses;
            (3) may allow fees collected at one golf course to 
        subsidize the maintenance and operation of one or more of the 
        other golf courses; and
            (4) allows for a long-term ground lease on the 3 courses.
    (e) Requests for Proposals.--The Secretary shall solicit proposals, 
through a competitive process, to procure the lease described in 
subsection (c) and may, after such solicitation, enter into agreements 
to procure the lease. The Secretary shall solicit the request for 
proposals under this subsection in such a manner--
            (1) to provide that the lease described in subsection (d) 
        shall be entered into not later than 180 days after the 
        effective date of this Act or not later than 30 days after the 
        expiration of the concession contract for East Potomac; and
            (2) which ensures, to the greatest extent practicable, the 
        participation of disadvantaged business enterprises among the 
        equity partners of the sponsors of the proposals.
    (f) Applicability of Certain Laws.--The National Park Service 
Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 5951 et seq.) 
shall not apply to requests for proposals submitted and leases and 
agreements entered into under this section.
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