[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1816 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 977
110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 1816

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a commemorative 
trail in connection with the Women's Rights National Historical Park to 
link properties that are historically and thematically associated with 
       the struggle for women's suffrage, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 19, 2007

Mrs. Clinton (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
 Schumer, Mr. Brown, and Ms. Cantwell) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

                           September 16, 2008

              Reported by Mr. Bingaman, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a commemorative 
trail in connection with the Women's Rights National Historical Park to 
link properties that are historically and thematically associated with 
       the struggle for women's suffrage, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``National 
Women's Rights History Project Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The women's rights movement is one of the 
        three great protest traditions in United States history, 
        sharing that status with the struggle for racial equality and 
        the labor movement. These movements challenged Americans to 
        consider the essential meaning of the Declaration of 
        Independence: ``that all men are created equal, that they are 
        endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that 
        among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. 
        That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among 
        Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the 
        governed.''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) New York State in the nineteenth century was 
        at the cutting edge of these movements, including the womans' 
        rights movement. On July 19, 1848, a group of activists 
        including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha Wright, 
        Jane Hunt, and Mary Ann M'Clintock, convened the first Women's 
        Rights Convention at Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York. 
        During the Convention, 68 women and 32 men signed the 
        Declaration of Sentiments calling for a broad array of rights 
        for women, including suffrage.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Susan B. Anthony formed the Equal Rights 
        Association, refuted ideas that women were inferior to men, and 
        fought for women's right to vote. She also campaigned for the 
        rights of women to own property, to keep their own earnings, 
        and to have custody of their children. In 1900, she persuaded 
        the University of Rochester to admit women.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) In 1869, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. 
        Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and others formed the National 
        Woman Suffrage Association, and Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, 
        and others formed the American Woman Suffrage Association. In 
        1890, these merged into the National American Woman Suffrage 
        Association. Through mass campaigns involving thousands of 
        women and men all across the country, National American Woman 
        Suffrage Association helped secure passage of the Nineteenth 
        amendment to the United States Constitution, officially 
        certified on August 26, 1920, giving women the right to 
        vote.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the 
        women's movement expanded to play a critical role in shaping 
        policies on education, legal reform, and economic and social 
        welfare.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VOTES FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY TRAIL ROUTE 
              AS FEATURE OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS NATIONAL HISTORICAL 
              PARK.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Title XVI of Public Law 96-607 is amended by inserting 
after section 1601 (16 U.S.C. 410ll) the following new 
section:</DELETED>

<DELETED>``SEC. 1602. VOTES FOR WOMEN TRAIL.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    ``(a) Finding.--Congress finds that there is an 
opportunity for the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca 
Falls and Waterloo, New York, to work in partnership with historically 
and thematically related properties in the corridor between the eastern 
border of New York State and the Niagara Frontier, including the Susan 
B. Anthony House, to tell the story of the 72-year fight for women's 
suffrage.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(b) Establishment of Trail Route.--The Secretary of the 
Interior, acting through the Director of National Park Service, with 
concurrence of the agency having jurisdiction over the relevant roads, 
is authorized to designate a vehicular tour route, to be known as the 
`Votes for Women History Trail Route', to link properties in the State 
of New York that are historically and thematically associated with the 
struggle for women's suffrage in the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(c) Administration.--The Votes for Women Trail shall be 
administered by the National Park Service through Women's Rights 
National Historical Park.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(d) Activities.--To facilitate the establishment of the 
Votes for Women Trail and the dissemination of information regarding 
the Trail Route, the Secretary shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) produce and disseminate appropriate 
        educational materials regarding the Trail Route, such as 
        handbooks, maps, exhibits, signs, interpretive guides, and 
        electronic information;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) coordinate the management, planning, and 
        standards of the auto route in partnership with participating 
        properties, other Federal agencies, and State and local 
        governments;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol 
        or device to mark the Votes for Women History Trail Route; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) issue guidelines for the use of such symbol 
        or device.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(e) Elements of Trail Route.--The Secretary may 
designate as an official stop on the Votes for Women History Trail 
Route any of the following properties, subject to the consent of the 
owner of the property:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) All units and programs of Women's Rights 
        National Historical Park that pertain to the struggle for 
        women's suffrage.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Other Federal, State, local, and privately 
        owned properties that the Secretary determines have a 
        verifiable connection to the struggle for women's 
        suffrage.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Other governmental and nongovernmental 
        facilities and programs of an educational, commemorative, 
        research, or interpretive nature that the Secretary determines 
        to be directly related to the struggle for women's 
        suffrage.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(f) Cooperative Agreements and Memoranda of 
Understanding.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(1) Authorized.--To facilitate the establishment 
        of the Votes for Women Trail and to ensure effective 
        coordination of the Federal and non-Federal properties 
        designated as stops along the Trail Route, the Secretary is 
        authorized to enter into cooperative agreements and memorandums 
        of understanding with, and provide technical and financial 
        assistance to, other Federal agencies, the State of New York, 
        localities, regional governmental bodies, and private 
        entities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior 
        such sums as are necessary for the period of fiscal year 2008 
        through fiscal year 2012 to provide financial assistance to 
        cooperating entities pursuant to agreements or memorandums 
        entered into under paragraph (1).''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. NATIONAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY PROJECT NATIONAL 
              REGISTRY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior is 
authorized to make annual grants to State historic preservation offices 
for up to 5 years to assist those State historic preservation offices 
in surveying, evaluating, and nominating women's rights history 
properties to the National Register of Historic Places. The Secretary 
shall ensure that the National Register travel itinerary website, 
``Places Where Women Made History'' is updated to contain the results 
of the inventory and links to websites related to places on the 
inventory when such links are available.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Eligibility.--When offering grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give priority grants related to properties 
associated with the multiple facets of the women's rights movement such 
as politics, economics, education, religion, and social and family 
rights.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out this 
section such sums as are necessary for the period of fiscal year 2008 
through fiscal year 2012.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. NATIONAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS 
              NETWORK.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Grants.--The Secretary of the Interior is authorized 
to make matching grants and give technical assistance for development 
of a network of governmental and nongovernmental entities whose purpose 
is to provide interpretive and educational program development of 
national women's rights history, including historic preservation. 
Matching grants for historic preservation specific to the network may 
be made available through State historic preservation 
offices.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Management of Network.--The network shall be managed 
through a nongovernmental entity, identified by the Secretary of the 
Interior through a competitive process. The nongovernmental managing 
entity shall work in partnership with the National Park Service and 
State historic preservation offices to coordinate operation of the 
network.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out this 
section such sums as are necessary for the period of fiscal year 2008 
through fiscal year 2012.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Women's Rights History 
Project Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VOTES FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY TRAIL ROUTE AS A 
              FEATURE OF THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

    Title XVI of Public Law 96-607 (16 U.S.C. 410ll) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 1602. VOTES FOR WOMEN TRAIL.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Park.--The term `Park' means the Women's Rights 
        National Historical Park established by section 1601.
            ``(2) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.
            ``(3) State.--The term `State' means the State of New York.
            ``(4) Trail.--The term `Trail' means the Votes for Women 
        History Trail Route designated under subsection (b).
    ``(b) Establishment of Trail Route.--The Secretary, with 
concurrence of the agency having jurisdiction over the relevant roads, 
may designate a vehicular tour route, to be known as the `Votes for 
Women History Trail Route', to link properties in the State that are 
historically and thematically associated with the struggle for women's 
suffrage in the United States.
    ``(c) Administration.--The Trail shall be administered by the 
National Park Service through the Park.
    ``(d) Activities.--To facilitate the establishment of the Trail and 
the dissemination of information regarding the Trail, the Secretary 
shall--
            ``(1) produce and disseminate appropriate educational 
        materials regarding the Trail, such as handbooks, maps, 
        exhibits, signs, interpretive guides, and electronic 
        information;
            ``(2) coordinate the management, planning, and standards of 
        the Trail in partnership with participating properties, other 
        Federal agencies, and State and local governments;
            ``(3) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or 
        device to mark the Trail; and
            ``(4) issue guidelines for the use of the symbol or device 
        adopted under paragraph (3).
    ``(e) Elements of Trail Route.--Subject to the consent of the owner 
of the property, the Secretary may designate as an official stop on the 
Trail--
            ``(1) all units and programs of the Park relating to the 
        struggle for women's suffrage;
            ``(2) other Federal, State, local, and privately owned 
        properties that the Secretary determines have a verifiable 
        connection to the struggle for women's suffrage; and
            ``(3) other governmental and nongovernmental facilities and 
        programs of an educational, commemorative, research, or 
        interpretive nature that the Secretary determines to be 
        directly related to the struggle for women's suffrage.
    ``(f) Cooperative Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding.--
            ``(1) In general.--To facilitate the establishment of the 
        Trail and to ensure effective coordination of the Federal and 
        non-Federal properties designated as stops along the Trail, the 
        Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and memoranda 
        of understanding with, and provide technical and financial 
        assistance to, other Federal agencies, the State, localities, 
        regional governmental bodies, and private entities.
            ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are 
        necessary for the period of fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to 
        provide financial assistance to cooperating entities pursuant 
        to agreements or memoranda entered into under paragraph (1).''.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY PROJECT NATIONAL REGISTRY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') may make annual grants to State historic 
preservation offices for not more than 5 years to assist the State 
historic preservation offices in surveying, evaluating, and nominating 
to the National Register of Historic Places women's rights history 
properties.
    (b) Eligibility.--In making grants under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall give priority to grants relating to properties 
associated with the multiple facets of the women's rights movement, 
such as politics, economics, education, religion, and social and family 
rights.
    (c) Updates.--The Secretary shall ensure that the National Register 
travel itinerary website entitled ``Places Where Women Made History'' 
is updated to contain--
            (1) the results of the inventory conducted under subsection 
        (a); and
            (2) any links to websites related to places on the 
        inventory.
    (d) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--The Federal share of the cost of any 
activity carried out using any assistance made available under this 
section shall be 50 percent.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $1,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS NETWORK.

    (a) Grants.--The Secretary may make matching grants and give 
technical assistance for development of a network of governmental and 
nongovernmental entities (referred to in this section as the 
``network''), the purpose of which is to provide interpretive and 
educational program development of national women's rights history, 
including historic preservation.
    (b) Management of Network.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall, through a competitive 
        process, designate a nongovernmental managing network to manage 
        the network.
            (2) Coordination.--The nongovernmental managing entity 
        designated under paragraph (1) shall work in partnership with 
        the Director of the National Park Service and State historic 
        preservation offices to coordinate operation of the network.
    (c) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal share of the cost of any 
        activity carried out using any assistance made available under 
        this section shall be 50 percent.
            (2) State historic preservation offices.--Matching grants 
        for historic preservation specific to the network may be made 
        available through State historic preservation offices.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $1,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
                                                       Calendar No. 977

110th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 1816

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a commemorative 
trail in connection with the Women's Rights National Historical Park to 
link properties that are historically and thematically associated with 
       the struggle for women's suffrage, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 16, 2008

                       Reported with an amendment