[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3555 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3555

   To establish a pilot program to provide for the preservation and 
                rehabilitation of historic lighthouses.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 24 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

Mr. Levin (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a pilot program to provide for the preservation and 
                rehabilitation of historic lighthouses.

    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 ``National Lighthouse Stewardship Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FUNDING FOR HISTORIC LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION.

    Title III of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470w 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 310. NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE STEWARDSHIP PILOT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a 
        State, unit of local government, or nonprofit organization 
        that--
                    ``(A) provides financial assistance and grants to 
                local governmental units and nonprofit organizations to 
                preserve and maintain historic lighthouse structures;
                    ``(B) owns a lighthouse that is listed or eligible 
                for listing on the National Register; or
                    ``(C) has a right to maintain and rehabilitate a 
                lighthouse described in subparagraph (B) that is owned 
                by the Federal Government.
            ``(2) Fund.--The term `Fund' means the National Lighthouse 
        Stewardship Fund established by subsection (c)(1).
    ``(b) Lighthouse Stewardship Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a 3-year 
        pilot program under which the Secretary shall use amounts made 
        available under subsection (c)(3) to provide grants to eligible 
        entities to preserve and rehabilitate historic lighthouse 
        structures.
            ``(2) Distribution to eligible entities.--
                    ``(A) Application.--To be eligible for a grant 
                under this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit 
                to the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
                form and manner, and including such information as the 
                Secretary may require.
                    ``(B) Approval or disapproval.--Based on criteria 
                established by the Secretary, the Secretary shall 
                approve or disapprove an application submitted under 
                subparagraph (A).
                    ``(C) Availability of grant funds.--
                            ``(i) In general.--On approval of an 
                        application under subparagraph (B), the 
                        Secretary shall make the grant funds available 
                        to the eligible entity.
                            ``(ii) Use of existing funds.--To the 
                        maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall 
                        provide funding through existing lighthouse 
                        grant programs administered by State 
                        governments.
    ``(c) National Lighthouse Stewardship Fund.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury 
        of the United States a fund, to be known as the `National 
        Lighthouse Stewardship Fund', consisting of such amounts as are 
        appropriated to the Fund under paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Transfers to fund.--There are appropriated to the 
        Fund, out of funds of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
        amounts equivalent to amounts collected as taxes and received 
        in the Treasury under section 60301 of title 46, United States 
        Code, but not more than $20,000,000 for any 1 fiscal year.
            ``(3) Use of fund.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        transfer amounts deposited in the Fund for each fiscal year to 
        the Secretary to provide grants to eligible entities in States 
        based on the ratio that--
                    ``(A) the total number of lighthouses in the State; 
                bears to
                    ``(B) the total number of lighthouses in the 
                Inventory of Historic Light Stations prepared by the 
                Secretary.
            ``(4) Availability.--Amounts in the Fund shall remain 
        available until expended, without fiscal year limitation.''.
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