I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 165 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 6, 2009 Mr. Payne introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To establish the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in the State of New Jersey as the successor to the Edison National Historic Site.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Act Commemorating the LITE, or Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison.

2.

Purposes

The purposes of this Act are— (1)to recognize and pay tribute to Thomas Alva Edison and his innovations; and (2)to preserve, protect, restore, and enhance the Edison National Historic Site to ensure public use and enjoyment of the Site as an educational, scientific, and cultural center.

3.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

(a)

Establishment

There is established the Thomas Edison National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System (hereafter the Historical Park). (b)

Boundaries

The Historical Park shall be comprised of all property owned by the United States in the Edison National Historic Site as well as all property authorized to be acquired by the Secretary of the Interior for inclusion in the Edison National Historic Site before the date of the enactment of this Act, as generally depicted on the map entitled the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, numbered 403/80,000, and dated April 2008. (c)

Map

The map of the Historical Park shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

4.

Administration

(a)

In General

The Secretary shall administer the Historical Park in accordance with this Act and with the provisions of law generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including the Acts entitled An Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes, approved August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.) and An Act to provide for the preservation of historic American sites, buildings, objects, and antiquities of national significance, and for other purposes, approved August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.). (b)

Acquisition of Property

(1)

Real property

The Secretary may acquire land or interests in land within the boundaries of the Historical Park, from willing sellers only, by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. (2)

Personal property

The Secretary may acquire personal property associated with, and appropriate for, interpretation of the Historical Park. (c)

Cooperative Agreements

The Secretary may consult and enter into cooperative agreements with interested entities and individuals to provide for the preservation, development, interpretation, and use of the Historical Park. (d)

Repeal of Superseded Law

Public Law 87–628 (76 Stat. 428), regarding the establishment and administration of the Edison National Historic Site, is repealed. (e)

References

Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Edison National Historic Site shall be deemed to be a reference to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park.

5.

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.