[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1568 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1568

To assist in the establishment of an interpretive center and museum in 
 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to protect and interpret the history of the 
                industrialization of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2009

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To assist in the establishment of an interpretive center and museum in 
 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to protect and interpret the history of the 
                industrialization of the United States.

    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 Museum of Industrial 
History Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the economic and societal transition of the United 
        States from an agricultural age to an industrial age, and the 
        ongoing transformation of the United States to a postindustrial 
        society, reflect and embody the fundamental spirit and ideals 
        of the United States;
            (2) it is crucial that people in the United States have the 
        opportunity to learn--
                    (A) the history of the industrialization of the 
                United States; and
                    (B) the impact of industrialization on their way of 
                life;
            (3) it is important to preserve the history of 
        industrialization of the United States for future generations;
            (4) to ensure the protection, interpretation, and awareness 
        of the history of the industrialization of the United Sates, 
        key structures and artifacts relating to the process of 
        industrialization must be preserved and exhibited in an 
        educational museum;
            (5) the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Plant, which is 
        the proposed site of the National Museum of Industrial History, 
        has a particular relevance to the preservation and awareness of 
        the history of industrialization;
            (6) on that site--
                    (A) the Bethlehem Steel Plant began operation in 
                the 1850s;
                    (B) in 1853, the first commercial zinc production 
                began;
                    (C) Frederick W. Taylor conducted time and motion 
                studies that became the basis for his principles of 
                modern scientific management;
                    (D) on June 1, 1887, the modern American defense 
                industry was born when the Navy awarded the first armor 
                plate contract to the Bethlehem Iron Company;
                    (E) the steel plant produced armor plate for--
                            (i) the battleships U.S.S. Maine and U.S.S. 
                        Texas; and
                            (ii) other battleships, including the 
                        U.S.S. Wisconsin;
                    (F) high-speed tool steel was perfected; and
                    (G) in 1908, the 48 Grey Mill became the first 
                rolling mill in the United States to produce large 
                wide-flange steel beams; and
            (7) the site contains the oldest significant remains of 
        bessemer steel production in the United States.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to assist in the 
establishment of an interpretive center and museum in Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania--
            (1) to ensure the protection of historical resources 
        relating to industrialization; and
            (2) to interpret the impact of industrialization on the 
        history of the United States.

SEC. 3. INDUSTRIAL HISTORY INTERPRETIVE CENTER AND MUSEUM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the interpretive 
        center and museum to be located on the western end and central 
        core of the former Bethlehem Steel Plant Site in Bethlehem, 
        Pennsylvania.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
    (b) Assistance.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
funds are first made available to carry out this section, subject to 
the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall offer to enter 
into an agreement with an appropriate entity under which the Secretary 
shall provide financial assistance to the entity for the development 
and operation of the Center.
    (c) Purposes of Center.--The purposes of the Center shall be--
            (1) to preserve, display, and interpret historical 
        resources relating to industrialization in the United States; 
        and
            (2) to promote other historical and cultural resources in 
        the region of the Center through activities conducted at the 
        Center.
    (d) Terms of Assistance.--
            (1) Limitations.--
                    (A) Covered expenses.--Financial assistance 
                provided under this section may be used at the Center 
                only for--
                            (i) facilities construction;
                            (ii) acquisition of contemporary technology 
                        to be used primarily to enhance the 
                        presentation of historical information at the 
                        Center; and
                            (iii) program development and 
                        implementation, including--
                                    (I) educational program development 
                                and implementation;
                                    (II) curriculum design and 
                                development;
                                    (III) other activities directly 
                                relating to providing programs at the 
                                Center; and
                                    (IV) salaries of staff carrying out 
                                any activity described in subclause 
                                (I), (II), or (III).
                    (B) Prohibited expenses.--Financial assistance 
                provided under this section shall not be used for--
                            (i) the acquisition of any item for the 
                        museum collection of the Center;
                            (ii) administrative expenses;
                            (iii) the acquisition of technology 
                        primarily used for administrative purposes; or
                            (iv) staff salaries for administrative 
                        activities, except as provided in subparagraph 
                        (A)(iii)(IV).
            (2) Matching requirement.--The Secretary shall require each 
        party to an agreement under subsection (b) to provide funds 
        from non-Federal sources for the purposes described in 
        subsection (c) in an amount at least equal to the amount 
        provided by the Secretary for those purposes under this 
        section.
            (3) Maximum amount; payment schedule.--
                    (A) Maximum amount.--The total amount of assistance 
                provided by the Secretary under this section shall not 
                exceed $25,000,000.
                    (B) Payment schedule.--
                            (i) In general.--The Secretary shall make 
                        payments of financial assistance under this 
                        section on an annual basis.
                            (ii) Initial payment.--The initial payment 
                        under this section shall be made not later than 
                        30 days after the date on which an agreement is 
                        entered into under subsection (b) by the 
                        Secretary and an appropriate entity.
                            (iii) Number of payments.--The Secretary 
                        shall make not less than 5 annual payments 
                        under this section.
    (e) Report.--
            (1) In general.--For each calendar year during the 5-year 
        period beginning on the date on which funds are first made 
        available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall submit 
        to Congress an annual report describing the implementation by 
        the Secretary of this section.
            (2) Contents.--Each report under paragraph (1) shall 
        include a description of--
                    (A) the current status of the development of the 
                Center;
                    (B) each project and activity funded under this 
                section during the preceding calendar year; and
                    (C) the unexpended balance, if any, of amounts made 
                available to carry out this section.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $25,000,000 to carry out this section, to 
remain available until expended.
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