[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 715 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 715

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 26, 2009

 Mr. Levin (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Collins, and Mr. 
   Schumer) 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 2009''.

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) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term 
`eligible entity' means a State, unit of local government, or nonprofit 
organization that--
            ``(1) provides financial assistance and grants to local 
        governmental units and nonprofit organizations to preserve and 
        maintain historic lighthouse structures;
            ``(2) owns a lighthouse that is listed or eligible for 
        listing on the National Register; or
            ``(3) has a right to maintain and rehabilitate a lighthouse 
        described in paragraph (2) that is owned by the Federal 
        Government.
    ``(b) Lighthouse Stewardship Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a 3-year 
        pilot program under which the Secretary shall use amounts 
        authorized to be appropriated under subsection (c) 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) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section for each of 
fiscal years 2009 through 2012, to remain available until expended, 
without fiscal year limitation, not more than the lesser of--
            ``(1) $20,000,000; or
            ``(2) the amount collected as taxes and received in the 
        Treasury during the fiscal year under section 60301 of title 
        46, United States Code.''.
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