[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1500 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1500


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 29, 2017

    Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To redesignate the small triangular property located in Washington, DC, 
   and designated by the National Park Service as reservation 302 as 
             ``Robert Emmet Park'', and for other purposes.

    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 ``Robert Emmet Park Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Robert Emmet was one of Ireland's most prominent 
        historical figures, having led an effort to secure Irish 
        independence in 1803.
            (2) Although Emmet's efforts initially failed, they 
        succeeded in inspiring new generations of Irish men and women 
        to struggle for independence.
            (3) For his efforts to gain Irish independence, Emmet was 
        found guilty of treason and sentenced to death by hanging.
            (4) Robert Emmet's ``Speech from the Dock'' motivated many 
        of the efforts that led to an independent Ireland following 
        1916's Easter Rising; (Emmet famously said that ``To [Ireland] 
        I sacrificed every selfish, every lasting sentiment * * * I 
        wished to place her independence beyond the reach of any power 
        of earth * * * to procure for my country the guarantee which 
        Washington procured for America * * * to exalt her to that 
        proud station in the world.''). Emmet was strongly influenced 
        by American democracy and the American Revolution.
            (5) Emmet had family members similarly admiring of the 
        United States and dedicated to the cause of Irish independence, 
        including his brother Thomas Addis Emmet who went on to become 
        a prominent Attorney General of New York.
            (6) Emmet has been revered by generations of Irish-
        Americans for his leadership, courage, and sacrifice.
            (7) Fifty years ago on April 22, 1966, the Robert Emmet 
        Statue was dedicated on a small parcel of National Park Service 
        land (reservation 302) at the corner of 24th Street NW and 
        Massachusetts Avenue NW in Washington, DC.
            (8) Robert Emmet's statue is the central feature of 
        reservation 302.
            (9) Many leading Members of Congress, including Speaker of 
        the House John W. McCormack and Senators Everett Dirksen and 
        Mike Mansfield served on the Robert Emmet Statue Dedication 
        Committee.
            (10) Other members of that committee and participants in 
        the dedication ceremony included Secretary of the Interior 
        Stewart Udall, Representative Michael Kirwan, Ambassador of 
        Ireland William P. Fay, and Rector of St. Matthews Cathedral 
        John K. Cartwright.

SEC. 3. REDESIGNATION OF ROBERT EMMET PARK.

    (a) Redesignation.--The small triangular property designated by the 
National Park Service as reservation 302, shall be known as ``Robert 
Emmet Park''.
    (b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, document, 
record, map, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
property referred to in subsection (a) is deemed to be a reference to 
``Robert Emmet Park''.
    (c) Signage.--The Secretary of the Interior may post signs on or 
near Robert Emmet Park that include one or more of the following:
            (1) Information on Robert Emmet, his contribution to Irish 
        Independence, and his respect for the United States and the 
        American Revolution.
            (2) Information on the history of the statue of Robert 
        Emmet located in Robert Emmet Park.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 28, 2017.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.