[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2490 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.2490
One Hundred Seventeenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two
An Act
To establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa,
Texas, 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 ``Blackwell School National Historic
Site Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the Blackwell School, located at 501 South Abbott Street,
in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas, is--
(A) associated with the period of racial segregation in
Marfa public schools; and
(B) the only extant property directly associated with
Hispanic education in Marfa since the other buildings were torn
down after the Blackwell School closed in 1965;
(2) the Blackwell School is a tangible reminder of the period
during which the doctrine of ``separate but equal'' dominated
education and social systems;
(3) despite being categorized as ``white'' by Texas law,
Mexican Americans were regularly excluded from commingling with
Anglo individuals at barbershops, restaurants, funeral homes,
theaters, churches, and schools;
(4) the spectrum of experiences of students and teachers at the
Blackwell School are an important record of life in a segregated
school in the context of the history of Texas and the United
States;
(5) Mexican and Mexican American culture and history in Marfa
is tied to the Blackwell School, which for more than 50 years
served as a leading feature of the Hispanic community, illustrating
the challenge of maintaining cultural identity in a dominant Anglo
society;
(6) Hispanic influences continue to be seen in social and
religious organizations, business and government institutions, and
shared experiences of language, food, and music in Marfa, Texas;
(7) the historic Blackwell School building is a physical record
of--
(A) the longevity and beauty of the distinctive design and
craftsmanship informed by traditional techniques and materials;
and
(B) the transition from the purely vernacular to the period
of materials, design, and workmanship made available after the
arrival of the railroad;
(8) the original historic school building and grounds on which
the Blackwell School building stands provide an authentic setting
to commemorate and interpret the history of the Blackwell School;
(9) the Blackwell School is closely associated with the broad
patterns of local, State, and national history in the area of
school segregation; and
(10) Mexicans and other members of the Latin American diaspora
have placed a high value on education as a means of economic,
social, and political advancement, but Hispanics and Latinos have
not always had equitable opportunities and access to quality
educational facilities in the United States.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Blackwell
School National Historic Site Proposed Boundary'', numbered 593/
178387, and dated February 2022.
(2) National historic site.--The term ``National Historic
Site'' means the Blackwell School National Historic Site
established by section 4(a)(1).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
the Interior.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACKWELL SCHOOL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is established
the Blackwell School National Historic Site in the State of Texas
as a unit of the National Park System to preserve, protect, and
interpret for the benefit of present and future generations the
Blackwell School, including--
(A) the role of the Blackwell School as an academic and
cultural cornerstone in Marfa, Texas; and
(B) the function of the Blackwell School within a
segregated system of education in Texas and the United States
from the period of 1885 through 1965.
(2) Determination by secretary.--The National Historic Site
shall not be established until the date on which the Secretary
determines that--
(A) a written agreement has been entered into by the
Secretary with the Marfa Unified School District providing that
the Blackwell School shall be donated to the United States or
co-managed with the Secretary for inclusion in a national
historic site to be managed consistently with the purposes of a
national historic site; and
(B) a sufficient quantity of land or an interest in land
within the boundaries of the National Historic Site has been
acquired to constitute a manageable unit.
(b) Map.--
(1) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the National Historic Site
shall be the boundaries generally depicted on the map.
(2) Availability of map.--The map shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the
National Park Service.
(c) Acquisition of Authority.--The Secretary may only acquire any
land or interest in land located within the boundary of the National
Historic Site by--
(1) donation;
(2) purchase with donated funds; or
(3) exchange.
(d) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the National
Historic Site in accordance with--
(A) this Act; and
(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National
Park System.
(2) Management plan.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date on
which funds are first made available to the Secretary to
prepare a general management plan for the National Historic
Site, the Secretary shall prepare a general management plan for
the National Historic Site in accordance with section 100502 of
title 54, United States Code.
(B) Submission.--On completion of the general management
plan under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives
the general management plan prepared under that subparagraph.
(e) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary shall enter into
cooperative agreements with the Blackwell School Alliance and other
local, regional, State, academic, and nonprofit partners for
interpretive and educational programming, technical assistance, and
rehabilitation relating to the National Historic Site.
(f) Written Consent of Owner.--No private property or non-Federal
public property shall be included within the boundaries of the National
Historic Site or managed as part of the National Historic Site without
the written consent of the owner of the property.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.