[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5719 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5719

 To establish the Black Panther Party National Historical Park in the 
              State of California, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2023

Ms. Lee of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Black Panther Party National Historical Park in the 
              State of California, 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 ``Black Panther Party National 
Historical Park Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) The Black Panther Party was an integral part of the 
        civil rights movement and its history and influence is 
        nationally significant.
            (2) The United States government has not provided a 
        publicly accessible space to learn about the history of the 
        Black Panther Party and their contributions to social progress 
        nationwide.
            (3) National Park Service has the opportunity to engage 
        with a large new audience and tell a more holistic history of 
        the United States by interpreting the histories of people of 
        color.
            (4) The Black Panther Party, originally called the Black 
        Panther Party for Self-Defense, was established in Oakland, 
        California in 1966 by Huey P. Newton (Minister of Defense from 
        1966-1981) and Bobby Seale (Chairman of the Black Panther Party 
        from 1966-1974), who met at Merritt College in Oakland. 
        Oakland, California, was the home of the Black Panther Party, 
        which came to include more than forty chapters around the 
        United States and numerous others elsewhere in the world.
            (5) The Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland, 
        California, to address systemic poverty and protect the Black 
        community from police brutality. Although they intended on 
        being a local organization, communities across the country were 
        empowered by their message and services, leading to the 
        establishment of over 40 chapters across the United States and 
        many multi-racial and class coalitions.
            (6) DeFremery Park is perhaps Oakland's best known site for 
        many of the Black Panther Party's free community programs, 
        political demonstrations, rallies, and fundraisers. Panthers 
        and community members continue to hold a myriad of programs and 
        direct services at DeFremery Park to commemorate this legacy.
            (7) In 1973, the Black Panther Party established the 
        Oakland Community School, an elementary school that took a 
        holistic approach to education, centered around Black history, 
        encouraged civic participation, fed students, and performed 
        health screenings. California is now in the process of 
        establishing ``community schools'' statewide.
            (8) Starting in 1968, the Black Panther Party established 
        dozens of free medical clinics across the United States. Then 
        through those clinics, in 1970 the Black Panther Party launched 
        the first nationwide sickle cell anemia testing program, which 
        directly influenced Congress' decision to pass the National 
        Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act of 1972.
            (9) In January 1969, the Black Panther Party created the 
        first ``Free Breakfast for School Children Program'' in the 
        Nation, eventually feeding hundreds of thousands of children 
        across the United States and becoming a model for today's 
        Federal school breakfast program.
            (10) David Hilliard and Fredrika Newton established the Dr. 
        Huey P. Newton Foundation to educate both the local community 
        and visitors from around the world on the history and 
        principles of the Black Panther Party and its co-founder Dr. 
        Huey P. Newton.
            (11) The cities of Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond 
        unanimously adopted resolutions urging the National Park 
        Service to conduct a reconnaissance survey to determine the 
        appropriateness of a National Park Service unit to recognize 
        the historical significance and contributions of the Black 
        Panther Party. The resolutions also urge President Biden to use 
        the results of the survey to establish a National Park unit 
        including a Visitors Center and Museum through the Antiquities 
        Act. These are the first 3 cities in the United States to adopt 
        such resolutions.
            (12) On February 17, 2021, Ninth Street at the intersection 
        of Mandela Parkway in Oakland, California, was renamed after 
        the Black Panther Party co-founder: Dr. Huey P. Newton Way.
            (13) On March 4, 2021, Congresswoman Barbara Lee requested 
        the National Park Service launch a reconnaissance survey in 
        regard to the Black Panther Party, especially with regard to 
        the sites in and around Oakland, California, that would be 
        suitable for National Historical Park designation.
            (14) On January 10, 2022, the bust of Dr. Huey P. Newton 
        was unveiled at Dr. Huey P. Newton Way and Mandela Parkway, 
        near the spot where Newton was murdered in 1989.
            (15) On July 19, 2022, Oakland City Council unanimously 
        approved the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation to enter into a 
        lease agreement with the City Administrator to establish the 
        Black Panther Party Museum.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of the National Historical Park are--
            (1) to preserve and protect for the benefit of present and 
        future generations the nationally significant historic 
        resources associated with the Black Panther Party;
            (2) to improve public understanding of the legacy of the 
        Black Panther Party through interpretation of the historic 
        resources associated with the Black Panther Party; and
            (3) to enhance public access to preserve and protect the 
        historically significant resources associated with the Black 
        Panther Party.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) National historical park.--The term ``National 
        Historical Park'' means the Black Panther Party National 
        Historical Park established by section 5(a)(1).
            (2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ____, 
        numbered __, and dated ____.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.

SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY NATIONAL HISTORICAL 
              PARK.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is 
        established the Black Panther Party National Historical Park in 
        the State of California, as a unit of the National Park System, 
        to preserve and educate the history and impact of the Black 
        Panther Party and the nationally significant role it played in 
        the history of the United States.
            (2) Conditions.--The National Historical Park shall not be 
        established until the date on which the Secretary acquires 
        sufficient land within the boundaries of the National 
        Historical Park to constitute a manageable unit.
    (b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the National Historical Park 
shall be the boundaries generally depicted on the Map.
    (c) Availability of Map.--The Map shall be on file and available 
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service.
    (d) Other Resources.--The Secretary may include in the National 
Historical Park boundary any resources that are the subject of an 
agreement under subsection (g).
    (e) Boundary Adjustment.--On the acquisition of additional land or 
interests in land or on entering an agreement under subsection (g), the 
boundary of the National Historical Park shall be adjusted to reflect 
the acquisition or agreement by publishing a National Historical Park 
boundary map in the Federal Register. The map shall be available for 
public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service.
    (f) Land Acquisition.--The Secretary may acquire any land or 
interest in land located within the boundary of the National Historical 
Park, by--
            (1) donation;
            (2) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or
            (3) exchange.
    (g) Cooperative Agreements.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into a cooperative 
        agreement with the city of Oakland, the State of California, 
        political subdivisions of the State of California, institutions 
        of higher education, nonprofit organizations (such as the Huey 
        P. Newton Foundation), and individuals for the purposes of 
        carrying out this Act.
            (2) Cost-sharing requirement.--
                    (A) Federal share.--The Federal share of the total 
                cost of any activity carried out under a cooperative 
                agreement entered into under paragraph (1) shall be not 
                more than 50 percent.
                    (B) Form of non-federal share.--The non-Federal 
                share may be in the form of in-kind contributions or 
                goods or services fairly valued.
    (h) Related Sites.--The Secretary may provide technical assistance, 
visitor services, interpretive tours, and educational programs to sites 
and resources associated with the purposes for which the National 
Historical Park is established.
    (i) Administration.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the 
        National Historical Park in accordance with--
                    (A) this Act; and
                    (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the 
                National Park System.
            (2) Management plan.--
                    (A) Deadline for completion.--Not later than 3 
                years after the date on which funds are made available 
                to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall 
                prepare a general management plan for the National 
                Historical Park--
                            (i) in consultation with the States and 
                        other interested parties; and
                            (ii) in accordance with section 100502 of 
                        title 54, United States Code.
                    (B) Submission to congress.--On completion of the 
                general management plan under subparagraph (A), the 
                Secretary shall submit that general management plan to 
                the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
                Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
                Resources of the Senate.
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