[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7936 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7936

 To prepare the National Park Service for America's Semiquincentennial 
 by revaluating and recommitting to efforts to protect and sustain the 
   resiliency of our Nation's cultural resources for the enjoyment, 
    wellbeing, and education of all present and future generations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2024

  Mr. Tonko introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prepare the National Park Service for America's Semiquincentennial 
 by revaluating and recommitting to efforts to protect and sustain the 
   resiliency of our Nation's cultural resources for the enjoyment, 
    wellbeing, and education of all present and future generations.

    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 ``Cultural Resource Challenge Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE CULTURAL RESOURCE CHALLENGE.

    (a) Requirements.--The Director of the National Park Service 
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Director'') shall enhance 
cultural resources work within the National Park System, including--
            (1) reviewing, updating, and improving access to National 
        Park Service guidance for cultural resource identification, 
        management, maintenance, preservation, restoration, and 
        documentation, digitization, interpretation, communication, 
        education;
            (2) advancing the identification, management, maintenance, 
        preservation, restoration, and documentation, digitization, 
        interpretation, communication, education of cultural resources 
        within the National Park System;
            (3) assessing gaps in the National Park System, National 
        Historic Landmarks, and the National Register of Historic 
        Places programs regarding sites related to underrepresented 
        groups and resource types, and identify and implement 
        strategies and initiatives for their inclusion;
            (4) identifying and filling critical workforce vacancies 
        within parks, the regions, and the Washington Support Office to 
        ensure an effective and efficient program of cultural resource 
        management;
            (5) encouraging skill-sharing between parks and regional 
        offices, and external groups to meet critical training needs 
        and facilitate cross-learning;
            (6) providing relevant training and technical guidance to 
        State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic 
        Preservation Offices, National Heritage Area System units, 
        certified local governments, Federal preservation officers, 
        government agencies, and others;
            (7) promoting an interdisciplinary research approach to 
        addressing critical resource management issues, including 
        climate change, sustainability, and geographic information 
        system standards, including through increased coordination 
        between cultural and natural resource research and science 
        programs; and
            (8) other projects or programs as determined appropriate by 
        the Director.
    (b) Progress.--No later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress, an update on the 
progress meeting requirements under subsection (a).

SEC. 3. CULTURAL RESOURCE CHALLENGE RESILIENCE GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Planning Grants.--
            (1) Awards.--The Director shall carry out a program of 
        awarding grants to assist eligible entities in the preparation 
        of an application for a grant under subsection (b), including 
        community engagement, project planning and design, and 
        capacity.
            (2) Amount.--The amount of a grant under paragraph (1), 
        with respect to any organization seeking such a grant shall not 
        exceed $75,000.
    (b) Program and Project Grants.--
            (1) Awards.--The Director shall carry out a program of 
        awarding grants, on a competitive basis, to improve the 
        resiliency of our Nation's cultural resources, including by--
                    (A) advancing the identification, management, 
                maintenance, preservation, restoration, and 
                documentation, digitization, interpretation, 
                communication, education of cultural resources, 
                including supporting baseline research;
                    (B) creating or supporting the operation of 
                integrated data systems that maximize the accessibility 
                of cultural resource inventory, evaluation, 
                documentation, and treatment information;
                    (C) providing relevant training and technical 
                guidance to State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal 
                Historic Preservation Offices, National Heritage Area 
                System units, certified local governments, Federal 
                preservation officers, government agencies, and others; 
                and
                    (D) implementing other relevant projects or 
                programs as determined appropriate by the Director.
            (2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible for a grant under 
        this Act, and entity shall be, or be partnered with, a State, 
        Local, Tribal, territorial government, an educational 
        institution, a Tribal historic preservation office, a State 
        historic preservation office, or a non-profit organization.
            (3) Cost-share.--The Federal share of a grant awarded under 
        the Program may not exceed 80 percent of total cost of the 
        project.
            (4) Waiver for cost-share requirement.--The Director may 
        waive the limitation in paragraph (3) for certain projects--
                    (A) that are in collaboration with Tribal Historic 
                Preservation Offices, federally recognized Indian 
                Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations; and
                    (B) with minimal costs under $10,000.
    (c) Prioritization.--In awarding the grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall prioritize projects that--
            (1) consider and address the role of climate change in 
        protecting our Nation's cultural resources;
            (2) expand and improve support to Native American, Native 
        Hawaiian, and Alaskan Natives, minority, and other 
        underrepresented groups involved in national historic 
        preservation programs and the preservation of their culture;
            (3) support or engage storytelling and oral history to 
        support intangible heritage and knowledge; and
            (4) incorporate an effort to engage and empower future 
        generations in historic preservation, history, and archeology 
        programs.

SEC. 4. CULTURAL RESOURCES CAREER ACADEMY.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall develop a comprehensive 
Cultural Resource Career Academy curriculum to provide cultural 
resource management training to all park managers and staff with 
responsibilities for managing and preserving cultural resources. In 
developing this curriculum, the Director shall include training on--
            (1) the role of climate change in protecting our Nation's 
        cultural resources;
            (2) best practices for the preservation of cultural 
        resources from Native American, minority, and other 
        underrepresented communities, including cultural competency for 
        community engagement;
            (3) how storytelling and oral history can support 
        intangible heritage and knowledge; and
            (4) best practices for how to engage the next and future 
        generations in historic and cultural resource preservation, 
        reflection, and celebration.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to amounts 
otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Director for fiscal 
year 2025, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
$20,000,000 to remain available until expended, to carry out subsection 
(a).

SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Director shall submit to Congress, and release to the public, a report 
on the progress of carrying out this Act. The report shall include--
            (1) a summary of the status projects and programs 
        undertaken or implemented;
            (2) explanation for how National Park Service offices have 
        coordinated and prioritized efforts to advance management of 
        cultural resources; and
            (3) an explanation of how the Director selected grants 
        using the criteria in section 3.

SEC. 6. STATE OF OUR CULTURAL RESOURCES REPORT.

    (a) Content.--Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, in 
collaboration with the Director, shall complete and publish a report on 
the State of the cultural resources of the United States, including--
            (1) a summary of relevant documents and guidance prepared 
        by the National Park Service for the management of cultural 
        resources;
            (2) a summary of efforts to protect cultural heritage from 
        the impacts of climate-related risks;
            (3) an assessment of remaining cultural resources workforce 
        and workforce gaps of the National Park Service;
            (4) needs for future funding; and
            (5) a summary of partnerships between the National Park 
        Service and other agencies and entities to restore, protect, 
        and promote the cultural resources of the United States.
    (b) External Engagement.--In writing the report required under 
subsection (a), the Director and the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation shall engage with, credit, and compensate necessary 
relevant external experts.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary to carry out this Act $250,000,000 for fiscal years 2025 
through 2030.
    (b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--No funds made available for this 
Act may be--
            (1) taken from the existing and future Historic 
        Preservation Fund;
            (2) used to acquire lands or interest in lands by the 
        Federal Government; or
            (3) used for projects involving demolition of cultural 
        resources.
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