[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H10158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H10158]]
ESTABLISHING THE LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Resources be discharged from further consideration of the Senate 
bill (S. 2232) to establish the Little Rock Central High School 
National Historic Site in the State of Arkansas, and for other 
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                S. 2232

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
       (1) the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board 
     of Education, which mandated an end to the segregation of 
     public schools, was one of the most significant Court 
     decisions in the history of the United States.
       (2) the admission of nine African-American students, known 
     as the ``Little Rock Nine'', to Little Rock's Central High 
     School as a result of the Brown decision, was the most 
     prominent national example of the implementation of the Brown 
     decision, and served as a catalyst for the integration of 
     other, previously segregated public schools in the United 
     States;
       (3) 1997 marked the 70th anniversary of the construction of 
     Central High School, which has been named by the American 
     Institute of Architects as ``the most beautiful high school 
     building in America'';
       (4) Central High School was included on the National 
     Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated by the 
     Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark in 
     1982 in recognition of its national significance in the 
     development of the Civil Rights movement in the United 
     States; and
       (5) the designation of Little Rock Central High School as a 
     unit of the National Park System will recognize the 
     significant role the school played in the desegregation of 
     public schools in the South and will interpret for future 
     generations the events associated with early desegregation of 
     southern schools;
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to preserve, 
     protect, and interpret for the benefit, education, and 
     inspiration of present and future generations, Central High 
     School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and its role in the 
     integration of public schools and the development of the 
     Civil Rights movement in the United States.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL 
                   HISTORIC SITE.

       (a) Establishment.--The Little Rock Central High School 
     National Historic Site in the State of Arkansas (hereinafter 
     referred to as the ``historic site'') is hereby established 
     as a unit of the National Park System. The historic site 
     shall consist of lands and interests therein comprising the 
     Central High School campus and adjacent properties in Little 
     Rock, Arkansas, as generally depicted on a map entitled 
     ``Proposed Little Rock Central High School National Historic 
     Site'', numbered LIRO-20,000 and dated July, 1998. Such map 
     shall be on file and available for public inspection in the 
     appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
       (b) Administration of Historic Site.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior (hereinafter referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall 
     administer the historic site in accordance with this Act. 
     Only those lands under the direct jurisdiction of the 
     Secretary shall be administered in accordance with the 
     provisions of law generally applicable to units of the 
     National Park System including the Act of August 25, 1916 (16 
     U.S.C. 1, 2-4) and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461-
     467). Nothing in this Act shall affect the authority of the 
     Little Rock School District to administer Little Rock Central 
     High School nor shall this Act affect the authorities of the 
     City of Little Rock in the neighborhood surrounding the 
     school.
       (c) Cooperative Agreements.--(1) The Secretary may enter 
     into cooperative agreements with appropriate public and 
     private agencies, organizations, and institutions (including, 
     but not limited to, the State of Arkansas, the City of Little 
     Rock, the Little Rock School District, Central High Museum, 
     Inc., Central High Neighborhood, Inc., or the University of 
     Arkansas) in furtherance of the purposes of this Act.
       (2) The Secretary shall coordinate visitor interpretation 
     of the historic site with the Little Rock School District and 
     the Central High School Museum, Inc.
       (d) General Management Plan.--Within three years after the 
     date funds are made available, the Secretary shall prepare a 
     general management plan for the historic site. The plan shall 
     be prepared in consultation and coordination with the Little 
     Rock School District, the City of Little Rock, Central High 
     Museum, Inc., and with other appropriate organizations and 
     agencies. The plan shall identify specific roles and 
     responsibilities for the National Park Service in 
     administering the historic site, and shall identify lands or 
     property, if any, that might be necessary for the National 
     Park Service to acquire in order to carry out its 
     responsibilities. The plan shall also identify the roles and 
     responsibilities of other entities in administering the 
     historic site and its programs. The plan shall include a 
     management framework that ensures the administration of the 
     historic site does not interfere with the continuing use of 
     Central High School as an educational institution.
       (e) Acquisition of Property.--The Secretary is authorized 
     to acquire by purchase with donated or appropriated funds by 
     exchange, or donation the lands and interested therein 
     located within the boundaries of the historic site: Provided, 
     That the Secretary may only acquire lands or interests 
     therein within the consent of the owner thereof: Provided 
     further, That lands or interests therein owned by the State 
     of Arkansas or a political subdivision thereof, may only be 
     acquired by donation or exchange.

     SEC. 3. DESEGREGATION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION THEME STUDY.

       (a) Theme Study.--Within two years after the date funds are 
     made available, the Secretary shall prepare and transmit to 
     the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
     Representatives a National Historic Landmark Theme Study 
     (hereinafter referred to as the ``theme study'') on the 
     history of desegregation in public education. The purpose of 
     the theme study shall be to identify sites, districts, 
     buildings, structures, and landscapes that best illustrate or 
     commemorate key events or decisions in the historical 
     movement to provide for racial desegregation in public 
     education. On the basis of the theme study, the Secretary 
     shall identify possible new national historic landmarks 
     appropriate to this theme and prepare a list in order of 
     importance or merit of the most appropriate sites for 
     national historic landmark designation.
       (b) Opportunities for Education and Research.--The theme 
     study shall identify appropriate means to establish linkages 
     between sites identified in subsection (a) and between those 
     sites and the Central High School National Historic Site 
     established in section 2, and with other existing units of 
     the National Park System to maximize opportunities for public 
     education and scholarly research on desegregation in public 
     education. The theme study also shall recommend opportunities 
     for cooperative arrangements with State and local 
     governments, educational institutions, local historical 
     organizations, and other appropriate entities to preserve and 
     interpret key sites in the history of desegregation in public 
     education.
       (c) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into 
     cooperative agreements with one or more educational 
     institutions, public history organizations, or civil rights 
     organizations knowledgeable about desegregation in public 
     education to prepare the theme study and to ensure that the 
     theme study meets scholarly standards.
       (d) Theme Study Coordination With General Management 
     Plan.--The theme study shall be prepared as part of the 
     preparation and development of the general management plan 
     for the Little Rock Central High School National Historic 
     Site established in section 2.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  (Mr. HANSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, S. 2232 was introduced by Senator Dale 
Bumpers from the State of Arkansas who worked hard and has done a very 
commendable job on a bill which recognizes a very important time in our 
history.
  S. 2232 establishes Little Rock Central High School as a National 
Historic Site and unit of the National Park System. Little Rock Central 
High School played a prominent role in the struggle for civil rights 
and served as an example and as a catalyst for the integration of 
public schools across the country. In so doing, the Federal Government 
would help to preserve, protect, and interpret the role this high 
school played in the integration of public schools and the evolution of 
the civil rights movement in the United States.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support S. 2232 and send it to the 
President.
  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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