[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3570-S3571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          ROUTE 66 LEGISLATION

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill (S. 292) to preserve the 
cultural resources of the Route 66 corridor and to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, once again this body will take an 
historic step in preserving one of America's cultural treasures--Route 
66. Passage of S. 292, the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Act, will 
preserve the unique cultural resources along the famous Route and 
authorize the Interior Secretary to provide assistance through the Park 
Service. Congresswoman Heather Wilson of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 
reintroduced a companion bill (H.R. 66) in the House of 
Representatives. This legislation almost became law at the end of the 
105th Congress, but failed to pass in the House of Representatives due 
to last minute political wrangling. However, I believe that unfortunate 
turn of events had more to do with political grandstanding than to any 
question of merit.
  I introduced the ``Route 66 Study Act of 1990,'' which directed the 
National Park Service to determine the best ways to preserve, 
commemorate and interpret Route 66. As a result of that study, I 
introduced legislation last summer authorizing the National Park 
Service to join with federal, state and private efforts to preserve 
aspects of historic Route 66, the nation's most important thoroughfare 
for east-west migration in the 20th century.
  The Administration once again testified in favor of this legislation, 
which is identical to last year's bill. S. 292 authorizes a funding 
level over 10 years and stresses that we want the federal government to 
support grassroots efforts to preserve aspects of this historic 
highway.
  Designated in 1926, the 2,200-mile Route 66 stretched from Chicago to 
Santa Monica, Calif. It rolled through eight American states, and in 
New Mexico, it went through the communities of Tucumcari, Santa Rosa, 
Albuquerque, Grants and Gallup. New Mexico added to the aura of Route 
66, giving new generations of Americans their first experience of our 
colorful culture and heritage. Route 66 allowed generations of 
vacationers to travel to previously remote areas and experience the 
natural beauty and cultures of the Southwest and Far West. This bill is 
designed to assist private efforts to preserve structures and other 
cultural resources of the historic Route 66 corridor.
  S. 292 authorizes the National Park Service to support state, local 
and private efforts to preserve the Route 66 corridor by providing 
technical assistance, participating in cost-sharing programs, and 
making grants. The Park Service will also act as a clearing house for 
communication among federal, state, local, private and American Indian 
entities interested in the preservation of America's Main Street.
  I thank my colleagues for once again recognizing the importance of 
this legislation. I hope this bill will not suffer unfairly as it did 
last year in the House, and we may quickly have a law recognizing the 
20th Century equivalent to the Santa Fe Trail.
  The bill (S. 292) was considered, ordered to be engrossed for a third 
reading, read the third time, and passed; as follows:

                                 S. 292

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

     SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Route 66 corridor.--The term ``Route 66 corridor'' 
     means structures and other cultural resources described in 
     paragraph (3), including--
       (A) public land within the immediate vicinity of those 
     portions of the highway formerly designated as United States 
     Route 66; and
       (B) private land within that immediate vicinity that is 
     owned by persons or entities that are willing to participate 
     in the programs authorized by this Act.
       (2) Cultural resource programs.--The term ``Cultural 
     Resource Programs'' means the programs established and 
     administered by the National Park Service for the benefit of 
     and in support of preservation of the Route 66 corridor, 
     either directly or indirectly.
       (3) Preservation of the route 66 corridor.--The term 
     ``preservation of the Route 66 corridor'' means the 
     preservation or restoration of structures or other cultural 
     resources of businesses, sites of interest, and other 
     contributing resources that--
       (A) are located within the land described in paragraph (1);
       (B) existed during the route's period of outstanding 
     historic significance (principally between 1933 and 1970), as 
     defined by the study prepared by the National Park Service 
     and entitled ``Special Resource Study of Route 66'', dated 
     July 1995; and
       (C) remain in existence as of the date of enactment of this 
     Act.
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Cultural Resource 
     Programs at the National Park Service.
       (5) State.--The term ``State'' means a State in which a 
     portion of the Route 66 corridor is located.

     SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary, in collaboration with the 
     entities described in subsection (c), shall facilitate the 
     development of guidelines and a program of technical 
     assistance and grants that will set priorities for the 
     preservation of the Route 66 corridor.
       (b) Designation of Officials.--The Secretary shall 
     designate officials of the National Park Service stationed at 
     locations convenient to the States to perform the functions 
     of the Cultural Resource Programs under this Act.
       (c) General Functions.--The Secretary shall--
       (1) support efforts of State and local public and private 
     persons, nonprofit Route 66 preservation entities, Indian 
     tribes, State Historic Preservation Offices, and entities in 
     the States for the preservation of the Route 66 corridor by 
     providing technical assistance, participating in cost-sharing 
     programs, and making grants;
       (2) act as a clearinghouse for communication among Federal, 
     State, and local agencies, nonprofit Route 66 preservation 
     entities, Indian tribes, State Historic Preservation Offices, 
     and private persons and entities interested in the 
     preservation of the Route 66 corridor; and
       (3) assist the States in determining the appropriate form 
     of and establishing and supporting a non-Federal entity or 
     entities to perform the functions of the Cultural Resource 
     Programs after those programs are terminated.
       (d) Authorities.--In carrying out this Act, the Secretary 
     may--
       (1) enter into cooperative agreements, including, but not 
     limited to study, planning, preservation, rehabilitation and 
     restoration;
       (2) accept donations;
       (3) provide cost-share grants and information;
       (4) provide technical assistance in historic preservation; 
     and
       (5) conduct research.
       (e) Preservation Assistance.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide assistance in 
     the preservation of the Route 66 corridor in a manner that is 
     compatible with the idiosyncratic nature of the Route 66 
     corridor.
       (2) Planning.--The Secretary shall not prepare or require 
     preparation of an overall management plan for the Route 66 
     corridor, but shall cooperate with the States and local 
     public and private persons and entities, State Historic 
     Preservation Offices, nonprofit Route 66 preservation 
     entities, and Indian tribes in developing local preservation 
     plans to guide efforts to protect the most important or 
     representative resources of the Route 66 corridor.

     SEC. 3. RESOURCE TREATMENT.

       (a) Technical Assistance Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop a program of 
     technical assistance in the preservation of the Route 66 
     corridor.
       (2) Guidelines for preservation needs.--
       (A) In general.--As part of the program under paragraph 
     (1), the Secretary shall establish guidelines for setting 
     priorities for preservation needs.
       (B) Basis.--The guidelines under subparagraph (A) may be 
     based on national register standards, modified as appropriate 
     to meet the needs for preservation of the Route 66 corridor.
       (b) Program for Coordination of Activities.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall coordinate a program 
     of historic research, curation, preservation strategies, and 
     the collection of oral and video histories of events that 
     occurred along the Route 66 corridor.
       (2) Design.--The program under paragraph (1) shall be 
     designed for continuing use and implementation by other 
     organizations after the Cultural Resource Programs are 
     terminated.
       (c) Grants.--The Secretary shall--

[[Page S3571]]

       (1) make cost-share grants for preservation of the Route 66 
     corridor available for resources that meet the guidelines 
     under subsection (a); and
       (2) provide information about existing cost-share 
     opportunities.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for the 
     period of fiscal years 2000 through 2009 to carry out the 
     purposes of this Act.

                          ____________________