[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 62 (Monday, May 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4604-S4605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MOYNIHAN (for himself and Mr. Schumer):
  S. 946. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 
administrative jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of the Home 
of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site to the Archivist of the 
United States for the construction of a visitor center; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


  fdr national historic site and presidential library visitor center 
                        construction legislation

  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I rise with my colleague and fellow New 
Yorker, Senator Schumer, to introduce this bill to transfer 
administrative jurisdiction of less than an acre of land at the Home of 
Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site from the National Park 
Service to the National Archives and Records Administration. This 
legislation would remove the last remaining obstacle to the 
construction of the National Archives' planned FDR Presidential Library 
Visitor Center and requires no Federal funds.
  For the past several years, the National Archives has worked closely 
with the National Park Service, the New York State Historic 
Preservation Office, the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and 
the General Services Administration, to determine the appropriate site 
for a visitor center. In order to serve the greatest number of 
visitors, the optimum location was found to be property currently 
controlled by the National Park Service. Since the National Archives 
will administer the visitor center, administrative jurisdiction of the 
property must be transferred from the National Park Service, which the 
National Park Service supports.
  To date, $8,200,000 in Federal funds have been appropriated for this 
project and the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute has 
contributed an additional $3,400,000. Design work is scheduled to be 
completed in September of 1999, and construction could begin after 
jurisdiction is transferred.
  Last year, the House passed H.R. 4829 to accomplish this same goal. 
Unfortunately, time expired on the 106th Congress before we could take 
it up in the Senate. This year, Congressman John E. Sweeney has 
reintroduced the bill, now H.R. 1104, which has a strong chance of 
passing. We would be most fortunate, indeed, if the Senate would agree 
to our noncontroversial bill.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 946

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

     SECTION 1. VISITOR CENTER FOR HOME OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT 
                   NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

       (a) Transfer of Administrative Jurisdiction.--The Secretary 
     of the Interior may transfer to the Archivist of the United 
     States administrative jurisdiction over land located in the 
     Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde 
     Park, New York.
       (b) Visitor Center.--On the land transferred under 
     subsection (a), the Archivist shall construct a visitor 
     center facility to serve the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt 
     National Historic Site and the Franklin D. Roosevelt 
     Presidential Library.
       (c) Conditions of Transfer.--
       (1) Protection of the site.--Any transfer under subsection 
     (a) shall be subject to an agreement between the Secretary 
     and the Archivist that includes provisions for the protection 
     of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site 
     and for the joint use of the visitor center facility by the 
     Secretary and the Archivist.
       (2) Discontinuance of use by the archivist.--If the 
     Archivist determines to discontinue use of land transferred 
     under subsection (a), the Archivist shall retransfer 
     administrative jurisdiction over the land to the Secretary.
       (d) Land Description.--The land referred to in subsection 
     (a) shall consist of not more

[[Page S4605]]

     than 1 acre of land, as agreed to by the Secretary and the 
     Archivist and more particularly described in the agreement 
     under subsection (c)(1).
                                 ______