[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 112 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8995-S8996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PEOPLING OF AMERICA THEME STUDY ACT

  The bill (S. 329) to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a theme study on the peopling of America, and for other purposes, was 
considered, ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, read the third 
time, and passed; as follows:

                                 S. 329

       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 ``Peopling of America Theme 
     Study Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) an important facet of the history of the United States 
     is the story of how the United States was populated;
       (2) the migration, immigration, and settlement of the 
     population of the United States--
       (A) is broadly termed the ``peopling of America''; and
       (B) is characterized by--
       (i) the movement of groups of people across external and 
     internal boundaries of the United States and territories of 
     the United States; and
       (ii) the interactions of those groups with each other and 
     with other populations;
       (3) each of those groups has made unique, important 
     contributions to American history, culture, art, and life;
       (4) the spiritual, intellectual, cultural, political, and 
     economic vitality of the United States is a result of the 
     pluralism and diversity of the American population;
       (5) the success of the United States in embracing and 
     accommodating diversity has strengthened the national fabric 
     and unified the United States in its values, institutions, 
     experiences, goals, and accomplishments;
       (6)(A) the National Park Service's official thematic 
     framework, revised in 1996, responds to the requirement of 
     section 1209 of the Civil War Sites Study Act of 1990 (16 
     U.S.C. 1a-5 note; title XII of Public Law 101-628), that 
     ``the Secretary shall ensure that the full diversity of 
     American history and prehistory are represented'' in the 
     identification and interpretation of historic properties by 
     the National Park Service; and
       (B) the thematic framework recognizes that ``people are the 
     primary agents of change'' and establishes the theme of human 
     population movement and change--or ``peopling places''--as a 
     primary thematic category for interpretation and 
     preservation; and
       (7) although there are approximately 70,000 listings on the 
     National Register of Historic Places, sites associated with 
     the exploration and settlement of the United States by a 
     broad range of cultures are not well represented.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to foster a much-needed understanding of the diversity 
     and contribution of the breadth of groups who have peopled 
     the United States; and
       (2) to strengthen the ability of the National Park Service 
     to include groups and events otherwise not recognized in the 
     peopling of the United States.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Theme study.--The term ``theme study'' means the 
     national historic landmark theme study required under section 
     4.
       (3) Peopling of america.--The term ``peopling of America'' 
     means the migration, immigration, and settlement of the 
     population of the United States.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK THEME STUDY ON THE 
                   PEOPLING OF AMERICA.

       (a) Theme Study Required.--The Secretary shall prepare and 
     submit to Congress a national historic landmark theme study 
     on the peopling of America.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the theme study shall be to 
     identify regions, areas, trails, districts, communities, 
     sites, buildings, structures, objects, organizations, 
     societies, and cultures that--
       (1) best illustrate and commemorate key events or decisions 
     affecting the peopling of America; and
       (2) can provide a basis for the preservation and 
     interpretation of the peopling of America that has shaped the 
     culture and society of the United States.
       (c) Identification and Designation of Potential New 
     National Historic Landmarks.--
       (1) In general.--The theme study shall identify and 
     recommend for designation new national historic landmarks.
       (2) List of appropriate sites.--The theme study shall--
       (A) include a list, in order of importance or merit, of the 
     most appropriate sites for national historic landmark 
     designation; and
       (B) encourage the nomination of other properties to the 
     National Register of Historic Places.
       (3) Designation.--On the basis of the theme study, the 
     Secretary shall designate new national historic landmarks.
       (d) National Park System.--
       (1) Identification of sites within current units.--The 
     theme study shall identify appropriate sites within units of 
     the National Park System at which the peopling of America may 
     be interpreted.
       (2) Identification of new sites.--On the basis of the theme 
     study, the Secretary shall recommend to Congress sites for 
     which studies for potential inclusion in the National Park 
     System should be authorized.
       (e) Continuing Authority.--After the date of submission to 
     Congress of the theme study, the Secretary shall, on a 
     continuing basis, as appropriate to interpret the peopling of 
     America--
       (1) evaluate, identify, and designate new national historic 
     landmarks; and
       (2) evaluate, identify, and recommend to Congress sites for 
     which studies for potential inclusion in the National Park 
     System should be authorized.
       (f) Public Education and Research.--
       (1) Linkages.--
       (A) Establishment.--On the basis of the theme study, the 
     Secretary may identify appropriate means for establishing 
     linkages--
       (i) between--

       (I) regions, areas, trails, districts, communities, sites, 
     buildings, structures, objects, organizations, societies, and 
     cultures identified under subsections (b) and (d); and
       (II) groups of people; and

       (ii) between--

[[Page S8996]]

       (I) regions, areas, trails, districts, communities, sites, 
     buildings, structures, objects, organizations, societies, and 
     cultures identified under subsection (b); and
       (II) units of the National Park System identified under 
     subsection (d).

       (B) Purpose.--The purpose of the linkages shall be to 
     maximize opportunities for public education and scholarly 
     research on the peopling of America.
       (2) Cooperative arrangements.--On the basis of the theme 
     study, the Secretary shall, subject to the availability of 
     funds, enter into cooperative arrangements with State and 
     local governments, educational institutions, local historical 
     organizations, communities, and other appropriate entities to 
     preserve and interpret key sites in the peopling of America.
       (3) Educational initiatives.--
       (A) In general.--The documentation in the theme study shall 
     be used for broad educational initiatives such as--
       (i) popular publications;
       (ii) curriculum material such as the Teaching with Historic 
     Places program;
       (iii) heritage tourism products such as the National 
     Register of Historic Places Travel Itineraries program; and
       (iv) oral history and ethnographic programs.
       (B) Cooperative programs.--On the basis of the theme study, 
     the Secretary shall implement cooperative programs to 
     encourage the preservation and interpretation of the peopling 
     of America.

     SEC. 5. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

       The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with 
     educational institutions, professional associations, or other 
     entities knowledgeable about the peopling of America--
       (1) to prepare the theme study;
       (2) to ensure that the theme study is prepared in 
     accordance with generally accepted scholarly standards; and
       (3) to promote cooperative arrangements and programs 
     relating to the peopling of America.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

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