[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 88 (Monday, June 16, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S7936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA, STUDY ACT OF 2003

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill (S. 500) to direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the historic 
district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction 
Era, which had been reported from the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause 
and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
  [Strike the part shown in black brackets and insert the part shown in 
italic.]

                                 S. 500

       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 ``Beaufort, South Carolina, 
     Study Act of 2003''.

     [SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       [In this Act:
       [(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       [(2) Study area.--
       [(A) In general.--The term ``study area'' means the area 
     comprised of historical sites in the historic district of 
     Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction Era.
       [(B) Inclusions.--The term ``study area'' includes--
       [(i) the Penn School;
       [(ii) the Old Fort Plantation on the Beaufort River;
       [(iii) the Freedmen's Bureau in Beaufort College;
       [(iv) the First Freedmen's Village of Mitchellville on 
     Hilton Head Island;
       [(v) various historic buildings and archaeological sites 
     associated with Robert Smalls;
       [(vi) the Beaufort Arsenal; and
       [(vii) other significant sites relating to the 
     Reconstruction Era.

     [SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.

       [(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a special 
     resource study of the study area to assess the suitability 
     and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of 
     the National Park System.
       [(b) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection 
     (a) shall be conducted in accordance with section 8(c) of 
     Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
       [(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
     which funds are made available to carry out the study under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
     on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a 
     report that describes--
       [(1) the findings of the study; and
       [(2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

     [SEC. 4. THEME STUDY.

       [(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct a national 
     historic landmark theme study to identify sites and resources 
     in the United States that are significant to the 
     Reconstruction Era.
       [(b) Contents.--The theme study shall include 
     recommendations for commemorating and interpreting sites and 
     resources identified by the theme study, including--
       [(1) sites that should be nominated as national historic 
     landmarks; and
       [(2) sites for which further study for potential inclusion 
     in the National Park System should be authorized.
       [(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
     which funds are made available to carry out the study under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
     on Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a 
     report that describes--
       [(1) the findings of the study; and
       [(2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

     [SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Beaufort County, South 
     Carolina, Study Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Study area.--The term ``study area'' means the 
     historical sites in Beaufort County, South Carolina, relating 
     to the Reconstruction Era including--
       (A) the Penn School;
       (B) the Old Fort Plantation on the Beaufort River;
       (C) the Freedman's Bureau in Beaufort College;
       (D) the first Freedman's Village of Mitchellville on Hilton 
     Head Island;
       (E) various historic buildings and archaeological sites 
     associated with Robert Smalls;
       (F) the Beaufort Arsenal; and
       (G) other significant sites relating to the Reconstruction 
     Era.

     SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource 
     study of the study area to assess the national significance, 
     suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as 
     a unit of the National Park System in accordance with section 
     8(c) of Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
       (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
     funds are made available to carry out the special resource 
     study, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that 
     describes the findings of the study and any conclusions and 
     recommendations of the Secretary.

     SEC. 4. THEME STUDY.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a national historic 
     landmark theme study to identify sites and resources in the 
     United States that are significant to the Reconstruction Era, 
     and shall include recommendations for commemorating and 
     interpreting sites and resources identified by the theme 
     study such as sites that should be nominated as national 
     historic landmarks and sites that warrant further study for 
     potential inclusion in the National Park System.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
     funds are made available to carry out the theme study, the 
     Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report that 
     describes the findings of the study and any conclusions and 
     recommendations of the Secretary.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

  The committee amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was agreed 
to.
  The bill (S. 500), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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