[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 23, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2997-S3001]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. DASCHLE:
S. 2223. A bill to expand the list of entities eligible to establish
and maintain a qualified tuition program under section 529 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. DASCHLE. 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. 2223
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE ENTITIES FOR QUALIFIED TUITION
PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--For purposes of section 529 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, an eligible educational
institution shall be deemed to include a corporation--
(1) which is a transferee corporation (within the meaning
of section 150(d)(3) of such Code) of a corporation described
in section 150(d) of such Code, and
(2) a majority of the outstanding stock of which is owned
by an employee stock ownership plan (as defined in section
4975(d)(7) of such Code).
(b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) shall take effect with
respect to any qualified tuition program established after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
____
By Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself and Mr. Roberts):
S. 2224. A bill to establish the Bleeding Kansas and the Enduring
Struggle for Freedom National Heritage Area, and for other purposes; to
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, the great story of Kansas can be summed
up in the State motto, ``Ad Astra per Aspera,'' to the stars through
difficulties. Though only a short phrase comprised of four words, the
meaning and passion behind the Kansas State motto are as profound as
they are descriptive of a State that though smaller than some, was a
catalyst for racial equality in this Nation.
From inception, Kansas was born in controversy--a controversy that
helped to shape a Nation and end the egregious practice of chattel
slavery that brutalized an entire race of individuals in this country.
I cannot think of a more noble or more important contribution provided
to our Nation--through arguably it was one of the most turbulent and
darkest hours of our history. Without this struggle however, the battle
to end persecution and transform our country into a symbol of freedom
and democracy throughout the world would not have been realized.
This year marks the sesquicentennial of the signing of the Kansas-
Nebraska bill which repealed the Missouri compromise, allowed States to
enter into the Union with or without slavery. This piece of
legislation, which was passed in May 1854, set the stage for what is
now referred to as, ``Bleeding Kansas.'' During this time, our State,
then a territory, was thrown into chaos with Kansans fighting
passionately to ensure that the territory would enter the Union as a
free State and not condone or legalize slavery in any capacity. At the
end of a very difficult and bloody struggle, Kansas entered the Union
as a free State and helped to spark the issue of slavery on a national
level. However, Kansas' contributions to the realization of freedom in
this Nation did not stop with the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Keeping true to the motto, ``to the stars through difficulties.''
Kansas opened up her arms to a newly freed people after the Civil War
ended. Many African Americans looked to Kansas for solace and
prosperity when the South was still an uncertain place. Perhaps one of
the best examples of Ad Astra per Aspera was the founding of a town in
Kansas by African Americans coming to our State to begin their life of
freedom and prosperity.
Founded in 1877, Nicodemus, which was named after a legendary slave
who purchased his freedom, is the most recognized historically black
town in Kansas. Nicodemus was established by a group of colonists from
Lexington, KY and grew to a population of 600 by 1879.
[[Page S2998]]
However, Nicodemus is not the only Kansas contribution that shaped a
more tolerant Nation. Kansas was also one of the first States to house
an African American military regiment in the 1800s, the Buffalo
Soldiers.
The Buffalo Soldiers were, and still are, considered one of the most
distinguished and revered African American military regiments in our
Nation's history. One of those regiments, the 10th Cavalry, was
stationed at Fort Leavenworth, KS. In July 1866, Congress passed
legislation establishing two cavalry and four infantry regiments that
were to be solely comprised of African Americans. The mounted regiments
were the 9th and 10th Cavalries, soon nicknamed ``Buffalo Soldiers'' by
the Cheyenne and Comanche tribes. Lt. Henry O. Flipper, the first
African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy in
1877 and commanded the 10th Calvary unit where he proved that African
Americans possessed the quality of military leadership. Until the early
1890s, the Buffalo Soldiers constituted 20 percent of all cavalry
forces on the American frontier. Their invaluable service on the
western frontier still remains one of the most exemplary services
performed by a regiment in the U.S. Army.
These are just a few examples of why I am pleased to join with my
colleague from Kansas, Senator Pat Roberts, today and introduce the
Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area Act, which will not only serve
to educate Kansans but the Nation on the important contributions--and
in many cases the sacrifices--made in order to establish this proud
State. The creation of this heritage area will ensure that this legacy
is not only commemorated but celebrated on a national level.
Specifically, the Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area Act will
designate 24 counties in Kansas as the ``Bleeding Kansas and the
Enduring Struggle for Freedom National Heritage Area.'' Each of these
counties will be eligible to apply for the heritage area grants
administered by the National Park Service.
The heritage area will add to local economies within the State by
increasing tourism and will encourage collaboration between interests
of diverse units of government, businesses, tourism officials, private
property owners, and nonprofit groups within the heritage area.
Finally, the bill protects private property owners by requiring that
they provide in writing consent to be included in any request before
they are eligible to receive Federal funds from the heritage area. The
bill also authorizes $10,000,000.00 over a 10 year period to carry out
this act and states that no more than $1,000,000.00 may be appropriated
to the heritage area for any fiscal year.
Kansas has much to be proud of in its history and it is vital that
this history be shared on a national level. By establishing the
Bleeding Kansas and the Enduring Struggle for Freedom National Heritage
Area, we will ensure that this magnificent legacy lives on and serves
as a stirring reminder of the sacrifices and triumphs that created this
Nation--a Nation united in freedom for all people.
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. 2224
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 ``Bleeding Kansas National
Heritage Area Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area is a
cohesive assemblage of natural, historic, cultural, and
recreational resources that--
(A) together represent distinctive aspects of American
heritage worthy of recognition, conservation, interpretation,
and continuing use;
(B) are best managed through partnerships between private
and public entities;
(C) will build upon the Kansas rural development policy and
the new homestead act to recognize inherent strengths of
small towns and rural communities--close-knit communities,
strong local business networks, and a tradition of
entrepreneurial creativity.
(2) The Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area reflects
traditions, customs, beliefs, folk life, or some combination
thereof, that are a valuable part of the heritage of the
United States.
(3) The Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area provides
outstanding opportunities to conserve natural, cultural, or
historic features, or some combination thereof.
(4) The Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area provides
outstanding recreational and interpretive opportunities.
(5) The Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area has an
identifiable theme, and resources important to the theme
retain integrity capable of supporting interpretation.
(6) Residents, nonprofit organizations, other private
entities, and units of local government throughout the
Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area demonstrate support
for designation of the Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area
as a national heritage area and for management of the
Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area as appropriate for
such designation.
(7) Capturing these interconnected stories through
partnerships with National Park Service sites, Kansas State
Historical Society sites, local organizations, and citizens
will augment the story opportunities within the prospective
boundary for the educational and recreational benefit of this
and future generations of Americans.
(8) Communities throughout this region know the value of
their Bleeding Kansas legacy, but require expansion of the
existing cooperative framework to achieve key preservation,
education, and other significant goals by working more
closely together.
(9) The State of Kansas officially recognized the national
significance of the Bleeding Kansas story when it designated
the heritage area development as a significant strategic goal
within the statewide economic development plan.
(10) Territorial Kansas Heritage Alliance is a nonprofit
corporation created for the purposes of preserving,
interpreting, developing, promoting and, making available to
the public the story and resources related to the story of
Bleeding Kansas and the Enduring Struggle for Freedom.
(11) Territorial Kansas Heritage Alliance has completed a
study that--
(A) describes in detail the role, operation, financing, and
functions of Territorial Kansas Heritage Alliance, the
management entity; and
(B) provides adequate assurances that Territorial Kansas
Heritage Alliance, the management entity, is likely to have
the financial resources necessary to implement the management
plan for the Heritage Area, including resources to meet
matching requirement for grants.
(12) There are at least 7 National Historic Landmarks, 32
National Register properties, 3 Kansas Register properties,
and 7 properties listed on the National Underground Railroad
Network to Freedom that contribute to the Heritage Area as
well as other significant properties that have not been
designated at this time.
(13) There is an interest in interpreting all sides of the
Bleeding Kansas story that requires further work with several
counties in Missouri interested in joining the area.
(14) In 2004, the State of Kansas is commemorating the
Sesquicentennial of the signing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act,
opening the territory to settlement.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To designate a region in eastern Kansas and western
Missouri containing nationally important natural, historic,
and cultural resources and recreational and educational
opportunities that are geographically assembled and
thematically related as areas that provide unique frameworks
for understanding the great and diverse character of the
United States and the development of communities and their
surroundings as the Bleeding Kansas National Heritage Area.
(2) To strengthen, complement, and support the Fort Scott,
Brown v. Board of Education, Nicodemus and Tallgrass Prairie
sites through the interpretation and conservation of the
associated living landscapes outside of the boundaries of
these units of the National Park System.
(3) To describe the extent of Federal responsibilities and
duties in regard to the Heritage Area.
(4) To further collaboration and partnerships among
Federal, State, and local governments, nonprofit
organizations, and the private sector, or combinations
thereof, to conserve and manage the resources and
opportunities in the Heritage Area through grants, technical
assistance, training and other means.
(5) To authorize Federal financial and technical assistance
to management entity to assist in the conservation and
interpretation of the Heritage Area.
(6) To empower communities and organizations in Kansas to
preserve the special historic identity of Bleeding Kansas and
with it the identity of the Nation.
(7) To provide for the management, preservation,
protection, and interpretation of the natural, historical,
and cultural resources within the region for the educational
and inspirational benefit of current and future generations.
(8) To provide greater community capacity through inter-
local cooperation.
(9) To provide a vehicle, particularly in the four counties
with high out-migration of population, to recognize that
self-reliance and resilience will be the keys to their
economic future.
[[Page S2999]]
(10) To build upon the Kansas rural development policy, the
Kansas agritourism initiative and the new homestead act to
recognize inherent strengths of small towns and rural
communities--close-knit communities, strong local business
networks, and a tradition of entrepreneurial creativity.
(11) To educate and cultivate among its citizens,
particularly its youth, the stories and cultural resources of
the region's legacy that--
(A) reflect the popular phrase ``Bleeding Kansas''
describing the conflict over slavery that became nationally
prominent in Kansas just before and during the American Civil
War;
(B) reflect the commitment of American settlers who first
fought and killed to uphold their different and
irreconcilable principles of freedom and equality during the
years of the Kansas Conflict;
(C) reflect the struggle for freedom, experienced during
the ``Bleeding Kansas'' era, that continues to be a vital and
pressing issue associated with the real problem of democratic
nation building; and
(D) recreate the physical environment revealing its impact
on agriculture, transportation, trade and business, and
social and cultural patterns in urban and rural settings.
(12) To interpret the effect of the era's democratic ethos
on the development of America's distinctive political
culture.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act:
(1) Management entity.--The term ``management entity''
means Territorial Kansas Heritage Alliance, recognized by the
Secretary, in consultation with the chief executive officer
of the State of Kansas, that agrees to perform the duties of
a local coordinating entity under this Act.
(2) Heritage area.--The term ``Heritage Area'' means the
Bleeding Kansas and the Enduring Struggle for Freedom
National Heritage Area in eastern Kansas and western
Missouri.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(4) Unit of local government.--The term ``unit of local
government'' means the government of a State, a political
subdivision of a State, or an Indian tribe.
SEC. 4. BLEEDING KANSAS AND THE ENDURING STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM
NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the State of
Kansas the Bleeding Kansas and the Enduring Struggle for
Freedom National Heritage Area.
(b) Boundaries.--The Heritage Area shall include the
following:
(1) An area located in eastern Kansas and western Missouri,
consisting currently of Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee,
Clay, Coffey, Crawford, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Johnson,
Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Pottawatomie,
Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte
Counties in Kansas and tentatively including additional
counties in Kansas and western Missouri to be included in the
development of the management plan.
(2) Contributing sites, buildings, and districts within the
area will be recommended by the management plan.
(c) Map.--Final boundary will be defined during the
management plan development. A map of the Heritage Area shall
be included in the management plan. The map shall be on file
in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
(d) Management Entity.--The management entity for the
Heritage Area shall be Territorial Kansas Heritage Alliance,
a nonprofit organization established in the State of Kansas,
recognized by the Secretary, in consultation with the chief
executive officer of the State of Kansas, that agrees to
perform the duties of a local coordinating entity under this
Act.
SEC. 5. AUTHORITIES, DUTIES, AND PROHIBITIONS OF THE
MANAGEMENT ENTITY.
(a) Authorities.--The management entity may, for purposes
of preparing and implementing the management plan, use funds
made available under this Act to--
(1) prepare a management plan for the Heritage Area;
(2) prepare reports, studies, interpretive exhibits and
programs, historic preservation projects, and other
activities recommended in the management plan for the
Heritage Area;
(3) pay for operational expenses of the management entity
incurred within the first 10 fiscal years beginning after the
date of the enactment of this Act designating the Heritage
Area;
(4) make grants or loans to entities defined in the
management plan;
(5) enter into cooperative agreements with the State of
Kansas, its political subdivisions, nonprofit organizations,
and other organizations;
(6) hire and compensate staff;
(7) obtain money from any source under any program or law
to be used for a regrant program requiring the recipient of
such money to make a contribution in order to receive it;
(8) contract for goods and services; and
(9) offer a competitive grants program to contributing
partners requiring a dollar-for-dollar match of Federal
funds.
(b) Duties of the Management Entity.--In addition to
developing the management plan, the management entity shall--
(1) give priority to the implementation of actions, goals,
strategies, and standards set forth in the management plan,
including assisting units of government and other persons
in--
(A) encouraging economic viability in the Heritage Area in
accordance with the goals of the management plan;
(B) establishing interpretive exhibits in the Heritage
Area;
(C) increasing public awareness of and appreciation for the
cultural, historical, and natural resources of the Heritage
Area;
(D) supporting the restoration of historic buildings that
are--
(i) located in the Heritage Area; and
(ii) related to the themes of the Heritage Area;
(E) the conservation of contributing landscapes and natural
resources; and
(F) the installation throughout the Heritage Area of signs
identifying public access points and sites of interest;
(2) prepare and implement the management plan while
considering the interests of diverse units of government,
businesses, private property owners, and nonprofit groups
within the Heritage Area;
(3) conduct public meetings in conjunction with training
and skill building workshops regarding the development and
implementation of the management plan; and
(4) for any fiscal year for which Federal funds are
received under this Act--
(A) submit to the Secretary a report that describes, for
the year--
(i) accomplishments of the management entity;
(ii) expenses and income of the management entity;
(iii) each entity to which a grant was made; and
(iv) an accounting of matching funds obtained to meet grant
guidelines;
(B) conduct an annual audit with a neutral auditing firm
and make available for audit by Congress, the Secretary, and
appropriate units of government, all records pertaining to
the expenditure of the funds and any matching funds; and
(C) require, for all agreements authorizing expenditure of
Federal funds by any entity, that the receiving entity make
available for audit all records pertaining to the expenditure
of their funds.
(c) Prohibition of Acquisition of Real Property.--The
management entity shall not use Federal funds received under
this Act to acquire real property or an interest in real
property.
(d) Other Sources.--Nothing in this Act precludes the
management entity from using Federal funds from other sources
for authorized purposes.
SEC. 6. MANAGEMENT PLAN.
(a) Requirements.--The management entity shall:
(1) Management plan.--Not later than 3 years after the date
funds are made available for this purpose, prepare and submit
a management plan reviewed by participating units of local
government within the boundaries of the proposed Heritage
Area.
(2) Collaboration.--Collaborate with and consider the
interests of diverse units of government, businesses, tourism
officials, private property owners, and nonprofit groups
within the geographic area of the Heritage Area in developing
and implementing such a management plan.
(3) Public involvement.--Ensure regular public involvement,
including public meetings at least annually, regarding the
implementation of the management plan.
(b) Contents of Management Plan.--The management plan
prepared for the Heritage Area shall--
(1) present a comprehensive program for the conservation,
interpretation, funding, management, and development of the
Heritage Area, in a manner consistent with the existing
local, State, and Federal land use laws and compatible
economic viability of the Heritage Area;
(2) establish criteria or standards to measure what is
selected for conservation, interpretation, funding,
management, and development;
(3) involve residents, public agencies, and private
organizations working in the Heritage Area;
(4) specify and coordinate, as of the date of the
management plan, existing and potential sources of technical
and financial assistance under this and other Federal laws to
protect, manage, and develop the Heritage Area; and
(5) include--
(A) actions to be undertaken by units of government and
private organizations to protect, conserve, and interpret the
resources of the Heritage Area;
(B) an inventory of the resources contained in the Heritage
Area, including a list of any property in the Heritage Area
that is related to the themes of the Heritage Area and that
meets the establishing criteria (such as, but not exclusive
to, visitor readiness) to merit preservation, restoration,
management, development, or maintenance because of its
natural, cultural, historical, or recreational significance;
(C) policies for resource management including the
development of intergovernmental cooperative agreements,
private sector agreements, or any combination thereof, to
protect the historical, cultural, recreational, and natural
resources of the Heritage Area in a manner consistent with
supporting appropriate and compatible economic viability;
[[Page S3000]]
(D) a program for implementation of the management plan by
the designated management entity, in cooperation with its
partners and units of local government;
(E) evidence that relevant State, county, and local plans
applicable to the Heritage Area have been taken into
consideration;
(F) an analysis of ways in which local, State, and Federal
programs may best be coordinated to promote the purposes of
this Act; and
(G) a business plan that--
(i) describes in detail the role, operation, financing, and
functions of the management entity for each activity included
in the recommendations contained in the management plan; and
(ii) provides, to the satisfaction of the Secretary,
adequate assurances that the management entity is likely to
have the financial resources necessary to implement the
management plan for the Heritage Area, including resources to
meet matching requirement for grants awarded under this Act.
(c) Public Notice.--The management entity shall place a
notice of each of its public meetings in a newspaper of
general circulation in the Heritage Area and shall make the
minutes of the meeting available to the public.
(d) Disqualification From Funding.--If a proposed
management plan is not submitted to the Secretary within 4
years of the date of the enactment of this Act, the
management entity shall be ineligible to receive additional
funding under this title until the date on which the
Secretary receives the proposed management plan.
(e) Approval and Disapproval of Management Plan.--The
Secretary shall approve or disapprove the proposed management
plan submitted under this title not later than 90 days after
receiving such proposed management plan.
(f) Action Following Disapproval.--If the Secretary
disapproves a proposed management plan, the Secretary shall
advise the management entity in writing of the reasons for
the disapproval and shall make recommendations for revisions
to the proposed management plan. The Secretary shall approve
or disapprove a proposed revision within 90 days after the
date it is submitted.
(g) Approval of Amendments.--The Secretary shall review and
approve substantial amendments to the management plan. Funds
appropriated under this title may not be expended to
implement any changes made by such amendment until the
Secretary approves the amendment.
SEC. 7. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; OTHER FEDERAL
AGENCIES.
(a) Technical and Financial Assistance.--
(1) In general.--On the request of the management entity,
the Secretary may provide technical and financial assistance
for the development and implementation of the management
plan.
(2) Priority for assistance.--In providing assistance under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to actions
that assist in--
(A) conserving the significant cultural, historic, and
natural resources of the Heritage Area; and
(B) providing educational, interpretive, and recreational
opportunities consistent with the purposes of the Heritage
Area.
(3) Spending for non-federal property.--The management
entity may expend Federal funds made available under this Act
on non-Federal property that--
(A) meets the criteria in the approved management plan; or
(B) is listed or eligible for listing on the National
Register of Historic Places.
(4) Other assistance.--The Secretary may enter into
cooperative agreements with public and private organizations
to carry out this subsection.
(b) Other Federal Agencies.--Any Federal entity conducting
or supporting an activity that directly affects the Heritage
Area shall--
(1) consider the potential effect of the activity on the
purposes of the Heritage Area and the management plan;
(2) consult with the management entity regarding the
activity; and
(3) to the maximum extent practicable, conduct or support
the activity to avoid adverse effects on the Heritage Area.
(c) Other Assistance not Affected.--This Act does not
affect the authority of any Federal official to provide
technical or financial assistance under any other law.
(d) Notification of Other Federal Activities.--The head of
each Federal agency shall provide to the Secretary and the
management entity, to the extent practicable, advance notice
of all activities that may have an impact on the Heritage
Area.
SEC. 8. PRIVATE PROPERTY PROTECTION.
(a) Access to Private Property.--Nothing in this Act shall
be construed to require any private property owner to permit
public access (including Federal, State, or local government
access) to such private property. Nothing in this Act shall
be construed to modify any provision of Federal, State, or
local law with regard to public access to or use of private
lands.
(b) Liability.--Designation of the Heritage Area shall not
be considered to create any liability, or to have any effect
on any liability under any other law, of any private property
owner with respect to any persons injured on such private
property.
(c) Recognition of Authority to Control Land Use.--Nothing
in this Act shall be construed to modify any authority of
Federal, State, or local governments to regulate land use.
(d) Participation of Private Property Owners in Heritage
Areas.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the
owner of any private property located within the boundaries
of the Heritage Area to participate in or be associated with
the Heritage Area.
(e) Land Use Regulation.--
(1) In general.--The management entity shall provide
assistance and encouragement to State and local governments,
private organizations, and persons to protect and promote the
resources and values of the Heritage Area.
(2) Effect.--Nothing in this Act--
(A) affects the authority of the State or local governments
to regulate under law any use of land; or
(B) grants any power of zoning or land use to the
management entity.
(f) Private Property.--
(1) In general.--The management entity shall be an advocate
for land management practices consistent with the purposes of
the Heritage Area.
(2) Effect.--Nothing in this Act--
(A) abridges the rights of any person with regard to
private property;
(B) affects the authority of the State or local government
regarding private property; or
(C) imposes any additional burden on any property owner.
SEC. 9. REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY.
(a) Notification and Consent of Property Owners Required.--
No privately owned property shall be governed by the
management plan for the Heritage Area until the owner of that
private property has been notified in writing by the
management entity and has given written consent for such
inclusion to the management entity.
(b) Landowner Withdraw.--Any owner of private property
included within the boundary of the Heritage Area, and not
notified under subsection (a), shall have their property
immediately removed from the boundary by submitting a written
request to the management entity.
SEC. 10. SAVINGS PROVISIONS.
(a) Rules, Regulations, Standards, and Permit Processes.--
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to impose any
environmental, occupational, safety, or other rule,
regulation, standard, or permit process in the Heritage Area
that is different from those that would be applicable if the
Heritage Area had not been established.
(b) Water and Water Rights.--Nothing in this Act shall be
construed to authorize or imply the reservation or
appropriation of water or water rights.
(c) No Diminishment of State Authority.--Nothing in this
Act shall be construed to diminish the authority of the State
to manage fish and wildlife, including the regulation of
fishing and hunting within the Heritage Area.
(d) Existing National Heritage Areas.--Nothing in this Act
shall affect any national heritage area so designated before
the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act $10,000,000, of which not more than
$1,000,000 may be authorized to be appropriated for any
fiscal year.
(b) Cost-Sharing Requirement.--The Federal share of the
total cost of any activity assisted under this Act shall be
not more than 50 percent.
SEC. 12. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.
The authority of the Secretary to provide assistance under
this Act terminates on the date that is 10 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce, along with my
distinguished colleague Senator Brownback, a bill designating the
Bleeding Kansas and the Enduring Struggle for Freedom National Heritage
Area. This project has joined communities throughout eastern Kansas in
an effort to document, preserve and celebrate Kansas' significant role
in the political struggle that led to the Civil War and in other
historic struggles for equality that took place in our state.
Designated by Congress, National Heritage Areas are places where
natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form
complete and distinct landscape. Our State, which has a proud heritage
and compelling story, will benefit from this national designation that
helps preserve and celebrate America's defining landscapes. By
enhancing and developing historic sites throughout eastern Kansas, we
will ensure that the traditions that evolved there are preserved.
During the Civil War, William Quantrill, the head of an infamous gang
of Confederate sympathizers, lead a raid on Lawrence, KS. Though far
from the main campaigns, this massacre caused Bleeding Kansas to become
a prominent symbol in the fight for the freedom of all people, and the
territory would become a battleground over the question of slavery.
After
[[Page S3001]]
these attacks, the abolitionist senator Charles Sumner delivered his
famous speech called ``The Crime Against Kansas,'' in which he brought
the escalating situation into sharper focus for the Nation.
Almost 100 years later, Kansas became the battleground once again, as
Oliver L. Brown fought to prove that separate among the people of this
great Nation is not equal. In fact, we will soon celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education Supreme Court
decision, which was a landmark victory in the civil rights movement.
These are but two of the many stories that will make up this heritage
area, marking an important era in our Nation's history.
I'd like to commend the Lawrence City Commission, the Douglas County
Commission, and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, who have worked
diligently on Federal heritage area designation. And I encourage the
Senate's swift passage of this important piece of legislation.
______