[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 9, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5435-S5436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. McCONNELL:
  S. 2780. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
special resource study to evaluate the significance of the Mill Springs 
Battlefield located in Pulaski and Wayne Counties, Kentucky, and the 
feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text 
of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2780

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

     SECTION 1. BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS STUDY.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
       (1) In 1994, the Mills Springs Battlefield in Pulaski and 
     Wayne Counties in Kentucky was designated as a National 
     Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior.
       (2) The Battle of Mill Springs was the first significant 
     Union victory in the western theater of the Civil War.
       (3) The outcome of the Battle of Mill Springs, along with 
     Union victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson paved the way 
     for a major battle at Shiloh, Tennessee.
       (4) In 1991, the National Park Service placed the Mill 
     Springs Battlefield on a list of endangered battlefields, 
     noting the impact of this battle to the course of the Civil 
     War.
       (5) In 1992, the Mill Springs Battlefield Association 
     formed, and utilizing Federal, State, and local support has 
     managed to preserve important tracts of the battlefield, 
     construct an interactive visitor center, and educate the 
     public about this historic event.
       (6) There is strong community interest in incorporating the 
     Mill Springs Battlefield into the National Park Service.
       (7) The Mill Springs Battlefield Association has expressed 
     its desire to give the preserved battlefield as a gift to the 
     United States.
       (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act:
       (1) Mill springs battlefield.--The term ``Mill Springs 
     Battlefield'' means the area encompassed by the National 
     Historic Landmark designations relating to the 1862 Battle of 
     Mill Springs located in the counties of Pulaski and Wayne in 
     Kentucky.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (c) Study.--Not later than 3 years from the date funds are 
     made available, the Secretary shall conduct a special 
     resource study to evaluate the significance of the Mill 
     Springs Battlefield in Kentucky, and the feasibility of its 
     inclusion in the National Park System.
       (d) Criteria for Study.--The Secretary shall conduct the 
     study authorized by this Act in accordance with 8(b) of 
     Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(b)).
       (e) Content of Study.--The study shall include an analysis 
     of the following:
       (1) The significance of the Battle of Mill Springs to the 
     outcome of the Civil War.
       (2) Opportunities for public education about the Civil War 
     in Kentucky.
       (3) Operational issues that should be considered if the 
     National Park System were to incorporate the Mill Springs 
     Battlefield.
       (4) The feasibility of administering the Mill Springs 
     Battlefield considering its size, configuration, and other 
     factors, to include an annual cost estimate.
       (5) The economic, educational, and other impacts the 
     inclusion of Mill Springs Battlefield into the National Park 
     System would have on the surrounding communities in Pulaski 
     and Wayne Counties.
       (6) The effect of the designation of the Mill Springs 
     Battlefield as a unit of the National Park System on--
       (A) existing commercial and recreational activities, 
     including by not limited to hunting, fishing, and 
     recreational shooting, and on the authorization, 
     construction, operation, maintenance, or improvement of 
     energy production and transmission infrastructure; and
       (B) the authority of State and local governments to manage 
     those activities.
       (7) The identification of any authorities, including 
     condemnation, that will compel or permit the Secretary to 
     influence or participate in local land use decisions (such as 
     zoning) or place restrictions on non-Federal

[[Page S5436]]

     lands if the Mill Springs Battlefield is designated a unit of 
     the National Park System.
       (f) Notification of Private Property Owners.--Upon 
     commencement of the study, owners of private property 
     adjacent to the battlefield will be notified of the study's 
     commencement and scope.
       (g) Submission of Report.--Upon completion of the study, 
     the Secretary shall submit a report on the findings of the 
     study to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the Senate.

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