[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H8140-H8142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ACT

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5532) to redesignate the Reconstruction Era National 
Monument as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5532

       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 ``Reconstruction Era National 
     Historical Park Act''.

     SEC. 2. RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Historical park.--The term ``historical park'' means 
     the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.
       (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the maps entitled 
     ``Reconstruction Era National Monument Old Beaufort 
     Firehouse,'' numbered 550/135,755 and dated January 2017; 
     ``Reconstruction Era National Monument Darrah Hall and Brick 
     Baptist Church,'' numbered 550/135,756 and dated January 
     2017; and ``Reconstruction Era National Monument Camp 
     Saxton,'' numbered 550/135,757 and dated January 2017, 
     collectively.
       (3) Network.--The term ``Network'' means the Reconstruction 
     Era National Historic Network established pursuant to this 
     Act.
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (b) Establishment.--
       (1) Redesignation of reconstruction era national 
     monument.--
       (A) In general.--The Reconstruction Era National Monument 
     is redesignated as the Reconstruction Era National Historical 
     Park, as generally depicted on the map.
       (B) Availability of funds.--Any funds available for the 
     purposes of the Reconstruction Era National Monument shall be 
     available for the purposes of the historical park.

[[Page H8141]]

       (C) References.--Any references in a law, regulation, 
     document, record, map, or other paper of the United States to 
     the Reconstruction Era National Monument shall be considered 
     to be a reference to the historical park.
       (2) Boundary expansion.--
       (A) Beaufort national historic landmark district.--Subject 
     to subparagraph (D), the Secretary is authorized to acquire 
     land or interests in land within the Beaufort National 
     Historic Landmark District that has historic connection to 
     the Reconstruction Era. Upon finalizing an agreement to 
     acquire land, the Secretary shall expand the boundary of the 
     historical park to encompass the property.
       (B) St. helena island.--Subject to subparagraph (D), the 
     Secretary is authorized to acquire the following and shall 
     expand the boundary of the historical park to include 
     acquisitions under this authority:
       (i) Land and interests in land adjacent to the existing 
     boundary on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, as reflected 
     on the map.
       (ii) Land or interests in land on St. Helena Island, South 
     Carolina, that has a historic connection to the 
     Reconstruction Era.
       (C) Camp saxton.--Subject to subparagraph (D), the 
     Secretary is authorized to accept administrative jurisdiction 
     of Federal land or interests in Federal land adjacent to the 
     existing boundary at Camp Saxton, as reflected on the map. 
     Upon finalizing an agreement to accept administrative 
     jurisdiction of Federal land or interests in Federal land, 
     the Secretary shall expand the boundary of the historical 
     park to encompass that Federal land or interests in Federal 
     land.
       (D) Land acquisition authority.--The Secretary may only 
     acquire land under this Act by donation, exchange or purchase 
     with donated funds.
       (c) Administration.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the 
     historical park in accordance with this Act and with the laws 
     generally applicable to units of the National Park System.
       (2) Management plan.--If the management plan for the 
     Reconstruction Era National Monument--
       (A) has not been completed on or before the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall incorporate all 
     provisions of this Act into the planning process and complete 
     a management plan for the historical park within 3 years; and
       (B) has been completed on or before the date of enactment 
     of this Act, the Secretary shall update the plan 
     incorporating the provisions of this Act.

     SEC. 3. RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORIC NETWORK.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
       (1) establish, within the National Park Service, a program 
     to be known as the ``Reconstruction Era National Historic 
     Network'';
       (2) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, solicit proposals from sites interested in being 
     a part of the Network; and
       (3) administer the Network through the Reconstruction Era 
     National Historical Park.
       (b) Duties of Secretary.--In carrying out the Network, the 
     Secretary shall--
       (1) review studies and reports to complement and not 
     duplicate studies of the historical importance of 
     Reconstruction Era that may be underway or completed, such as 
     the National Park Service Reconstruction Handbook and the 
     National Park Service Theme Study on Reconstruction;
       (2) produce and disseminate appropriate educational and 
     promotional materials relating to the Reconstruction Era and 
     the sites in the network, such as handbooks, maps, 
     interpretive guides, or electronic information;
       (3) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements and 
     memoranda of understanding to provide technical assistance;
       (4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or 
     device for the Network; and
       (B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol or device 
     adopted under subparagraph (A); and
       (5) conduct research relating to Reconstruction and the 
     Reconstruction Era.
       (c) Elements.--The Network shall encompass the following 
     elements--
       (1) all units and programs of the National Park Service 
     that are determined by the Secretary to relate to the 
     Reconstruction Era;
       (2) other Federal, State, local, and privately owned 
     properties that the Secretary determines--
       (A) relate to the Reconstruction Era; and
       (B) are included in, or determined by the Secretary to be 
     eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic 
     Places; and
       (3) other governmental and nongovernmental sites, 
     facilities, and programs of an educational, research, or 
     interpretive nature that are directly related to the 
     Reconstruction Era.
       (d) Cooperative Agreements and Memoranda of 
     Understanding.--To achieve the purposes of this Act and to 
     ensure effective coordination of the Federal and non-Federal 
     elements of the Network and units and programs of the 
     National Park Service, the Secretary may enter into 
     cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding with, 
     and provide technical assistance to, the heads of other 
     Federal agencies, States, units of local government, regional 
     governmental bodies, and private entities.
       (e) Network Defined.--The term ``Network'' means the 
     Reconstruction Era National Historic Network established 
     pursuant to this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Montana (Mr. Gianforte) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. 
Tsongas) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Montana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Montana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The Reconstruction era that followed the Civil War was a time of 
significant transformation for the United States. Reconstruction 
addressed how the 11 States that had left the Union would be 
reestablished in Congress, as well as how the civil rights and 
integration into a free society of 4 million formerly enslaved 
individuals could be secured.
  The Reconstruction Era National Monument was established by 
Presidential declaration in January 2017 as a unit of the National Park 
Service. It is located in Beaufort County, South Carolina, an area that 
has been called the birthplace of Reconstruction.
  In and around this area, some of the first African Americans enlisted 
as soldiers and founded the first African American schools and 
hospitals during Reconstruction.
  This was also the home of Robert Smalls, a former slave who became a 
political leader, serving on two State constitutional conventions: in 
the State legislature and, ultimately, the U.S. Congress.
  H.R. 5532 redesignates Reconstruction Era National Monument as the 
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior to expand the park boundary. The bill also 
establishes the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, which 
will connect similar sites across the country to promote education and 
preservation efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), my esteemed colleague.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Tsongas for managing 
this bill, and I thank Mr. Gianforte for appearing here on the floor 
today.
  I also thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva for their 
support of this legislation in the Natural Resources Committee.
  I also thank Congressman Mark Sanford, who is a cosponsor of this 
bill, but remains in Charleston this evening for obvious reasons. I 
pray God's blessing upon him, his constituents, mine, and all others 
who find themselves in the path of this horrific hurricane.
  Mr. Speaker, throughout my tenure in this august body, I have worked 
to preserve and protect our Nation's most treasured historical sites 
and institutions.
  Reconstruction, a period which lasted a little more than 13 years, is 
a crucial period in American history. Although it ended March 17, 1877, 
we tend to apply the label ``Reconstruction era'' to the latter four 
decades of the 19th century. It was during those years that African 
Americans across the South began their freedom from slavery, gained 
citizenship, and enjoyed equal protection of the laws and the right to 
vote under the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.
  Some of the oldest and best preserved sites from the Reconstruction 
era are located in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Brick Baptist 
Church and Penn Center on St. Helena Island were the site of the 
original Penn School, founded in 1862 by Quaker missionaries to educate 
newly freed slaves, the first such school established in the South.
  Camp Saxton in Port Royal was a Union Army camp where, on January 1, 
1863, Union General Rufus Saxton read President Lincoln's Emancipation 
Proclamation to thousands of slaves who had gathered to celebrate their 
new freedom. The camp was also the site where the First South Carolina 
Volunteers were assembled, the first official Black regiment of the 
United States Army.
  With overwhelming support from their communities and local elected 
leadership, these sites and a visitors center in downtown Beaufort were 
designated Reconstruction Era National Monument by President Obama in 
January of 2017.

[[Page H8142]]

  The bill under consideration today will do three things:
  First, redesignate the national monument as the Reconstruction Era 
National Historical Park;
  Second, provide for possible boundary expansions within the Beaufort 
National Historic Landmark District and on St. Helena Island; and
  Third, establish the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network.
  As a national park is the highest level of protection and prestige 
our government can bestow, I believe passing this legislation will send 
a powerful message regarding the significance of these Reconstruction 
sites.
  Having served previously as the sponsor of the legislation 
redesignating the Congaree Swamp National Monument as the Congaree 
National Park, I can attest that the rebranding of the park resulted in 
an increase in annual visitors of almost 20 percent, a significant 
economic impact to rural South Carolina.
  Congress has, in recent years, redesignated both the Martin Luther 
King, Jr. National Historic Site and the Harriet Tubman Underground 
Railroad National Monument as national historical parks, two sites with 
similar historical significance but focus on much different aspects of 
American history.
  Of course, the sites currently included in the national monument are 
not the only significant Reconstruction sites worthy of preservation. 
This legislation would allow for expansion of the boundary near the 
existing monument. Several very significant Reconstruction sites in the 
area were considered for inclusion. This bill would allow for expansion 
with appropriate agreement between all owners and stakeholders.
  However, it is not feasible to incorporate all historic sites from 
Reconstruction into one national park. The Reconstruction Era National 
Historic Network would be a program operated by the National Park 
Service, but sites in the network will be managed by their current 
owners, whether Federal, State, local, or private.

                              {time}  1700

  This concept has been utilized in the National Underground Railroad 
Network to Freedom and the recently enacted African American Civil 
Rights Network.
  When the national monument was under construction, I heard from many 
communities with sites they thought were worthy of inclusion. With the 
network in place, communities can make their case for Federal 
recognition and assistance for their significant Reconstruction era 
sites without the National Park Service having to take on the 
obligation of owning or managing the sites.
  Sites like Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, which was a self-
governing African-American community established during the Civil War, 
are deserving of Federal recognition. Mitchelville is perfect for the 
network concept, where the local municipal leadership is moving forward 
to manage the site on their own, but would welcome the increased 
recognition and visibility that inclusion in the network would provide.
  I often invoke the adage that if we fail to learn the lessons of our 
history, we are bound to repeat it. Sadly, many of the gains made by 
African Americans during the Reconstruction era were lost in the Jim 
Crow era that followed. Reconstruction is a story of the triumph of 
freedom, but it is also a lesson that freedoms are not permanent and 
can be fleeting, if not protected.
  Passage of this legislation, helping our Nation preserve, protect, 
document, and promote the history of Reconstruction, is critical to 
avoiding past mistakes and guiding our pursuit of a more perfect Union.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, as we know, H.R. 5532 establishes the 
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in and around Beaufort, 
South Carolina, to honor, protect, and preserve the historic structures 
and other resources from that chapter in American history. We know how 
effective that kind of protection can be.
  Recognizing the importance of highlighting the resources in Beaufort, 
President Obama used the Antiquities Act to designate the site as a 
national monument.
  This bill is an important follow-up to that original designation. It 
will ensure permanent protection and provide steady guidelines for 
future management.
  I want to thank Mr. Clyburn for his hard work throughout the initial 
designation process and the development of this bill. Without his 
leadership, this project would not have come this far, and he deserves 
our recognition.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5532, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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