[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 6, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1010-S1011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 128. Mr. ISAKSON (for himself, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Blunt) submitted 
an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 111 submitted by 
Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Manchin) and intended to be proposed 
to the bill S. 47, to provide for the management of the natural 
resources of the United States, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 24____. PRESERVATION OF NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT 
                   BATTLEFIELDS.

       (a) Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002.--
     Section 2 of the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 
     2002 (Public Law 107-359) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       ``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       ``(1) Battlefields of the American Revolution, War of 1812, 
     and the Civil War--
       ``(A) provide a means for the people of the United States 
     to understand our Nation's turbulent first century;
       ``(B) serve as living memorials to those who fought and 
     sacrificed in these conflicts to establish and maintain our 
     freedom and liberty;
       ``(C) serve as training grounds for our Nation's Armed 
     Forces; and
       ``(D) serve as heritage tourism destinations, generating 
     revenue for local economies.
       ``(2) According to the Report on the Nation's Civil War 
     Battlefields, prepared by the National Park Service and 
     updated in 2010, of the 383 Civil War battlefields identified 
     as national preservation priorities--
       ``(A) only at 31 battlefields is more than half of the 
     surviving landscape permanently protected;
       ``(B) at 227 battlefields, less than half of the surviving 
     landscape is permanently protected;
       ``(C) 65 battlefields have no protection at all; and
       ``(D) 113 battlefields have been severely hampered by 
     development since the Civil War or are on the verge of being 
     overwhelmed.
       ``(3) According to the 2007 Report to Congress on the 
     Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 
     Sites in the United States, prepared by the National Park 
     Service, of the 243 principal Revolutionary War and War of 
     1812 battlefields identified as national preservation 
     priorities--
       ``(A) almost 70 percent lie within urban areas as denoted 
     in the 2000 U.S. Census;
       ``(B) 141 are lost or extremely fragmented, with 
     residential and commercial development being the chief 
     threats;
       ``(C) 100 other battlefields retain significant features 
     and lands from the period of battle, although on average 
     these battlefields retain only 37 percent of the original 
     historic scene;
       ``(D) of these 100 surviving but diminished battle 
     landscapes, 82 are partially owned and protected by public 
     and nonprofit stewards, although the extent of that 
     protection varies from site to site;
       ``(E) 18 are without any legal protection;
       ``(F) the condition of two battlefields is unknown, with 
     additional research and survey being required to determine 
     their exact location and condition; and
       ``(G) the paucity of existing battlefield landscapes 
     necessitates preservation and maintenance of what precious 
     little remains today.
       ``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       ``(1) to act quickly and proactively to preserve and 
     protect nationally significant battlefields of the American 
     Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War through conservation 
     easements and fee-simple purchases of those battlefields from 
     willing sellers; and

[[Page S1011]]

       ``(2) to create partnerships among State and local 
     governments, regional entities, and the private sector to 
     preserve, conserve, and enhance the visitor experience at 
     nationally significant battlefields of the American 
     Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War.''.
       (b) Preservation Assistance.--Section 308103(f) of title 
     54, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide grants under 
     this section $20,000,000 for each fiscal year through 2028, 
     of which not more than 10 percent may be used each fiscal 
     year as follows:
       ``(1) Not more than $1,000,000 for projects and programs 
     that modernize battlefield interpretive and educational 
     assets through the deployment of technology, disbursed 
     through the competitive grant process to non-profit 
     organizations.
       ``(2) Not more than $1,000,000 for grants to organizations 
     described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
     of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such 
     Code to be used for projects that restore day-of-battle 
     conditions on land preserved through Battlefield Land 
     Acquisition Grant Program funds.''.
                                 ______