[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11633]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER AREA STUDY ACT

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill (S. 311) to direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in the State of 
Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 
purposes, which had been reported from the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources, with an amendment, as follows:
  [The parts of the bill intended to be stricken are shown in boldface 
brackets and the parts of the bill intended to be inserted are shown in 
italics]

                                 S. 311

       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 ``Lower Mississippi River Area 
     Study Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Study area.--The term ``study area'' includes Fort St. 
     Philip, Fort Jackson, the Head of Passes, and any related and 
     supporting historical, cultural, and recreational resources 
     located in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

     SEC. 3. STUDY.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
     which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 
     Secretary, in consultation with the State of Louisiana and 
     other interested organizations, shall complete a special 
     resource study that evaluates--
       (1) the national significance of the study area; and
       (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the 
     study area as a unit of the National Park System.
       (b) Criteria.--In conducting the study under subsection 
     (a), the Secretary shall use the criteria for the study of 
     areas for potential inclusion in the National Park System in 
     section 8(c) of National Park System General Authorities Act 
     (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)).
       (c) Content.--The study described in subsection (a) shall--
       (1) include cost estimates for the potential acquisition, 
     development, operation, and maintenance of the study area; 
     and
       (2) identify alternatives for the management, 
     administration, and protection of the study area.

     SEC. 4. DONATIONS.

       The Secretary may accept the donation of funds to carry out 
     this Act.

     [SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.]
  The amendment (No. 3528) was agreed to, as follows:

       On page 3, strike lines 10 through 12 and insert the 
     following:

     SEC. 4. AGREEMENT; DONATIONS.

       The study described in section 3 shall not be conducted 
     until the date on which--
       (1) the Secretary enters into an agreement with a State, 
     unit of local government, or other entity to conduct the 
     study using non-Federal funds; or
       (2) the Secretary receives a donation of an amount of non-
     Federal funds sufficient to pay the cost of conducting the 
     study.

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