[Senate Report 106-268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 498
106th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 106-268
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WOMEN'S RIGHTS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
_______
April 12, 2000.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1910]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 1910) to amend the act establishing
Women's Rights National Historical Park to permit the Secretary
of the Interior to acquire title in fee simple to the Hunt
House located in Waterloo, New York, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and
recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
The amendments are as follows:
On page 1, line 5, strike ``97-607'' and insert in lieu
thereof ``96-607''.
On page 2, line 5, strike ``97-607'' and insert in lieu
thereof ``96-607''.
Purpose of the Measure
The purpose of S. 1910 is to amend the enabling legislation
for the Woman's Rights National Historical Park to authorize
the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the Hunt House in
Waterloo, New York for inclusion in the park's boundary.
Background and Need
Women's Rights National Historical Park was established in
1980 by Public Law 96-607. The park was established to preserve
and interpret for the education, inspiration, and benefit of
present and future generations the nationally significant
historical and cultural sites and structures associated with
the struggle for equal rights for women and to cooperate with
State and local entities to preserve the character and historic
setting of such sites and structures.
The enabling legislation provided that the park would
consist initially of a number of designated sites in Seneca
Falls and Waterloo, New York, including the Hunt House. The
Act, however, limited the Secretary of the Interior to
acquiring less than fee title to the Hunt House.
During the summer of 1999, the Hunt House was placed on the
market, and was subsequently acquired by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. S. 1910 would remove the restriction
against fee simple acquisition by the Secretary and allow the
house to be acquired for inclusion within the boundaries of the
historical park.
Legislative History
S. 1910 was introduced by Senators Moynihan and Schumer on
November 10, 1999. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation held a hearing on S. 1910 on March
8, 2000.
At its business meeting on April 5, 2000, the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 1910 favorably
reported, with an amendment.
Committee Recommendation
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in
open business session on April 5, 2000, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
1910, if amended as described herein.
Committee Amendment
During its consideration of S. 1910, the Committee adopted
a technical amendment to correct the references to the park's
enabling legislation in the bill from Public Law 97-607 to
Public Law 96-607.
Summary of the Measure
S. 1910 amends Public Law 96-607 by removing the
restrictions placed on fee simple acquisition of the Hunt House
and other properties. It also makes a technical correction to
correct the name of ``Williams Street'' to ``Main Street'' in
paragraph (c) of the act which established the historical park.
The section also repeals language that requires the Secretary
of the Interior to remove all structures not relevant to the
historic integrity of the McClintock House within two years of
acquisition of the property.
Cost and Budgetary Considerations
The Congressional Budget Office estimate of the costs of
this measure has been requested but was not received at the
time the report was filed. When the report is available, the
Chairman will request it to be printed in the Congressional
Record for the advice of the Senate.
Regulatory Impact Evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 1910. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 1910.
Executive Communications
The legislative report received by the Committee from the
Department of the Interior setting forth Executive agency
recommendation relating to S. 1910, is set forth below:
U.S. Department of the Interior,
Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC, March 20, 2000.
Hon. Frank Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter presents the Department's
views on S. 1910, a bill that amends the enabling legislation
for the Women's Rights National Historical Park in New York by
authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to acquire title in
fee simple to the Hunt House in Waterloo, New York.
The Department supports enactment of this legislation.
S. 1910 authorizes the Secretary to acquire, without
restriction, the Hunt House at Women's Rights National
Historical, the last remaining site in private ownership that
the Congress has identified as significant to the story of the
park. The Women's Rights National Historical Park, established
in 1980 through Public Law 96-607, was created to preserve and
interpret the important sites associated with the First Women's
Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. That
legislation originally identified nine sites that would make up
the features of the park. The Secretary was authorized to
acquire a fee simple title to six of those nine sites. With
regard to the remaining three sites, the Secretary was
authorized only to acquire a less-than-fee interest in the
sites. The home of Jane Hunt, located in Waterloo, New York,
was one of the sites.
On July 9, 1848, Jane Hunt hosted a tea during which
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and her sister Martha
Wright, and Mary Ann M'Clintock decided to hold the nation's
first women's rights convention. Stanton and M'Clintock met at
M'Clintock's house on July 14, 1848, to draft the Declaration
of Sentiments presented at the convention on July 19 and 20,
1848. Richard and Jane Hunt contributed to the development of
education in Waterloo by founding the Waterloo Academy in 1844,
with Richard Hunt on the Board of Trustees. The Waterloo Woolen
Mill, partly owned by Hunt, produced slave-free woolen cloth.
The Hunts were active reformers and abolitionists and their
home was a likely stop in the Underground Railroad.
When Women's Rights National Historical Park was
established, the Hunt House was in private ownership. One
family had owned the property since the 1940s. The owners were
not interested in selling a less-than-fee interest in their
property to the government, nor were they interested in
negotiating with the National Park Service to open their home
to the public for occasional tours or other special events. In
the summer of 1999, the property was put up for sale. The Trust
for Public Land and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation worked together and purchased the Hunt House to
ensure that the property would be available for public use and
enjoyment. Their intent in acquiring the property was to hold
it until such time as the NPS had the authority to acquire a
fee simple title to the property and to open it to the public
as part of Women's Rights National Historical Park.
As stated previously, Public Law 96-607 identified nine
sites to initially make up Women's Rights National Historical
Park. Subsequent amendments to Public Law 96-607 authorized fee
simple acquisition of the M'Clintock House (P.L. 98-402) and
deleted the Bloomer House from the park's boundary (P.L. 104-
333, Division I, Section 505). The Hunt House is the only
property within the boundary of Women's Rights National
Historical Park which the Secretary does have the authority to
acquire in fee. Section (a) of S. 1910 removes this restriction
by deleting the language that limits the Secretary's authority
to acquire the Hunt House. Section (b) of S. 1910 makes a
technical correction to P.L. 96-607 by reinserting the correct
address for the Hunt House that was incorrectly changed in the
amendment contained in Public Law 104-333.
The Department supports a technical amendment to correct
the public law cited in S. 1910. Sections (a) and (b) in S.
1910 amends Public Law 97-607. The correct citation should be
Public Law 96-607.
The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is
no objection to the presentation of this report from the
standpoint of the Administration's program.
Sincerely,
Donald Barry,
Assistant Secretary for Fish
and Wildlife and Parks.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill S. 1910, as ordered reported, are shown as follows
(existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black
brackets, new matter is printed, in italic, existing law in
which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
PUBLIC LAW 96-607--DEC. 28, 1980
AN ACT To provide, with respect to the national park system: for the
establishment of new units; for adjustments in boundaries; for
increases in appropriation authorizations for land acquisition an
development; and for other purposes
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I
* * * * * * *
TITLE XVI
women's rights national historical park
Sec. 1601. (a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(c) To carry out the purposes of this section there is
hereby established the Women's Rights National Historical Park
(hereinafter in this section referred to as the ``park''). The
park shall consist of the following designated sites in Seneca
Falls and Waterloo, New York:
(1) Stanton House, 32 Washington Street, Seneca
Falls;
(2) dwelling, 30 Washington Street, Seneca Falls;
(3) dwelling, 34 Washington Street, Seneca Falls;
(4) lot, 26-28 Washington Street, Seneca Falls;
(5) former Wesleyan Chapel, 126 Fall Street, Seneca
Falls;
(6) theater, 128 Fall Street, Seneca Falls;
(7) McClintock House, 16 East Williams Street,
Waterloo;
(8) Hunt House, 401 East [Williams] Main Street,
Waterloo;
(9) not to exceed 1 acre, plus improvements, as
determined by the Secretary, in Seneca Falls for
development of a maintenance facility;
(10) dwelling, 1 Seneca Street, Seneca Falls;
(11) dwelling, 10 Seneca Street, Seneca Falls;
(12) parcels adjacent to Wesleyan Chapel Block,
including Clinton Street, Fall Street, and Mynderse
Street, Seneca Falls; and
(13) dwelling, 12 East Williams Street, Waterloo.
(d) The Secretary is authorized to acquire by donation,
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, transfer from any
other Federal agency, or exchange lands and interests therein
within sites designated as part of the park. [except that the
Secretary may not acquire the fee simple title to the land
comprising the sites designated in paragraphs (7) and (9) of
subsection (c) of this section.] Lands and interests therein
owned by a State or political subdivision thereof may be
acquired only by donation. [Within two years of the acquisition
of the property listed in subsection (c)(8) of this section the
Secretary shall have removed all structures from the property
that are not relevant to the historic integrity of the
McClintock House.]