[House Report 117-198]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 117-198
======================================================================
BLACKWELL SCHOOL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT
_______
December 1, 2021.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 4706]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 4706) to establish the Blackwell School National
Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 4706 is to establish the Blackwell
School National Historic Site in Texas as a unit of the
National Park System.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 4706 directs the Secretary of the Interior to
establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site to
preserve, protect, and interpret the role of the Blackwell
School as an academic and cultural cornerstone in Marfa, Texas.
The bill stipulates that the Secretary must enter into a
written agreement with the Marfa United School District
providing for the donation or co-management of the Blackwell
School prior to establishing the National Historic Site. In
addition, the bill would authorize the Secretary to enter into
cooperative agreements with the Blackwell School Alliance, and
other local, regional, state, academic, and nonprofit entities,
for interpretative and educational programming, technical
assistance, and rehabilitation.
The segregated Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, was the
sole public education institution for children of Mexican
descent in the city from 1909 until Marfa schools were
integrated in 1965. Even though there were no state laws
mandating segregation for children of Mexican descent, many
Texas school districts practiced de facto segregation through
the mid-twentieth century.\1\ The school, originally known as
the Ward or Mexican School, was named Blackwell School in 1940
after its longtime principal, Jesse Blackwell.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\See Nat'l Park Serv., Blackwell School (last visited Dec. 1,
2021), https://www.nps.gov/places/blackwell-school.htm, of which the
above text is partly excerpts. See also Tx. Hist. Comm'n, Recent
Listing: Blackwell School (last visited Dec.1, 2021), https://
www.thc.texas.gov/recent-listing-blackwell-school.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students at the Blackwell School received English
instruction, many for the first time, and were banned from
speaking Spanish on campus in 1954. Teachers were known to
paddle children for violating rules, and one teacher even made
students write notes saying, ``I will not speak Spanish,'' and
buried them in a mock funeral for the Spanish language.\2\ Over
the course of more than 50 years, approximately 4,000 students
attended the school.\3\ Today, all that remains of the once
sprawling campus is a three-room adobe schoolhouse--one of the
last of such schools remaining in Texas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\See Nat'l Parks Conservation Ass'n, Advocacy in Action:
Preserving the Complicated History at a Segregated Texas School (last
visited Dec. 1, 2021), https://www.npca.org/advocacy/96-preserving-the-
complicated-history-at-a-segregated-texas-school, of which the above
text is partly excerpts.
\3\Benjamin J. Hulac, A Bipartisan Effort to Turn a Segregated
School into a Monument, Roll Call (Sept. 15, 2020, 6:00 a.m.), https://
www.rollcall.com/2020/09/15/a-bipartisan-effort-to-turn-a-segregated-
school-into-a-monument/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 4706 was introduced on July 27, 2021, by
Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX). The bill was referred
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and
Public Lands. On October 14, 2021, the Subcommittee held a
hearing on the bill. On November 17, 2021, the Natural
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were
offered. The bill was adopted and ordered favorably reported to
the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House Rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and
Public Lands held on October 14, 2021.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has been informed by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office that the bill, as noticed for
consideration under suspension of the rules, will have no
effect on direct spending or revenues.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\CBO, Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules 2
(Nov. 29, 2021), https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2021 11/
suspensions_week_of_November_29_0.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee has requested but not received from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending
authority, or credit authority. The Committee adopts as its own
cost estimate the cost estimate of the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office and any updates thereto, should any
updates be made available before House passage of the bill.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to establish the Blackwell School
National Historic Site in Texas as a unit of the National Park
System.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS
None.
[all]