[House Report 117-471]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress   }                                     {        Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session      }                                     {       117-471

======================================================================



 
              NEW PHILADELPHIA NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT

                                _______
                                

 September 19, 2022.--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. 820]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 820) to establish the New Philadelphia National 
Historical Park in the State of Illinois as a unit of the 
National Park System, and for other purposes, having considered 
the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and 
recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendments are as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``New Philadelphia National Historic 
Site Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

  In this Act:
          (1) Historic site.--The term ``Historic Site'' means the New 
        Philadelphia National Historic Site established by this Act.
          (2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map titled ``New 
        Philadelphia National Historic Site Proposed Boundary'', 
        numbered 591/176,516, and dated July, 2021.
          (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        the Interior.
          (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Illinois.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW PHILADELPHIA.

  (a) Establishment.--Subject to subsection (c), there is established 
the New Philadelphia National Historic Site in the State of Illinois as 
a unit of the National Park System to preserve, protect, and interpret 
the history and archeological resources of the town established by 
Frank McWorter, a formerly enslaved man, in 1836.
  (b) Boundary.--The boundaries of the Historic Site shall be the 
boundaries generally depicted on the Map.
  (c) Secretarial Determination.--The Historic Site shall not be 
established until the date on which the Secretary determines that the 
Secretary has acquired a sufficient quantity of land or interests in 
and within the boundary of the Historic Site to constitute a manageable 
unit.
  (d) Notice.--Not later than 30 days after the date on which the 
Secretary makes a determination under subsection (c), the Secretary 
shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the establishment of 
the Historic Site.

SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION.

  (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer land within the 
boundary of the Historic Site in accordance with--
          (1) this Act; and
          (2) the laws generally applicable to units of the National 
        Park System, including--
                  (A) section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and sections 
                100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of title 54, 
                United States Code; and
                  (B) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States Code.
  (b) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into cooperative 
agreements with the State or other public and nonpublic entities, under 
which the Secretary may identify, interpret, and provide assistance for 
the preservation of non-Federal land within the boundaries of the 
Historic Site and at sites in close proximity to the Historic Site, but 
located outside the boundaries of the Historic Site, including 
providing for placement of directional and interpretive signage, 
exhibits, and technology-based interpretive devices.
  (c) Acquisition of Land.--The Secretary may acquire any land 
(including interests in land), within the Historic Site boundary by 
donation, transfer, exchange, or purchase from a willing seller using 
donated or appropriate funds.
  (d) Management Plan.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which 
funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary, in 
consultation with the State, shall complete a general management plan 
for the Historic Site in accordance with any other applicable laws.
  (e) No Buffer Zone Created.--Nothing in this Act, the acquisition of 
the land or an interest in land authorized by this Act, or the 
management plan for the Park shall be construed to create buffer zones 
outside of the Park. That activities or uses can be seen, heard, or 
detected from the acquired land shall not preclude, limit, control, 
regulate, or determine the conduct or management of activities or uses 
outside of the Park.
  (f) Eminent Domain or Condemnation.--In carrying out this Act, the 
Secretary of the Interior may not use eminent domain or condemnation.

    Amend the title so as to read:
    A bill to establish the New Philadelphia National Historic 
Site in the State of Illinois as a unit of the National Park 
System, and for other purposes.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 820 is to establish the New 
Philadelphia National Historic Site in the State of Illinois as 
a unit of the National Park System.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 820 would establish the New Philadelphia National 
Historic Site in Pike County, Illinois. As the first town 
platted and legally registered by an African American before 
the Civil War, New Philadelphia was listed on the National 
Register of Historic Places in 2005, designated as a National 
Historic Landmark in 2009, and included in the National Park 
Service (NPS) National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom 
program in 2013.
    H.R. 820 would ensure permanent protections for the site 
and authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into 
cooperative agreements for the preservation and interpretation 
of non-federal lands within and around the site. The bill would 
also allow the Secretary to acquire lands, buildings, and 
structures for inclusion in the National Historic Site.
    The significant archeological integrity of the town site 
presents the opportunity to address nationally significant 
research questions regarding societal relationships at New 
Philadelphia during a time of racial strife. Currently, the New 
Philadelphia Townsite is used as an archeological preserve, 
with several portions of the townsite under private ownership.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 820 was introduced on February 4, 2021, by 
Representative Darin LaHood (R-IL). 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 April 21, 2021, the Subcommittee held a 
hearing on the bill. On July 14, 2021, the Natural Resources 
Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was 
discharged by unanimous consent. Ranking Member Bruce Westerman 
(R-AR) offered an amendment designated Westerman #1. The 
amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent. The bill, as 
amended, 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 April 21, 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 received the following estimate for the 
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                 Washington, DC, February 24, 2022.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 820, the New 
Philadelphia National Historic Site Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sofia Guo.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    H.R. 820 would establish the New Philadelphia National 
Historic Site in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System 
and would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire 
about 42 acres of land by donation, exchange, or purchase. The 
NPS would need to develop a management plan for the park and 
enter into agreements with other landowners to identify, 
interpret, and preserve nonfederal land within or near the 
site.
    Using information from the NPS, Pike County, Illinois, and 
other interested parties, CBO estimates that acquiring the land 
and developing a management plan would cost less than $500,000 
over the 2022-2026 period. CBO expects that more than half of 
the land would be donated; the remaining property would 
probably be purchased over the following five years. Any such 
spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated 
funds.
    Once the NPS has acquired enough land to constitute a 
manageable unit, the agency could establish the site and would 
incur costs to operate and maintain the site's properties and 
facilities. Because of the uncertainty about when the land 
would be acquired, CBO has not estimated those costs.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sofia Guo. The 
estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director 
of Budget Analysis.
    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 New Philadelphia 
National Historic Site in the State of Illinois 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

    According to CBO, this bill contains no unfunded mandates 
as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

                           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]