[Senate Report 118-133]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                      Calendar No. 277

118th Congress    }                                     {    Report
                                 SENATE                          
 1st Session      }                                     {    118-133

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



 
  CESAR E. CHAVEZ AND THE FARMWORKER MOVEMENT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

                                _______
                                

               December 12, 2023.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

         Mr. Manchin, from the Committee on Energy and Natural
                   Resources, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1097]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1097) to establish the Cesar E. Chavez 
and the Farmworker Movement National Historic Park in the 
States of California and Arizona, and for other purposes, 
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 
amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.

                               Amendment

    Strike section 2 and insert the following:

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to establish the Cesar E. Chavez 
and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park--
          (1) to help preserve, protect, and interpret the 
        nationally significant resources associated with Cesar 
        Chavez and the farmworker movement;
          (2) to interpret and provide for a broader 
        understanding of the extraordinary achievements and 
        contributions to the history of the United States made 
        by Cesar Chavez and the farmworker movement; and
          (3) to support and enhance the network of sites and 
        resources associated with Cesar Chavez and the 
        farmworker movement.

                                Purpose

    The purpose of S. 1097 is to establish the Cesar E. Chavez 
and the Farmworker Movement National Historic Park in the 
States of California and Arizona.

                          Background and Need

    Cesar E. Chavez was a civil rights leader, labor leader, 
and community organizer whose legacy is intricately connected 
to the farmworker movement and the push for worker and civil 
rights. In 2008, Congress enacted legislation authorizing the 
National Park Service to conduct a special resource study of 
sites pertaining to the life of Cesar Chavez and the farmworker 
movement (Public Law 110-229).
    In 2012, President Obama established the Cesar Chavez 
National Monument in Keene, California to honor Chavez's 
commitment to ``respect and dignity for the farm workers of 
America'' (Proclamation 8884). The National Park Service 
completed the special resource study in 2013 and determined 
that several sites associated with Chavez's life were 
nationally significant and depict a distinct story of American 
history not told elsewhere in the national park system.
    S. 1097 follows the National Park Service's recommendation 
to establish a National Historical Park that incorporates 
nationally significant sites in California and Arizona related 
to Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement.

                          Legislative History

    Senators Padilla and Feinstein introduced S. 1097 on May 
30, 2023. Representative Ruiz introduced a companion measure, 
H.R. 2446, in the House of Representatives on May 30, 2023. The 
Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on S. 1097 on 
June 21, 2023.
    In the 117th Congress, Senators Padilla and Feinstein 
introduced similar legislation, S. 4371.

                        Committee Recommendation

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on September 21, 2023, by a voice vote of 
a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 1097, if 
amended as described herein.

                          Committee Amendment

    During its consideration of S. 1097, the committee adopted 
an amendment which strikes the Congressional findings in 
section 2 and adds a purpose section.

                       Section-by-Section Summary


Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 provides the short title of the bill, the ``Cesar 
E. Chavez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park 
Act.''

Section 2. Purpose

    Section 2 provides the purpose of the bill, which is to 
establish the historical park:
    (1) to help preserve, protect, and interpret the nationally 
significant resources associated with Cesar Chavez and the 
farmworker movement;
    (2) to interpret and provide for a broader understanding of 
the extraordinary achievements and contributions to the history 
of the United States made by Cesar Chavez and the farmworker 
movement; and
    (3) to support and enhance the network of sites and 
resources associated with Cesar Chavez and the farmworker 
movement.

Section 3. Definitions

    Section 3 defines key terms used in the bill.

Section 4. Cesar E. Chavez and the Farmworker Movement National 
        Historical Park

    Subsection (a) redesignates the Cesar E. Chavez National 
Monument as the ``Cesar E. Chavez and the Farmworker Movement 
National Historical Park.''
    Subsection (b) states that the boundary of the historical 
park shall be as shown on the referenced map. The subsection 
authorizes the expansion of the boundary of the historical park 
to include additional sites in Delano and San Jose, California, 
and Phoenix, Arizona, as depicted on the map.
    Subsection (c) requires the map to be available to the 
public in appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
    Subsection (d) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary) to acquire land and interests in land within the 
area depicted on the map by donation, purchase from a willing 
seller, or exchange.
    Subsection (e) requires the Secretary to administer the 
historical park in accordance with the laws generally 
applicable to units of the National Park System. It also 
authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance on 
lands and resources not under the administration of the 
Secretary, and enter into cooperative agreements to provide for 
the use of the historical park.
    Subsection (f) requires the Secretary to prepare a general 
management plan within 3 years after the date on which funds 
are made available, containing a determination and 
recommendation on potential additional sites and to submit such 
determinations to the appropriate committees of Congress. The 
plan is to be developed in consultation with any owner of land 
that is included within the boundaries of the park, as well as 
relevant agencies and organizations.

Section 5. Farmworker Peregrinacion National Historic Trail study

    Section 5 amends section 5(c) of the National Trails System 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) to direct the Secretary to study the 
suitability of the Farmworker Perigrinacion National Historic 
Trail for potential inclusion as a National Scenic Trail.

                   Cost and Budgetary Considerations

    The Committee has requested, but has not yet received, the 
Congressional Budget Office's estimate of the cost of S. 1097 
as ordered reported. When the Congressional Budget Office 
completes its cost estimate, it will be posted on the Internet 
at www.cbo.gov.

                      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. 1097. 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. 1097, as ordered reported.

                   Congressionally Directed Spending

    S. 1097, as ordered reported, does not contain any 
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, 
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate.

                        Executive Communications

    The testimony of the National Park Service from the 
Subcommittee on National Parks June 21, 2023, hearing on S. 
1097, follows:

 Statement of Michael A. Caldwell, Associate Director, Park Planning, 
 Facilities, and Lands, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the 
                                Interior

    Chairman King, Ranking Member Daines, and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the 
Department of the Interior's views on S. 1097, a bill to 
establish the Cesar E. Chavez and the Farmworker Movement 
National Historical Park in the states of California and 
Arizona, and for other purposes.
    The Department supports S. 1097.
    S. 1097 would redesignate the existing Cesar E. Chavez 
National Monument in Keene, California as the Cesar E. Chavez 
and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park. The bill 
would authorize the Secretary to include within the boundary of 
the historical park: The Forty Acres in Delano, California; the 
Santa Rita Center in Phoenix, Arizona; and McDonnell Hall in 
San Jose, California. The additional sites would only be 
included in the boundary upon acquisition of the land, or upon 
entering a written agreement with the owner of the site that 
the site would be managed in accordance with the Act. S. 1097 
would also authorize a study to determine the feasibility of 
designating the approximately 300-mile march taken by 
farmworkers between Delano and Sacramento, California, in 1966, 
as the Farmworker Peregrinacion National Historic Trail.
    Cesar E. Chavez National Monument was established by 
Presidential Proclamation 8884 on October 8, 2012, to preserve, 
interpret, and commemorate the collective struggles and 
achievements of the farm worker movement, associated historic 
resources, and the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chavez. The site 
was also designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. The 
Cesar E. Chavez National Monument is on the 116-acre property 
known as ``La Paz,'' which served as headquarters, residence, 
and training center for the United Farm Workers (UFW) beginning 
in 1971. The site continues to serve as the headquarters of the 
UFW and the Cesar Chavez Foundation. The site includes the home 
of Cesar and Helen Chavez, a memorial garden where they are 
buried and martyrs to the farmworker movement are honored, and 
a visitor center in the former UFW administration building, 
which includes exhibits and Cesar Chavez's office and original 
furnishings. In managing the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, 
the National Park Service (NPS) works closely with the National 
Chavez Center of the Cesar Chavez Foundation.
    The Forty Acres property was acquired by the Farmworkers 
Service Center in 1966. This organization and its successors 
proceeded to build a service station, multipurpose hall, health 
clinic, and retirement housing. Cesar Chavez conducted his 1968 
fast in the service station building, and his 1988 fast in the 
retirement village. The UFW Organizing Committee was 
headquartered at The Forty Acres from 1969-71, and the 
contracts that ended the 1965-70 strike against Delano-area 
growers were signed here. Many public events and rallies were 
based at the Forty Acres. As a property purchased, built, and 
used by farm workers, The Forty Acres embodies the farm labor 
movement itself. The Forty Acres was designated a National 
Historic Landmark in 2008. Owned and managed by the Cesar 
Chavez Foundation, it continues to function as a UFW field 
office and a site for special events.
    The Santa Rita Center was built by the nearby Catholic 
parish around 1960 as a classroom and community hall. Cesar 
Chavez's fast at the Santa Rita Center in 1972 focused national 
attention on farm workers and their organized protest against 
restrictive legislation, and it invigorated two social 
movements--the Chicano movement and the farm labor movement. 
Thousands of Arizona farm workers, and influential supporters 
such as Coretta Scott King, came to the Santa Rita Center to 
participate in rallies, celebrate nightly Masses, give voice to 
the movement's newly adopted slogan ``Si Se Puede!'' and pledge 
their support for La Causa. The building is owned by Chicanos 
Por La Causa, is now surrounded largely by vacant and 
industrial properties, and is occasionally used for special 
meetings and events.
    McDonnell Hall is the parish hall associated with Our Lady 
of Guadalupe Church in San Jose, California, and is the primary 
site from which Cesar Chavez, Father Donald McDonnell, and 
community organizer Fred Ross served, organized, and educated 
farmworkers, and conducted the work of the Community Services 
Organization in the 1950s. The site was used for farmworker 
organizing activities into the 1970s. It continues to be 
associated with the church and was designated a National 
Historic Landmark in 2016.
    In 2013, the NPS completed a special resource study to 
determine if sites significant in the life of Cesar Chavez and 
the farm labor movement met the criteria for inclusion in the 
national park system. The selected alternative for the study 
included La Paz, The Forty Acres, the Santa Rita Center, and 
McDonnell Hall in the proposed national historical park 
concept, noting that most sites would remain in their existing 
ownership and management would occur through cooperative 
agreements and partnerships.
    The march along the Farmworker Peregrinacion route, 
proposed for study as a National Historic Trail, was a 
milestone event in the history of the farm labor movement. More 
than 100 men and women set out from Delano on March 17, 1966, 
and thousands of farm workers and their families joined in for 
short stretches along the way. The march route passed through 
42 cities and towns of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as vast 
stretches of the agricultural landscape. By the time the 
marchers entered Sacramento on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1966, 
thousands of people had joined them, and the farm worker 
movement had secured a contract and attracted new waves of 
support from across the country.
    We appreciate that S. 1097 incorporates provisions that the 
National Park Service recommended to the version of this 
legislation that was introduced in the 117th Congress which 
address the concerns that the National Park Service had with 
the previous version and will facilitate more effective 
implementation of this bill upon enactment.
    Chairman King, this concludes my statement. I would be 
pleased to answer any questions you or other members of the 
Subcommittee may have.

                        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. 1097, 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):

                       NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT


                           Public Law 90-543


AN ACT To establish a national trails system, and for other purposes.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


              NATIONAL SCENIC AND NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS

    Sec. 5. (a) National scenic and national historic trails 
shall be authorized and designated only by Act of Congress. 
There are hereby established the following National Scenic and 
National Historic Trails:

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

    (c) The following routes shall be studied in accordance 
with the objectives outlined in subsection (b) of this section:
          (1) Continental Divide Trail, a three-thousand-one-
        hundred-mile trail extending from near the Mexican 
        border in southwestern New Mexico northward generally 
        along the Continental Divide to the Canadian border in 
        Glacier National Park.
          (2) Potomac Heritage Trail, an eight-hundred-and-
        twenty-five-mile trail extending generally from the 
        mouth of the Potomac River to its sources in 
        Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including the one-
        hundred-and-seventy-mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 
        towpath.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (49) Buckeye trail.--The Buckeye Trail, a system of 
        trails creating a loop extending approximately 1,454 
        miles from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, through the 
        farmland of northwest Ohio, the hills of Appalachia, 
        the Black Hand sandstone cliffs of the Hocking Hills 
        region, and the Bluegrass region of southwest Ohio.
          (50) Farmworker peregrinacion national historic 
        trail.--The Farmworker Peregrinacion National Historic 
        Trail, a route of approximately 300 miles taken by 
        farmworkers between Delano and Sacramento, California, 
        in 1966, as generally depicted as ``Alternative C'' in 
        the study conducted by the National Park Service 
        entitled `Cesar Chavez Special Resource Study and 
        Environmental Assessment' and submitted to Congress on 
        October 24, 2013.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


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