Grant's Tomb National Monument Act of 1997

Summary: Grant's Tomb National Monument Act of 1997 - Redesignates General Grant National Memorial located at Riverside Drive and West 122d Street, New York, New York, as Grant's Tomb National Monument. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to:  (1) maintain and promote the Monument in accordance with provisions applicable to National Park System units; (2) construct a visitors center; and (3) acquire from New York City non-Federal lands located within the Monument. 
Requires the Secretary to establish a study commission to:  (1) review security and maintenance at the Monument; (2) plan for interpretive programs and the complete restoration of the Monument; (3) monitor and report to the Secretary and the Congress on the progress of repairs to the tomb; and (4) report to the Secretary who must report to the Congress a final plan for projects to be fully completed by April 27, 1999.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Grant's Tomb National Monument Act 
of 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) Ulysses S. Grant has been heralded as a national hero 
        by his contemporaries and by generations thereafter;
            (2) Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Army to victory, 
        bringing to an end the Civil War in 1865, assuring the 
        preservation of the United States, and ensuring the 
        emancipation of United States slaves;
            (3) Ulysses S. Grant served as the 18th President of the 
        United States from 1869 through 1877;
            (4) Ulysses S. Grant demonstrated his commitment to 
        maintaining the rights of freed slaves by executing his 
        authority as Commander in Chief to command Federal troops to 
        protect the rights and freedoms of former slaves; and
            (5) Ulysses S. Grant demonstrated his commitment to 
        rebuilding the United States and restoring unity among the 
        people of the United States.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to recognize and pay tribute to Ulysses S. Grant, both 
        as a general and as a former President of the United States;
            (2) to restore, complete, and preserve in perpetuity the 
        Grant's Tomb National Monument and surrounding areas that are 
        of national historical significance in a manner consistent with 
        the architectural, historical, and educational value of the 
        monument's original design and purpose; and
            (3) to educate present and future generations about the 
        life of Ulysses S. Grant and his contributions to the United 
        States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Monument.--The term ``monument'' means the monument 
        redesignated as Grant's Tomb National Monument under section 
        4(a).
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) Tomb.--The term ``tomb'' means the tomb of Ulysses S. 
        Grant.

SEC. 4. REDESIGNATION OF MEMORIAL AND ADMINISTRATION OF GRANT'S TOMB 
              NATIONAL MONUMENT.

    (a) Redesignation.--General Grant National Memorial, located at 
Riverside Drive and West 122d Street in New York, New York, is 
redesignated as Grant's Tomb National Monument.
    (b) Area Included.--The monument shall consist of the tomb and the 
surrounding plaza area, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
``Grant's Tomb National Monument'' and dated April 27, 1994. The map 
shall be on file and available for public inspection in the offices of 
the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
    (c) Administration.--The Secretary shall administer, repair, 
restore, preserve, maintain, and promote the monument in accordance 
with this Act and with the provisions of law generally applicable to 
units of the National Park System, including the Act entitled ``An Act 
to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes'', 
approved August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.).
    (d) Visitors Center.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall design and construct a 
        visitors center (including public restrooms) at the monument to 
        aid in the interpretation and maintain the historical 
        significance of the monument.
            (2) Consultation and design.--The visitors center shall--
                    (A) be established in consultation with the study 
                commission established under section 5; and
                    (B) be designed in a manner that--
                            (i) is consistent with the existing 
                        architectural and historical intent of the 
                        site; and
                            (ii) does not detract from the historical 
                        interpretation and the scenic views of the 
                        monument and the existing park area.

SEC. 5. LAND ACQUISITION; LEASE OR COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT.

    (a) Land Acquisition.--The Secretary shall acquire from the city of 
New York non-Federal lands, located within the monument as depicted on 
the map referred to in section 4(b), by donation, purchase with donated 
or appropriated funds, or exchange.
    (b) Lease or Cooperative Management Agreement.--To carry out the 
purposes of this Act, the Secretary may--
            (1) lease non-Federal land located within the boundary of 
        the monument; or
            (2) enter into a cooperative agreement for the management 
        of non-Federal land located within the boundary of the 
        monument.

SEC. 6. STUDY COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a study 
        commission of 7 persons, which shall be composed of--
                    (A) the president and at least 3 members of the 
                executive committee of the Grant Monument Association;
                    (B) representatives of the community surrounding 
                the monument; and
                    (C) citizens with a unique knowledge or expertise 
                relating to the monument.
            (2) Government employees.--No officer or employee of the 
        Federal Government or a State or local government is eligible 
        for membership on the study commission.
            (3) Without pay.--Members of the study commission shall 
        serve without pay.
            (4) Chair.--The members of the study commission shall 
        designate a chair of the study commission.
            (5) Administrative support services.--On request of the 
        study commission, the Secretary shall furnish on a reimbursable 
        basis such administrative support services (including staff, 
        supplies, and facilities) as are necessary for the study 
        commission to carry out its duties under subsection (b).
    (b) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The study commission shall--
                    (A) review security and maintenance of the 
                monument;
                    (B) plan for interpretive programs of the monument;
                    (C) plan for the complete restoration of the 
                monument;
                    (D) submit a study in accordance with paragraph 
                (2);
                    (E) monitor the progress of repairs being made to 
                the tomb; and
                    (F) submit reports to the Secretary and to Congress 
                on the progress of any repairs being made to the tomb.
            (2) Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        study commission's first meeting, the study commission shall 
        submit a written study of the monument to the Secretary, which 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) Proposed measures to improve security, 
                maintenance, and interpretive programs of the monument, 
                including such improvements as may be required to be 
                carried out by April 27, 1999. The proposed measures 
                shall be based on the original plans of the architect 
                of the tomb, John H. Duncan, and the plans of architect 
                John Russell Pope, approved in 1928 by the Grant 
                Monument Association.
                    (B) An estimate of the capital costs and general 
                operating costs of implementing the measures proposed 
                under subparagraph (A).
    (c) Final Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
        which the study is submitted to the Secretary under subsection 
        (b)(2), the Secretary shall review and evaluate the study and 
        submit to Congress a final plan for the projects at the 
        monument to be fully completed by April 27, 1999.
            (2) Consistency with study.--The final plan shall be 
        consistent with the study, except for any aspect of the study 
        that the Secretary reports to Congress--
                    (A) is unreasonable;
                    (B) is inconsistent with the existing 
                architectural, historical, or educational intent of the 
                site;
                    (C) would detract from, distort, or otherwise 
                compromise the historical interpretation or scenic 
                views of the monument; or
                    (D) would conflict with the purpose of this Act 
                described in section 2(b).
            (3) Design.--The final plan shall contain a design for the 
        site that--
                    (A) is consistent with the architectural and 
                historical intent of the site; and
                    (B) does not detract from or distort the historical 
                interpretation or scenic views of the monument and the 
                existing park area.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) Open meetings.--All meetings of the study commission 
        shall be open to the public.
            (2) Interested persons.--An interested person may attend a 
        meeting of the study commission, appear before the study 
        commission, or file a statement related to the purposes of this 
        Act with the study commission.
    (e) FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
not apply to the study commission.
    (f) Termination.--The study commission shall terminate 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act.