106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 659

AN ACT

To authorize appropriations for the protection of

purposes.Forge National Historical Park, and for otherMuseum of the American Revolution at Valleydywine Battlefields, to authorize the Valley Forgeduct a special resource study of Paoli and Branvania, to direct the National Park Service to conPaoli and Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsyl-
106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 659

AN ACT

To authorize appropriations for the protection of Paoli and

Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsylvania, to direct the

National Park Service to conduct a special resource

study of Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields, to authorize

the Valley Forge Museum of the American Revolution

at Valley Forge National Historical Park, and for other

purposes.
2

•HR 659 EH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect America’s

5 Treasures of the Revolution for Independence for Our To6 morrow Act’’ or the ‘‘PATRIOT Act’’.

7 TITLE I—PAOLI AND

8 BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELDS

9 SEC. 101. PAOLI BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.

10 (a) PAOLI BATTLEFIELD.—The Secretary of the In11 terior (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) is au12 thorized to provide funds to the borough of Malvern,

13 Pennsylvania, for the acquisition of the area known as the

14 ‘‘Paoli Battlefield’’, located in the borough of Malvern,

15 Pennsylvania, as generally depicted on the map entitled

16 ‘‘Paoli Battlefield’’ numbered 80,000 and dated April

17 1999 (referred to in this title as the ‘‘Paoli Battlefield’’).

18 The map shall be on file in the appropriate offices of the

19 National Park Service.

20 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND TECHNICAL AS21 SISTANCE.—The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative

22 agreement with the borough of Malvern, Pennsylvania, for

23 the management by the borough of the Paoli Battlefield.

24 The Secretary may provide technical assistance to the bor-
3

•HR 659 EH

1 ough of Malvern to assure the preservation and interpreta2 tion of the battlefield’s resources.

3 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

4 are authorized to be appropriated $1,250,000 to carry out

5 this section. Such funds shall be expended in the ratio of

6 $1 of Federal funds for each dollar of funds contributed

7 by non-Federal sources. Any funds provided by the Sec8 retary shall be subject to an agreement that provides for

9 the protection of the land’s resources.

10 SEC. 102. BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.

11 (a) BRANDYWINE BATTLEFIELD.—

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized

13 to provide funds to the Commonwealth of Pennsyl14 vania, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth,

15 or the Brandywine Conservancy, for the acquisition,

16 protection, and preservation of land in an area gen17 erally known as the Meetinghouse Road Corridor, lo18 cated in Chester County, Pennsylvania, as depicted

19 on a map entitled ‘‘Brandywine Battlefield—Meet20 inghouse Road Corridor’’, numbered 80,000 and

21 dated April 1999 (referred to in this title as the

22 ‘‘Brandywine Battlefield’’). The map shall be on file

23 in the appropriate offices of the National Park Serv24 ice.
4

•HR 659 EH

1 (2) WILLING SELLERS OR DONORS.—Interests

2 in land shall be acquired pursuant to this section

3 only from willing sellers or donors.

4 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND TECHNICAL AS5 SISTANCE.—The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative

6 agreement with the same entity that is provided funds

7 under subsection (a) for the management by the entity

8 of the Brandywine Battlefield. The Secretary may also

9 provide technical assistance to the entity to assure the

10 preservation and interpretation of the battlefield’s re11 sources.

12 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

13 are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 to carry out

14 this section. Such funds shall be expended in the ratio of

15 $1 of Federal funds for each dollar of funds contributed

16 by non-Federal sources. Any funds provided by the Sec17 retary shall be subject to an agreement that provides for

18 the protection of the land’s resources.

19 SEC. 103. STUDY OF BATTLEFIELDS.

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after

21 the date on which funds are made available to carry out

22 this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee

23 on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the

24 Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives
5

•HR 659 EH

1 a resource study of the property described in sections 101

2 and 102.

3 (b) CONTENTS.—The study shall—

4 (1) identify the full range of resources and his5 toric themes associated with the Paoli Battlefield

6 and the Brandywine Battlefield, including their rela7 tionship to the American Revolutionary War and the

8 Valley Forge National Historical Park; and

9 (2) identify alternatives for National Park Serv10 ice involvement at the sites and include cost esti11 mates for any necessary acquisition, development,

12 interpretation, operation, and maintenance associ13 ated with the alternatives identified.

14 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

15 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be

16 necessary to carry out this section.

17 TITLE II—VALLEY FORGE

18 NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

19 SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

20 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Valley Forge Museum

21 of the American Revolution Act of 1999’’.

22 SEC. 202. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

23 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:

24 (1) Valley Forge National Historical Park, for25 merly a State park, was established as a unit of the
6

•HR 659 EH

1 National Park System in 1976. The National Park

2 Service acquired various lands and structures associ3 ated with the park, including a visitor center, from

4 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

5 (2) Valley Forge National Historical Park

6 maintains an extensive collection of artifacts, books,

7 and other documents associated with the Continental

8 Army’s winter encampment of 1777–1778 at Valley

9 Forge, Revolutionary War-era artifacts of military

10 life, important archaeological resources, and numer11 ous structures and associated artifacts.

12 (3) Between 1982 and 1997 the National Park

13 Service completed a general management plan, long14 range interpretive plan, and strategic business plan

15 for Valley Forge National Historical Park that es16 tablish goals and priorities for management of the

17 park.

18 (4) These plans identify inadequacies in the

19 park’s current visitor center and interpretive pro20 grams. The plans call for the development of a new

21 or significantly renovated visitor center that would

22 make the collection accessible to the public through

23 exhibits and research facilities. Plans also call for

24 improving the interpretation of the landscape and

25 improving the circulation into and through the park.
7

•HR 659 EH

1 (5) The Valley Forge Historical Society was es2 tablished in 1918 as a nonprofit organization to pre3 serve and interpret for future generations the sig4 nificant history and artifacts of the American Revo5 lution in their historic setting at Valley Forge. The

6 Valley Forge Historical Society has amassed valu7 able holdings of artifacts, art, books, and other doc8 uments relating to the 1777–1778 encampment of

9 Washington’s Continental Army at Valley Forge, the

10 American Revolution, and the American colonial era.

11 The Society continues to pursue additional impor12 tant collections through bequests, exchanges, and ac13 quisitions.

14 (6) The Society’s collection is currently housed

15 in a facility inadequate to properly maintain, pre16 serve, and display their ever-growing collection. The

17 Society is interested in developing an up-to-date mu18 seum and education facility.

19 (7) The Society and the National Park Service

20 have discussed the idea of a joint museum and edu21 cation and visitor facility. Such a collaborative

22 project would directly support the historical, edu23 cational, and interpretive activities and needs of Val24 ley Forge National Historical Park and those of the

25 Valley Forge Historical Society. A joint facility
8

•HR 659 EH

1 would combine 2 outstanding museum collections

2 and provide an enhanced experience at Valley Forge

3 for visitors, scholars, and researchers.

4 (8) The Society has proposed to raise funds to

5 construct a new museum and education and visitor

6 center on park property at Valley Forge National

7 Historical Park that would be planned, developed,

8 and operated jointly with Valley Forge National His9 torical Park.

10 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this title is to author11 ize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agree12 ment with the Valley Forge Historical Society to construct

13 and operate a museum within the boundary of Valley

14 Forge National Historical Park in cooperation with the

15 Secretary.

16 SEC. 203. VALLEY FORGE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REV17 OLUTION AUTHORIZATION.

18 (a) AGREEMENT AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of

19 the Interior, in administering the Valley Forge National

20 Historical Park, is authorized to enter into an agreement

21 under appropriate terms and conditions with the Valley

22 Forge Historical Society to facilitate the planning, con23 struction, and operation of the Valley Forge Museum of

24 the American Revolution on Federal land within the

25 boundary of Valley Forge National Historical Park.
9

•HR 659 EH

1 (b) CONTENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREE2 MENT.—An agreement entered into under subsection (a)

3 shall—

4 (1) authorize the Society to develop and operate

5 the museum pursuant to plans developed by the Sec6 retary and to provide at the museum appropriate

7 and necessary programs and services to visitors to

8 Valley Forge National Historical Park, related to

9 the story of Valley Forge and the American Revolu10 tion;

11 (2) only be carried out in a manner consistent

12 with the General Management Plan and other plans

13 for the preservation and interpretation of the re14 sources and values of Valley Forge National Histor15 ical Park;

16 (3) authorize the Secretary to undertake at the

17 museum activities related to the management of Val18 ley Forge National Historical Park, including, but

19 not limited to, provision of appropriate visitor infor20 mation and interpretive facilities and programs re21 lated to Valley Forge National Historical Park;

22 (4) authorize the Society, acting as a private

23 nonprofit organization, to engage in activities appro24 priate for operation of a museum that may include,

25 but are not limited to, charging appropriate fees,
10

•HR 659 EH

1 conducting events, and selling merchandise, tickets,

2 and food to visitors to the museum;

3 (5) provide that the Society’s revenues from the

4 museum’s facilities and services shall be used to off5 set the expenses of the museum’s operation; and

6 (6) authorize the Society to occupy the struc7 ture(s) so constructed for the term specified in the

8 Agreement and subject to the following terms and

9 conditions:

10 (A) The conveyance by the Society to the

11 United States of America of all right, title, and

12 interest in the structure(s) to be constructed at

13 Valley Forge National Historical Park.

14 (B) The Society’s right to occupy and use

15 the structure(s) shall be for the exhibition, pres16 ervation, and interpretation of artifacts associ17 ated with the Valley Forge story and the Amer18 ican Revolution, to enhance the visitor experi19 ence of Valley Forge National Historical Park,

20 and to conduct appropriately related activities

21 of the Society consistent with its mission and

22 with the purposes for which the Valley Forge

23 National Historical Park was established. Such

24 right shall not be transferred or conveyed with25 out the express consent of the Secretary.
11

•HR 659 EH

1 (C) Any other terms and conditions as may

2 be determined by the Secretary.

3 SEC. 204. PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION.

4 Nothing in this Act shall authorize the Secretary or

5 the Society to take any actions in derogation of the preser6 vation and protection of the values and resources of Valley

7 Forge National Historical Park. An agreement entered

8 into under section 203 shall be construed and imple9 mented in light of the high public value and integrity of

10 the Valley Forge National Historical Park and the Na11 tional Park System.

12 SEC. 205. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON PURCHASE OF

13 AMERICAN-MADE GOODS.

14 It is the sense of the Congress that the Society, in

15 constructing and operating the Museum, purchase Amer16 ican-made goods to the greatest degree practicable.

Passed the House of Representatives June 22, 1999.

Attest:

Clerk.