79–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 115–927 

RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ACT 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 5532] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 5532) to redesignate the Reconstruction Era National 

Monument as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, and 

for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably 

thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as 

amended do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Act’’. 

SEC. 2. RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) HISTORICAL PARK.—The term ‘‘historical park’’ means the Reconstruction 

Era National Historical Park. 

(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the maps entitled ‘‘Reconstruction Era National Monument Old Beaufort Firehouse,’’ numbered 550/135,755 and dated 

January 2017; ‘‘Reconstruction Era National Monument Darrah Hall and Brick 

Baptist Church,’’ numbered 550/135,756 and dated January 2017; and ‘‘Reconstruction Era National Monument Camp Saxton,’’ numbered 550/135,757 and 

dated January 2017, collectively. 

(3) NETWORK.—The term ‘‘Network’’ means the Reconstruction Era National 

Historic Network established pursuant to this Act. 

(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior. 

(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

(1) REDESIGNATION OF RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL MONUMENT.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Reconstruction Era National Monument is redesignated as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, as generally depicted on the map. 

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(B) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any funds available for the purposes of the 

Reconstruction Era National Monument shall be available for the purposes 

of the historical park. 

(C) REFERENCES.—Any references in a law, regulation, document, record, 

map, or other paper of the United States to the Reconstruction Era National Monument shall be considered to be a reference to the historical 

park. 

(2) BOUNDARY EXPANSION.— 

(A) BEAUFORT NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT.—Subject to subparagraph (D), the Secretary is authorized to acquire land or interests in 

land within the Beaufort National Historic Landmark District that has historic connection to the Reconstruction Era. Upon finalizing an agreement 

to acquire land, the Secretary shall expand the boundary of the historical 

park to encompass the property. 

(B) ST. HELENA ISLAND.—Subject to subparagraph (D), the Secretary is 

authorized to acquire the following and shall expand the boundary of the 

historical park to include acquisitions under this authority: 

(i) Land and interests in land adjacent to the existing boundary on 

St. Helena Island, South Carolina, as reflected on the map. 

(ii) Land or interests in land on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, 

that has a historic connection to the Reconstruction Era. 

(C) CAMP SAXTON.—Subject to subparagraph (D), the Secretary is authorized to accept administrative jurisdiction of Federal land or interests in 

Federal land adjacent to the existing boundary at Camp Saxton, as reflected on the map. Upon finalizing an agreement to accept administrative 

jurisdiction of Federal land or interests in Federal land, the Secretary shall 

expand the boundary of the historical park to encompass that Federal land 

or interests in Federal land. 

(D) LAND ACQUISITION AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may only acquire land 

under this Act by donation, exchange or purchase with donated funds. 

(c) ADMINISTRATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer the historical park in accordance with this Act and with the laws generally applicable to units of the National Park System. 

(2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—If the management plan for the Reconstruction Era 

National Monument— 

(A) has not been completed on or before the date of enactment of this Act, 

the Secretary shall incorporate all provisions of this Act into the planning 

process and complete a management plan for the historical park within 3 

years; and 

(B) has been completed on or before the date of enactment of this Act, 

the Secretary shall update the plan incorporating the provisions of this Act. 

SEC. 3. RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORIC NETWORK. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

(1) establish, within the National Park Service, a program to be known as the 

‘‘Reconstruction Era National Historic Network’’; 

(2) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, solicit 

proposals from sites interested in being a part of the Network; and 

(3) administer the Network through the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. 

(b) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.—In carrying out the Network, the Secretary shall— 

(1) review studies and reports to complement and not duplicate studies of the 

historical importance of Reconstruction Era that may be underway or completed, such as the National Park Service Reconstruction Handbook and the National Park Service Theme Study on Reconstruction; 

(2) produce and disseminate appropriate educational and promotional materials relating to the Reconstruction Era and the sites in the network, such as 

handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or electronic information; 

(3) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding to provide technical assistance; 

(4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or device for the Network; 

and 

(B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol or device adopted under subparagraph (A); and 

(5) conduct research relating to Reconstruction and the Reconstruction Era. 

(c) ELEMENTS.—The Network shall encompass the following elements— 

(1) all units and programs of the National Park Service that are determined 

by the Secretary to relate to the Reconstruction Era; 

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1 ‘‘Landmark Legislation: Thirteenth, Fourteenth, & Fifteenth Amendments’’. The Civil War— 

The Senate’s Story. United States Senate website. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/ 

common/generic/CivilWarAmendments.htm 2 ‘‘African American Records: Freedmen’s Bureau’’. National Archives. https:// 

www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/freedmens-bureau 3 ‘‘The Era of Reconstruction 1861–1900’’. A National Historic Landmarks Theme Study. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/nhl/learn/themes/Reconstruction.pdf 

(2) other Federal, State, local, and privately owned properties that the Secretary determines— 

(A) relate to the Reconstruction Era; and 

(B) are included in, or determined by the Secretary to be eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places; and 

(3) other governmental and nongovernmental sites, facilities, and programs of 

an educational, research, or interpretive nature that are directly related to the 

Reconstruction Era. 

(d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING.—To achieve 

the purposes of this Act and to ensure effective coordination of the Federal and nonFederal elements of the Network and units and programs of the National Park Service, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding with, and provide technical assistance to, the heads of other Federal agencies, States, units of local government, regional governmental bodies, and private 

entities. 

(e) NETWORK DEFINED.—The term ‘‘Network’’ means the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network established pursuant to this Act. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 5532 is to redesignate the Reconstruction 

Era National Monument as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The years following the Civil War, known as the Reconstruction 

Era, were a time of significant transformation for the United 

States. Reconstruction addressed how the 11 States that had seceded from the Union would be re-integrated, as well as how the 

civil rights and integration into free society of four million formerly 

enslaved individuals could be secured. Intense controversy and 

even violence erupted over these issues. 

During Reconstruction, Congress passed three constitutional 

amendments that permanently abolished slavery, defined birthright citizenship, guaranteed equal protection under the law, and 

prohibited voter discrimination based on race, color, or previous 

condition of servitude (13th, 14th, and 15th amendments).1 Congress also established the Freedmen’s Bureau to undertake needed 

relief efforts and assist newly freed individuals with reaching full 

citizenship. With the assistance of the Bureau, African Americans 

established schools and independent churches, negotiated employment contracts, began voting, and were elected to political office.2

Many in the South, however, believed that these new official actions had been illegally imposed on them by the government and 

amplified their resistance. Election fraud and State laws passed to 

circumvent equal voting rights resulted in disenfranchisement for 

African Americans. Some Southern whites resorted to intimidation 

and violence to restore the antebellum social order.3 For a brief 

time, the U.S. Army was used to protect the rights of new voters 

and quell violence. In the late 1870s and 1880s, as Congress grew 

wary of using military force to enforce African American rights, the 

political tides turned and the Reconstruction Era came to a close. 

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4Presidential Proclamation 9567, January 12, 2017. ‘‘Establishment of the Reconstruction Era 

National Monument’’. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/DCPD-201700017/pdf/DCPD-201700017.pdf 5 ‘‘Port Royal Experiment’’. VCU Libraries Social Welfare History Project. Virginia Commonwealth University. https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/civil-war-reconstruction/port-royalexperiment/ 6 ‘‘Reconstruction Era’’ brochure. Reconstruction Era National Monument. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/reer/planyourvisit/upload/REER–Site-Bulletin-Final_3_08_2016.pdf 7 ‘‘The Era of Reconstruction 1861–1900’’. A National Historic Landmarks Theme Study. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/nhl/learn/themes/Reconstruction.pdf 

The Reconstruction Era National Monument was established in 

January 2017 as a unit of the National Park System by a proclamation issued by President Obama under the Antiquities Act (54 

U.S.C. 320301). It consists of a collection of federally-owned historic 

sites located in Beaufort County, South Carolina—an area that has 

been called the birthplace of Reconstruction.4 For example, Beaufort County was home to the ‘‘Port Royal Experiment’’ initiated in 

1861, just months after the Civil War began. With the backing of 

President Lincoln and the assistance of Northern charity organizations, 10,000 former slaves were allocated land and worked to build 

a new community at this site.5 In and around Beaufort County during Reconstruction, some of the first African Americans enlisted as 

soldiers and founded the first African American schools and hospitals. Beaufort was also the home of Robert Smalls, a former slave 

who became a political leader—serving on two State constitutional 

conventions, in the State legislature, and in the U.S. Congress.6

The National Park Service completed a theme study on the Reconstruction Era in 2017. The report reiterated the significance of 

historic sites in Beaufort County that were already listed as National Historic Landmarks and supported the decision to designate 

the sites as the Reconstruction Era National Monument. The report 

also recommended other locations in Beaufort County that could be 

considered for further study to evaluate their significance and integrity for possible nomination as National Historic Landmarks.7

H.R. 5532 designates the Reconstruction Era National Monument as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park to provide 

more permanent recognition of the site. The bill also establishes 

the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, much like the 

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom to coordinate 

preservation and education efforts nationwide and integrate local 

historical places, museums and interpretative programs. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 5532 was introduced on April 17, 2018, by Congressman 

James E. Clyburn (D–SC). The bill was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On July 17, 2018, the Subcommittee 

held a hearing on the legislation. On July 18, 2018, the Natural 

Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 

was discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman Rob Bishop 

(R–UT) offered an amendment designated #1; it was adopted by 

unanimous consent. No additional amendments were offered and 

the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House 

of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

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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, August 30, 2018. 

Hon. ROB BISHOP, 

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. 5532, the Reconstruction 

Era National Historical Park Act. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani Shankaran. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL, 

Director. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 5532—Reconstruction Era National Historical Park Act 

H.R. 5532 would redesignate the Reconstruction Era National 

Monument in Beaufort County, South Carolina, as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. The bill also would direct the 

National Park Service (NPS) to establish the Reconstruction Era 

National Historic Network, which would comprise existing units 

and programs of the NPS related to the history of the Reconstruction Era as well as the properties and programs of other federal, 

state, local, and private entities that join the network. 

Redesignating the Reconstruction Era National Monument may 

require the NPS to update maps, informational materials, and 

signage. Based on the costs of similar tasks, CBO estimates that 

those costs would be insignificant. The bill also would permit the 

NPS to acquire additional lands for that park by means of donation, purchase using donated funds, or through a land exchange. 

CBO has no information on whether the NPS would expand the 

park; however, based on the experience of other NPS units, CBO 

expects that any such expansion would not occur for several years, 

and any associated management costs would be less than $500,000 

over the 2019–2023 period. 

As part of establishing the Reconstruction Era National Historic 

Network, the NPS would produce and distribute maps and interpretive guides, create and adopt an official symbol for the network, 

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and provide assistance to participating entities. Using information 

from the NPS about the costs of administering similar efforts and 

based on the expected scope of the program, CBO estimates that 

the agency would need less than $500,000 in the first year following enactment for basic planning, developing educational materials, and coordinating activities with participating entities. In subsequent years, CBO estimates that the NPS would need about $1 

million each year to manage the network and provide technical assistance to participating entities through cooperative agreements. 

In total, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5532 would cost 

$5 million over the 2019–2023 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. 

Enacting H.R. 5532 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5532 would not increase net 

direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2029. 

H.R. 5532 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani Shankaran. 

The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to redesignate the Reconstruction Era National Monument as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. 

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. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any directed 

rule makings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

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