II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1802 

To require a study of the feasibility of establishing the United States Civil 

Rights Trail System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 20, 2009 

Mr. BURRIS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require a study of the feasibility of establishing the 

United States Civil Rights Trail System, and for other 

purposes. 

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 ‘‘United States Civil 

5 Rights Trail Special Resource Study Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY REGARDING PROPOSED 

7 UNITED STATES CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL. 

8 (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the Inte9 rior shall conduct a special resource study for the purpose 

10 of evaluating a range of alternatives for protecting and 


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1 interpreting sites associated with the struggle for civil 

2 rights in the United States, including alternatives for po3 tential addition of some or all of the sites to the National 

4 Trails System. 

5 (b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall conduct 

6 the special resource study in consultation with appropriate 

7 Federal, State, county, and local governmental entities. 

8 (c) STUDY REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall 

9 conduct the study required under subsection (a) in accord10 ance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 

11 1a–5(c)) and section 5(b) of the National Trails System 

12 Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)), as appropriate. 

13 (d) STUDY OBJECTIVES.—In conducting the special 

14 resource study, the Secretary shall evaluate alternatives 

15 for achieving the following objectives: 

16 (1) Identifying the resources and historic 

17 themes associated with the movement to secure ra18 cial equality in the United States for African-Ameri19 cans that, focusing on the period from 1954 through 

20 1968, challenged the practice of racial segregation in 

21 the Nation and achieved equal rights for all Amer22 ican citizens. 

23 (2) Making a review of existing studies and re24 ports, such as the Civil Rights Framework Study, to 

25 complement and not duplicate other studies of the 


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1 historical importance of the civil rights movements 

2 that may be underway or undertaken. 

3 (3) Establishing connections with agencies, or4 ganizations, and partnerships already engaged in the 

5 preservation and interpretation of various trails and 

6 sites dealing with the civil rights movement. 

7 (4) Protecting historically significant land8 scapes, districts, sites, and structures. 

9 (5) Identifying alternatives for preservation and 

10 interpretation of the sites by the National Park 

11 Service, other Federal, State, or local governmental 

12 entities, or private and nonprofit organizations, in13 cluding the potential inclusion of some or all of the 

14 sites in a National Civil Rights Trail. 

15 (6) Identifying cost estimates for any necessary 

16 acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, 

17 and maintenance associated with the alternatives de18 veloped under the special resource study. 

19 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

20 on which funds are made available to carry out this sec21 tion, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Nat22 ural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 

23 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen24 ate a report containing the results of the study conducted 


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1 under subsection (c) and any recommendations of the Sec2 retary with respect to the route. 

Æ 


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