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[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 120 (Monday, September 10, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H5735-H5736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

     AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION PROGRAM AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2012

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 2489) to authorize the acquisition and 
protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites 
of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American 
Battlefield Protection Program, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2489

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``American Battlefield 
     Protection Program Amendments Act of 2012''.

     SEC. 2. REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND WAR OF 1812 AMERICAN 
                   BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.

       Section 7301(c) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act 
     of 2009 (Public Law 111-11) is amended as follows:
       (1) In paragraph (1)--
       (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(A) Battlefield report.--The term `battlefield report' 
     means, collectively--
       ``(i) the report entitled `Report on the Nation's Civil War 
     Battlefields', prepared by the Civil War Sites Advisory 
     Commission, and dated July 1993; and
       ``(ii) the report entitled `Report to Congress on the 
     Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 
     Sites in the United States', prepared by the National Park 
     Service, and dated September 2007.''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``Battlefield 
     Report'' and inserting ``battlefield report''.
       (2) In paragraph (2), by inserting ``eligible sites or'' 
     after ``acquiring''.
       (3) In paragraph (3), by inserting ``an eligible site or'' 
     after ``acquire''.
       (4) In paragraph (4), by inserting ``an eligible site or'' 
     after ``acquiring''.
       (5) In paragraph (5), by striking ``An'' and inserting ``An 
     eligible site or an''.
       (6) By redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (9).
       (7) By inserting after paragraph (5) the following new 
     paragraphs:
       ``(6) Willing sellers.--Acquisition of land or interests in 
     land under this subsection shall be from willing sellers 
     only.
       ``(7) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to 
     Congress a report on the activities carried out under this 
     subsection, including a description of--
       ``(A) preservation activities carried out at the 
     battlefields and associated sites identified in the 
     battlefield report during the period between publication of 
     the battlefield report and the report required under this 
     paragraph;
       ``(B) changes in the condition of the battlefields and 
     associated sites during that period; and
       ``(C) any other relevant developments relating to the 
     battlefields and associated sites during that period.
       ``(8) Prohibition on lobbying.--
       ``(A) In general.--None of the funds provided pursuant to 
     this section may be used for purposes of lobbying any person 
     or entity regarding the implementation of this section or be 
     granted, awarded, contracted, or otherwise be made available 
     to any person, organization, or entity that participates in 
     such lobbying.
       ``(B) Lobbying defined.--For purposes of this paragraph, 
     the term `lobbying' means to directly or indirectly pay for 
     any personal service, advertisement, telegram, telephone 
     call, letter, printed or written matter, or other device 
     intended or designed to influence in any manner a Member of 
     Congress, a jurisdiction, or an official of any government to 
     favor, adopt, or oppose by vote or otherwise, any 
     legislation, law, ratification, policy, land use plan 
     (including zoning), or appropriation of funds before or after 
     the introduction of any bill, resolution, or other measure 
     proposing such legislation, law, ratification, policy, or 
     appropriation.''.
       (8) In paragraph (9) (as redesignated by paragraph (6)), by 
     striking ``2013'' and inserting ``2017''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.

                             General Leave

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  The American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 addressed the 
preservation and protection of Civil War battlefields through 
conservation easements or through the purchase of land from willing 
sellers through Federal grants. H.R. 2489 renews this effort, which 
will soon expire, and it adds the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 
battlefields to those eligible for protection.
  The Natural Resources Committee made several improvements to the 
legislation as introduced, including a reduction of the authorization 
from 10 years to 5 years. Also, the authorization was cut in half to 
save up to $50 million over the course of the program. It is important 
to note that we have not raised the authorization one cent over current 
levels; therefore, there is no increase in spending.
  Finally, the committee added language to prohibit these funds from 
being used for lobbying activities or from being distributed to 
organizations that participate in lobbying. With so many existing needs 
within the National Park Service, we want to ensure that these funds go 
specifically for battlefield protection and not to outside advocacy 
groups. These battlefields are part of our history, and we should do 
everything we can to ensure that future generations understand what our 
forefathers went through to ensure our freedoms.
  So, with that, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to thank my colleagues from the Natural Resources 
Committee for working with me to bring this bill to the floor today, 
our bipartisan bill, which is the American Battlefield Protection 
Program Amendments Act. I was pleased to work with Chairman Hastings 
and Chairman Bishop and Ranking Members Markey and Grijalva to move 
this bill through our committee, and I would like to thank the majority 
and minority staffs for their hard work.
  The bill before us today reauthorizes the American Battlefield 
Protection Program, which is a competitive grant program that matches 
Federal dollars with private money to preserve historic war sites. H.R. 
2489 builds on the success of the Civil War Battlefield Protection 
Program, which has preserved Civil War battlefield sites. The 
legislation also expands the grant program to include over 670 historic 
battlefields and associated sites from the Revolutionary War and the 
War of 1812.
  Since 1996, when the Battlefield Protection Program was first 
authorized, the program has helped preserve many important sites, 
including, for example, the Fort Gregg, New Market Heights Battlefield 
in Virginia.

                              {time}  1630

  In fiscal year 2011, a protection grant helped preserve a 7.2-acre 
property best remembered because of the unquestioned valor of the 
African American Union soldiers who fought there. There are many other 
examples that I could point to: the Wilderness Crossroads, the Reynolds 
Tract, Perryville Battlefield in Kentucky, the Slaughter Pen Farm, 
Fredericksburg Battlefield in Virginia, and so forth.
  H.R. 2489 would allow the American Battlefield Protection Program to 
collaborate with State and local governments, nonprofit organizations, 
and willing sellers--and I do want to emphasize that point--to protect 
the most endangered historical sites, and to provide up to half the 
costs of purchasing battlefield land threatened by sprawl and 
commercial development.
  From Lexington, where the shot was heard around the world, to 
Gettysburg, where Lincoln brilliantly summarized the description of the 
conception and proposition of our Nation, the stories of the American 
Revolution and the Civil War bring to life the ideals of liberty and 
democracy fostered by our Founders.
  Unfortunately, urbanization, suburban sprawl, and unplanned 
commercial and residential development are constantly encroaching on 
many of the significant battlefields of the Revolutionary War, the War 
of 1812, and the Civil War. This encroachment poses a severe and 
growing risk to the preservation of these historic sites.
  History is best experienced by those who can touch it, feel it, and 
live it, and the battlefields of the American Revolutionary War, the 
War of 1812, and the Civil War provide a unique opportunity for 
Americans to experience where and how the epic struggle for our

[[Page H5736]]

Nation's independence and identity took place.
  In my home State of New Jersey, there are more sites of military 
engagements than in any other State. More military engagements were 
fought in New Jersey than in any other State. New Jersey played an 
influential role in the War for Independence.
  I was pleased to join Representative Frelinghuysen and Senator 
Lautenberg, and the rest of the New Jersey delegation, in establishing 
some years ago the Crossroads of the American Revolution National 
Heritage Area in our State. The Crossroads Association has made 
enormous progress toward promoting our State's rich heritage, and the 
bill before us today, I think, is vital for organizations like 
Crossroads in New Jersey and others to perform their important work.
  As the Civil War Trust said in their letter supporting this 
legislation:

       Preserving these American historic treasures is essential 
     to remember the sacrifices our ancestors made to secure our 
     freedom and independence, and to preserve our Republic.

  Historical sites, once lost, are gone forever. They exist only on the 
pages of books and in fading memories. We must act to preserve these 
valuable sites while we still can. Approving this bill will demonstrate 
that the Members of this House can work together. Historic preservation 
is not a Republican issue, not a Democratic issue. Historic 
preservation is an American issue because it is our shared history that 
we are working to preserve and to protect.
  I thank the majority for working with me on this bill. During the 
111th Congress, similar legislation was twice approved by this body 
with near unanimous support. In this Congress, the American Battlefield 
Protection Program Amendments Act is again enjoying bipartisan support, 
and I certainly hope the other body will act promptly so that we can 
get about the work of preserving these sites.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2489, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is good legislation, 
and I urge its adoption.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2489, as amended
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________
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