II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1483 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility 

of designating the James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee, as 

a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 2, 2015 

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

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability 

and feasibility of designating the James K. Polk Home 

in Columbia, Tennessee, as a unit of the National Park 

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 ‘‘James K. Polk Presi5 dential Home Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 


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1 (1) in 1961, the James K. Polk Home was des2 ignated as a National Historic Landmark; and 

3 (2) in April 2015, the National Park Service 

4 completed a reconnaissance survey of the James K. 

5 Polk Home, in which the National Park Service— 

6 (A) determined that— 

7 (i) the James K. Polk Home is con8 clusively nationally significant; and 

9 (ii) a special resource study is needed 

10 to fully analyze the suitability, feasibility, 

11 and need for management of the James K. 

12 Polk Home by the National Park Service; 

13 and 

14 (B) recommended that Congress consider 

15 authorizing a special resource study for the 

16 James K. Polk Home and associated properties. 

17 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior (re19 ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct a 

20 special resource study of the site of the James K. Polk 

21 Home in Columbia, Tennessee, and adjacent property (re22 ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘site’’). 

23 (b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall conduct the 

24 study under subsection (a) in accordance with section 

25 100507 of title 54, United States Code. 


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1 (c) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under sub2 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

3 (1) evaluate the national significance of the 

4 site; 

5 (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 

6 designating the site as a unit of the National Park 

7 System; 

8 (3) include cost estimates for any necessary ac9 quisition, development, operation, and maintenance 

10 of the site; 

11 (4) consult with interested Federal, State, or 

12 local governmental entities, private and nonprofit or13 ganizations, or other interested individuals; 

14 (5) include an analysis of the effect of the site 

15 on— 

16 (A) existing commercial and recreational 

17 activities; 

18 (B) the authorization, construction, oper19 ation, maintenance, or improvement of energy 

20 production and transmission or other infra21 structure in the area; and 

22 (C) the authority of State and local gov23 ernments to manage the activities described in 

24 subparagraphs (A) and (B); 


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1 (6) include an identification of any authorities 

2 (including condemnation) that would compel or per3 mit the Secretary to influence or participate in local 

4 land use decisions (such as zoning) or place restric5 tions on non-Federal land if the site is designated as 

6 a unit of the National Park System; and 

7 (7) identify alternatives for the management, 

8 administration, and protection of the site. 

9 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

10 on which funds are made available to carry out the study 

11 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the 

12 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep13 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 

14 Resources of the Senate a report that describes— 

15 (1) the findings and conclusions of the study; 

16 and 

17 (2) any recommendations of the Secretary. 

Æ 


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