I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 972 

To redesignate the Reconstruction Era National Monument as the 

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 

Mr. CLYBURN (for himself and Mr. CUNNINGHAM) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To redesignate the Reconstruction Era National Monument 

as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, 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 ‘‘Reconstruction Era 

5 National Historical Park Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORICAL 

7 PARK. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) HISTORICAL PARK.—The term ‘‘historical 

2 park’’ means the Reconstruction Era National His3 torical Park. 

4 (2) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the maps 

5 entitled ‘‘Reconstruction Era National Monument 

6 Old Beaufort Firehouse’’, numbered 550/135,755 

7 and dated January 2017; ‘‘Reconstruction Era Na8 tional Monument Darrah Hall and Brick Baptist 

9 Church’’, numbered 550/135,756 and dated January 

10 2017; and ‘‘Reconstruction Era National Monument 

11 Camp Saxton’’, numbered 550/135,757 and dated 

12 January 2017, collectively. 

13 (3) NETWORK.—The term ‘‘Network’’ means 

14 the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network 

15 established pursuant to this Act. 

16 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

17 the Secretary of the Interior. 

18 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

19 (1) REDESIGNATION OF RECONSTRUCTION ERA

20 NATIONAL MONUMENT.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Reconstruction 

22 Era National Monument is redesignated as the 

23 Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, 

24 as generally depicted on the map. 


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1 (B) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any funds 

2 available for the purposes of the Reconstruction 

3 Era National Monument shall be available for 

4 the purposes of the historical park. 

5 (C) REFERENCES.—Any references in a 

6 law, regulation, document, record, map, or 

7 other paper of the United States to the Recon8 struction Era National Monument shall be con9 sidered to be a reference to the historical park. 

10 (2) BOUNDARY EXPANSION.— 

11 (A) BEAUFORT NATIONAL HISTORIC LAND12 MARK DISTRICT.—Subject to subparagraph (D), 

13 the Secretary is authorized to acquire land or 

14 interests in land within the Beaufort National 

15 Historic Landmark District that has historic 

16 connection to the Reconstruction Era. Upon fi17 nalizing an agreement to acquire land, the Sec18 retary shall expand the boundary of the histor19 ical park to encompass the property. 

20 (B) ST. HELENA ISLAND.—Subject to sub21 paragraph (D), the Secretary is authorized to 

22 acquire the following and shall expand the 

23 boundary of the historical park to include ac24 quisitions under this authority: 


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1 (i) Land and interests in land adja2 cent to the existing boundary on St. Hel3 ena Island, South Carolina, as reflected on 

4 the map. 

5 (ii) Land or interests in land on St. 

6 Helena Island, South Carolina, that has a 

7 historic connection to the Reconstruction 

8 Era. 

9 (C) CAMP SAXTON.—Subject to subpara10 graph (D), the Secretary is authorized to accept 

11 administrative jurisdiction of Federal land or 

12 interests in Federal land adjacent to the exist13 ing boundary at Camp Saxton, as reflected on 

14 the map. Upon finalizing an agreement to ac15 cept administrative jurisdiction of Federal land 

16 or interests in Federal land, the Secretary shall 

17 expand the boundary of the historical park to 

18 encompass that Federal land or interests in 

19 Federal land. 

20 (D) LAND ACQUISITION AUTHORITY.—The 

21 Secretary may only acquire land under this Act 

22 by donation, exchange or purchase with donated 

23 funds. 

24 (c) ADMINISTRATION.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall admin2 ister the historical park in accordance with this Act 

3 and with the laws generally applicable to units of the 

4 National Park System. 

5 (2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—If the management 

6 plan for the Reconstruction Era National Monu7 ment— 

8 (A) has not been completed on or before 

9 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

10 shall incorporate all provisions of this Act into 

11 the planning process and complete a manage12 ment plan for the historical park within 3 

13 years; and 

14 (B) has been completed on or before the 

15 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

16 shall update the plan incorporating the provi17 sions of this Act. 

18 SEC. 3. RECONSTRUCTION ERA NATIONAL HISTORIC NET19 WORK. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

21 (1) establish, within the National Park Service, 

22 a program to be known as the ‘‘Reconstruction Era 

23 National Historic Network’’; 


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1 (2) not later than 1 year after the date of the 

2 enactment of this Act, solicit proposals from sites in3 terested in being a part of the Network; and 

4 (3) administer the Network through the Recon5 struction Era National Historical Park. 

6 (b) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.—In carrying out the 

7 Network, the Secretary shall— 

8 (1) review studies and reports to complement 

9 and not duplicate studies of the historical impor10 tance of Reconstruction Era that may be underway 

11 or completed, such as the National Park Service Re12 construction Handbook and the National Park Serv13 ice Theme Study on Reconstruction; 

14 (2) produce and disseminate appropriate edu15 cational and promotional materials relating to the 

16 Reconstruction Era and the sites in the network, 

17 such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or 

18 electronic information; 

19 (3) enter into appropriate cooperative agree20 ments and memoranda of understanding to provide 

21 technical assistance; 

22 (4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform 

23 symbol or device for the Network; and 

24 (B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol 

25 or device adopted under subparagraph (A); and 


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1 (5) conduct research relating to Reconstruction 

2 and the Reconstruction Era. 

3 (c) ELEMENTS.—The Network shall encompass the 

4 following elements— 

5 (1) all units and programs of the National Park 

6 Service that are determined by the Secretary to re7 late to the Reconstruction Era; 

8 (2) other Federal, State, local, and privately 

9 owned properties that the Secretary determines— 

10 (A) relate to the Reconstruction Era; and 

11 (B) are included in, or determined by the 

12 Secretary to be eligible for inclusion in, the Na13 tional Register of Historic Places; and 

14 (3) other governmental and nongovernmental 

15 sites, facilities, and programs of an educational, re16 search, or interpretive nature that are directly re17 lated to the Reconstruction Era. 

18 (d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND MEMORANDA

19 OF UNDERSTANDING.—To achieve the purposes of this 

20 Act and to ensure effective coordination of the Federal 

21 and non-Federal elements of the Network and units and 

22 programs of the National Park Service, the Secretary may 

23 enter into cooperative agreements and memoranda of un24 derstanding with, and provide technical assistance to, the 

25 heads of other Federal agencies, States, units of local govVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:24 Feb 15, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H972.IH H972

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1 ernment, regional governmental bodies, and private enti2 ties. 

3 (e) NETWORK DEFINED.—The term ‘‘Network’’ 

4 means the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network 

5 established pursuant to this Act. 

Æ 


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