111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 685 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 

resource study regarding the proposed United States 

Civil Rights Trail, 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, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States Civil 

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

4 SEC. 2. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY REGARDING PROPOSED 

5 UNITED STATES CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL. 

6 (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the Inte7 rior shall conduct a special resource study for the purpose 

8 of evaluating a range of alternatives for protecting and 

9 interpreting sites associated with the struggle for civil 

10 rights in the United States, including alternatives for po11 tential addition of some or all of the sites to the National 

12 Trails System. 

13 (b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall conduct 

14 the special resource study in consultation with appropriate 

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

16 (c) STUDY REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall 

17 conduct the study required under subsection (a) in accord18 ance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 

19 1a–5(c)) and section 5(b) of the National Trails System 

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

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

22 resource study, the Secretary shall evaluate alternatives 

23 for achieving the following objectives: 

24 (1) Identifying the resources and historic 

25 themes associated with the movement to secure ra26 cial equality in the United States for African Ameri-
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1 cans that, focusing on the period from 1954 through 

2 1968, challenged the practice of racial segregation in 

3 the Nation and achieved equal rights for all Amer4 ican citizens. 

5 (2) Making a review of existing studies and re6 ports, such as the Civil Rights Framework Study, to 

7 complement and not duplicate other studies of the 

8 historical importance of the civil rights movements 

9 that may be underway or undertaken. 

10 (3) Establishing connections with agencies, or11 ganizations, and partnerships already engaged in the 

12 preservation and interpretation of various trails and 

13 sites dealing with the civil rights movement. 

14 (4) Protecting historically significant land15 scapes, districts, sites, and structures. 

16 (5) Identifying alternatives for preservation and 

17 interpretation of the sites by the National Park 

18 Service, other Federal, State, or local governmental 

19 entities, or private and nonprofit organizations, in20 cluding the potential inclusion of some or all of the 

21 sites in a National Civil Rights Trail. 

22 (6) Identifying cost estimates for any necessary 

23 acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, 

24 and maintenance associated with the alternatives de25 veloped under the special resource study. 
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1 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

2 on which funds are made available to carry out this sec3 tion, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Nat4 ural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 

5 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen6 ate a report containing the results of the study conducted 

7 under subsection (c) and any recommendations of the Sec8 retary with respect to the route. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 

2009. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 685 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 

purposes. United States Civil Rights Trail, and for other a special resource study regarding the proposed