I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2369 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of alternatives 

for commemorating Long Island’s aviation history, including a determination of the suitability and feasibility of designating parts of the study 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 25, 2019 

Miss RICE of New York (for herself, Ms. MENG, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. SUOZZI, 

Mr. KING of New York, and Mr. MEEKS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

study of alternatives for commemorating Long Island’s 

aviation history, including a determination of the suitability and feasibility of designating parts of the study 

area 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 ‘‘Long Island Aviation 

5 History Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Long Island has played an indispensable 

4 role in the development of the aviation industry in 

5 the United States. In particular, the Hempstead 

6 Plains, Suffolk County Air Force Base, and parts of 

7 Bethpage, Port Washington, and Farmingdale con8 tain notable landmarks of aviation history. 

9 (2) The Hempstead Plains encompass approxi10 mately 950 acres east of Clinton Road and south of 

11 Old Country Road in Garden City, New York, and 

12 have been called the ‘‘Cradle of Aviation’’. 

13 (3) In the early 20th century, the Hempstead 

14 Plains had 3 major airfields, all of great historical 

15 significance: Roosevelt Field, Curtiss Field, and 

16 Mitchel Field. 

17 (4) During World War I, the airfields of Hemp18 stead Plains were an important training center for 

19 United States military pilots, as well as a major hub 

20 for military aircraft research, development, and pro21 duction. 

22 (5) The first transatlantic flight, carried out by 

23 the U.S. Navy Curtiss NC–4 in 1919, took off from 

24 Rockaway, New York, and cemented the United 

25 States leading role in aviation innovation. This airVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:28 Apr 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2369.IH H2369

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1 craft was built at the Curtiss factory in Garden 

2 City—a building which still stands. 

3 (6) Roosevelt Field in Garden City, New York, 

4 was the point of departure for Charles Lindbergh’s 

5 famous transatlantic flight aboard the Spirit of St. 

6 Louis completed on May 20, 1927. 

7 (7) In 1929, Amelia Earhart and other pio8 neering women pilots founded the International Or9 ganization of Women Pilots, or the Ninety-Nines, at 

10 Curtiss Field. 

11 (8) Curtiss Field also served as the terminus 

12 for transcontinental airmail from 1918–1929. 

13 (9) In the 1930s, Roosevelt Field was the busi14 est civilian airfield in the United States, and played 

15 a role in many other historic transcontinental, trans16 atlantic, and record-setting flights. 

17 (10) Port Washington, New York, once known 

18 as the ‘‘Plymouth Rock’’ of American aviation, was 

19 Pan American World Airways’ trans-Atlantic hub on 

20 Manhasset Isle from 1934 to 1940. 

21 (11) During World War II, Long Island was a 

22 crucial center of military aircraft production. These 

23 aircraft, produced in huge numbers for the Army, 

24 Navy, and foreign governments, were of excellent 


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1 quality and had a major impact on the course of the 

2 war in all theaters. 

3 (12) Most notably, the Grumman Aircraft Com4 pany, based in Bethpage, New York, and the Repub5 lic Aviation Corporation, based in Farmingdale, New 

6 York, manufactured innovative planes that proved 

7 highly valuable to the U.S. military such as Grum8 man’s F6F–3 Hellcat and Republic’s P–47 Thun9 derbolt. 

10 (13) Mitchel Air Force Base, located on the 

11 Hempstead Plains, served as the original location of 

12 the Air Defense Command upon its inception in 

13 1940, and was integral to the defense of the main14 land United States during World War II and there15 after. 

16 (14) In 1951, the Suffolk County Air Force 

17 Base, located in Westhampton, New York, became 

18 the prime Air Defense Command base responsible 

19 for defending the New York City metropolitan area 

20 from all air attacks. 

21 (15) In 1962, Grumman won the contract to 

22 build the Lunar Module as part of the Apollo Pro23 gram, and in 1969 the first men traveled to the 

24 moon aboard a spacecraft built with the expertise of 

25 Long Island’s aviation industry. 


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1 SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY. 

2 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall con3 duct a special resource study of the study area. 

4 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under sub5 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

6 (1) evaluate the national significance of the 

7 study area based on an assessment of Long Island’s 

8 aviation history; 

9 (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 

10 designating parts of the study area as a unit of the 

11 National Park System commemorating Long Is12 land’s aviation history; 

13 (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, 

14 protection, and interpretation of the study area by 

15 Federal, State, or local governmental entities, or pri16 vate and nonprofit organizations; 

17 (4) identify properties related to Long Island’s 

18 aviation history that could meet criteria for listing in 

19 the National Register of Historic Places or criteria 

20 for designation as National Historic Landmarks; 

21 (5) consult with interested Federal, State, or 

22 local governmental entities, private and nonprofit or23 ganizations, or any other interested individuals; 

24 (6) consider the appropriate management op25 tions needed to ensure the protection, preservation, 

26 and interpretation of the study area; 


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1 (7) evaluate appropriate ways to enhance his2 torical research, education, interpretation, and pub3 lic awareness of Long Island’s aviation history; and 

4 (8) identify cost estimates for any Federal ac5 quisition, development, interpretation, operation, and 

6 maintenance associated with the alternatives. 

7 (c) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ means 

8 Long Island with a particular focus on the Hempstead 

9 Plains, the areas surrounding Suffolk County Air Force 

10 Base, the hamlet of Bethpage, the hamlet of Port Wash11 ington, and the village of Farmingdale. 

12 (d) APPLICABLE LAW.—The study required under 

13 subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with sec14 tion 100507 of title 54, United States Code. 

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

16 on which funds are first made available for the study 

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

18 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep19 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 

20 Resources of the Senate a report containing the results 

21 of the study and any conclusions and recommendations of 

22 the Secretary. 

Æ 


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