IIB 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 548 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 4, 2009 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

AN ACT 

To assist citizens, public and private institutions, and governments at all levels in planning, interpreting, and protecting sites where historic battles were fought on American soil during the armed conflicts that shaped the 

growth and development of the United States, and for 

other purposes. 


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HR 548 RFS 

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 ‘‘Civil War Battlefield 

5 Preservation Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION PROGRAM. 

7 The purpose of this Act is to assist citizens, public 

8 and private institutions, and governments at all levels in 

9 planning, interpreting, and protecting sites where historic 

10 battles were fought on American soil during the armed 

11 conflicts that shaped the growth and development of the 

12 United States, in order that present and future genera13 tions may learn and gain inspiration from the ground 

14 where Americans made their ultimate sacrifice. 

15 SEC. 3. PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Using the established national 

17 historic preservation program to the extent practicable, 

18 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the American 

19 Battlefield Protection Program, shall encourage, support, 

20 assist, recognize, and work in partnership with citizens, 

21 Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, other public 

22 entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit or23 ganizations in identifying, researching, evaluating, inter24 preting, and protecting historic battlefields and associated 

25 sites on a National, State, and local level. 


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HR 548 RFS 

1 (b) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—To carry out sub2 section (a), the Secretary may use a cooperative agree3 ment, grant, contract, or other generally adopted means 

4 of providing financial assistance. 

5 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

6 are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 annually to 

7 carry out this section, to remain available until expended. 

8 SEC. 4. BATTLEFIELD ACQUISITION GRANT PROGRAM. 

9 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) BATTLEFIELD REPORT.—The term ‘‘Battle11 field Report’’ means the document entitled ‘‘Report 

12 on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields’’, prepared by 

13 the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, and dated 

14 July 1993. 

15 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti16 ty’’ means a State or local government. 

17 (3) ELIGIBLE SITE.—The term ‘‘eligible site’’ 

18 means a site— 

19 (A) that is not within the exterior bound20 aries of a unit of the National Park System; 

21 and 

22 (B) that is identified in the Battlefield Re23 port. 


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

2 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 

3 American Battlefield Protection Program. 

4 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

5 a battlefield acquisition grant program under which the 

6 Secretary may provide grants to eligible entities to pay 

7 the Federal share of the cost of acquiring interests in eligi8 ble sites for the preservation and protection of those eligi9 ble sites. 

10 (c) NONPROFIT PARTNERS.—An eligible entity may 

11 acquire an interest in an eligible site using a grant under 

12 this section in partnership with a nonprofit organization. 

13 (d) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal share 

14 of the total cost of acquiring an interest in an eligible site 

15 under this section shall be not less than 50 percent. 

16 (e) LIMITATION ON LAND USE.—An interest in an 

17 eligible site acquired under this section shall be subject 

18 to section 6(f)(3) of the Land and Water Conservation 

19 Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–8(f)(3)). 

20 (f) WILLING SELLERS.—Acquisitions of land and in21 terests in land under this Act shall be limited to acquisi22 tions, from willing sellers only, of conservation easements 

23 and fee-simple purchases of eligible sites. 

24 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

25 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide 


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HR 548 RFS 

1 grants under this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 

2 years 2009 through 2013. 

3 SEC. 5. REPEAL. 

4 This Act shall be repealed on September 30, 2019. 

Passed the House of Representatives March 3, 

2009. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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