I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2478

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 6, 2000

Referred to the Committee on Resources

AN ACT

To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a theme

study on the peopling of America, 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 ‘‘Peopling of America

5 Theme Study Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

3 (1) an important facet of the history of the

4 United States is the story of how the United States

5 was populated;

6 (2) the migration, immigration, and settlement

7 of the population of the United States—

8 (A) is broadly termed the ‘‘peopling of

9 America’’; and

10 (B) is characterized by—

11 (i) the movement of groups of people

12 across external and internal boundaries of

13 the United States and territories of the

14 United States; and

15 (ii) the interactions of those groups

16 with each other and with other popu17 lations;

18 (3) each of those groups has made unique, im19 portant contributions to American history, culture,

20 art, and life;

21 (4) the spiritual, intellectual, cultural, political,

22 and economic vitality of the United States is a result

23 of the pluralism and diversity of the American popu24 lation;

25 (5) the success of the United States in embrac26 ing and accommodating diversity has strengthened
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1 the national fabric and unified the United States in

2 its values, institutions, experiences, goals, and ac3 complishments;

4 (6)(A) the National Park Service’s official the5 matic framework, revised in 1996, responds to the

6 requirement of section 1209 of the Civil War Sites

7 Study Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5 note; Public

8 Law 101–628), that ‘‘the Secretary shall ensure that

9 the full diversity of American history and prehistory

10 are represented’’ in the identification and interpreta11 tion of historic properties by the National Park

12 Service; and

13 (B) the thematic framework recognizes that

14 ‘‘people are the primary agents of change’’ and es15 tablishes the theme of human population movement

16 and change—or ‘‘peopling places’’—as a primary

17 thematic category for interpretation and preserva18 tion; and

19 (7) although there are approximately 70,000

20 listings on the National Register of Historic Places,

21 sites associated with the exploration and settlement

22 of the United States by a broad range of cultures

23 are not well represented.

24 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
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1 (1) to foster a much-needed understanding of

2 the diversity and contribution of the breadth of

3 groups who have peopled the United States; and

4 (2) to strengthen the ability of the National

5 Park Service to include groups and events otherwise

6 not recognized in the peopling of the United States.

7 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

8 In this Act:

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

10 the Secretary of the Interior.

11 (2) THEME STUDY.—The term ‘‘theme study’’

12 means the national historic landmark theme study

13 required under section 4.

14 (3) PEOPLING OF AMERICA.—The term ‘‘peo15 pling of America’’ means the migration to and with16 in, and the settlement of, the United States.

17 SEC. 4. THEME STUDY.

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall prepare and

19 submit to Congress a national historic landmark theme

20 study on the peopling of America.

21 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the theme study shall

22 be to identify regions, areas, trails, districts, communities,

23 sites, buildings, structures, objects, organizations, soci24 eties, and cultures that—
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1 (1) best illustrate and commemorate key events

2 or decisions affecting the peopling of America; and

3 (2) can provide a basis for the preservation and

4 interpretation of the peopling of America that has

5 shaped the culture and society of the United States.

6 (c) IDENTIFICATION AND DESIGNATION OF POTEN7 TIAL NEW NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS.—

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The theme study shall iden9 tify and recommend for designation new national

10 historic landmarks.

11 (2) LIST OF APPROPRIATE SITES.—The theme

12 study shall—

13 (A) include a list in order of importance or

14 merit of the most appropriate sites for national

15 historic landmark designation; and

16 (B) encourage the nomination of other

17 properties to the National Register of Historic

18 Places.

19 (3) DESIGNATION.—On the basis of the theme

20 study, the Secretary shall designate new national

21 historic landmarks.

22 (d) NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.—

23 (1) IDENTIFICATION OF SITES WITHIN CUR24 RENT UNITS.—The theme study shall identify appro25 priate sites within units of the National Park Sys-
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1 tem at which the peopling of America may be inter2 preted.

3 (2) IDENTIFICATION OF NEW SITES.—On the

4 basis of the theme study, the Secretary shall rec5 ommend to Congress sites for which studies for po6 tential inclusion in the National Park System should

7 be authorized.

8 (e) CONTINUING AUTHORITY.—After the date of sub9 mission to Congress of the theme study, the Secretary

10 shall, on a continuing basis, as appropriate to interpret

11 the peopling of America—

12 (1) evaluate, identify, and designate new na13 tional historic landmarks; and

14 (2) evaluate, identify, and recommend to Con15 gress sites for which studies for potential inclusion

16 in the National Park System should be authorized.

17 (f) PUBLIC EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.—

18 (1) LINKAGES.—

19 (A) ESTABLISHMENT.—On the basis of the

20 theme study, the Secretary may identify appro21 priate means for establishing linkages—

22 (i) between—

23 (I) regions, areas, trails, dis24 tricts, communities, sites, buildings,

25 structures, objects, organizations, so-
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1 cieties, and cultures identified under

2 subsections (b) and (d); and

3 (II) groups of people; and

4 (ii) between—

5 (I) regions, areas, districts, com6 munities, sites, buildings, structures,

7 objects, organizations, societies, and

8 cultures identified under subsection

9 (b); and

10 (II) units of the National Park

11 System identified under subsection

12 (d).

13 (B) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the link14 ages shall be to maximize opportunities for pub15 lic education and scholarly research on the peo16 pling of America.

17 (2) COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS.—On the

18 basis of the theme study, the Secretary shall, subject

19 to the availability of funds, enter into cooperative ar20 rangements with State and local governments, edu21 cational institutions, local historical organizations,

22 communities, and other appropriate entities to pre23 serve and interpret key sites in the peopling of

24 America.

25 (3) EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES.—
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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The documentation in

2 the theme study shall be used for broad edu3 cational initiatives such as—

4 (i) popular publications;

5 (ii) curriculum material such as the

6 Teaching with Historic Places program;

7 (iii) heritage tourism products such as

8 the National Register of Historic Places

9 Travel Itineraries program; and

10 (iv) oral history and ethnographic pro11 grams.

12 (B) COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS.—On the

13 basis of the theme study, the Secretary shall

14 implement cooperative programs to encourage

15 the preservation and interpretation of the peo16 pling of America.

17 SEC. 5. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

18 The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements

19 with educational institutions, professional associations, or

20 other entities knowledgeable about the peopling of

21 America—

22 (1) to prepare the theme study;

23 (2) to ensure that the theme study is prepared

24 in accordance with generally accepted scholarly

25 standards; and
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1 (3) to promote cooperative arrangements and

2 programs relating to the peopling of America.

3 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

4 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

5 as are necessary to carry out this Act.

Passed the Senate October 5 (legislative day, September 22), 2000.

Attest: GARY SISCO,

Secretary.