II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2478

To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a theme study on the

peopling of America, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 27, 2000

Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. GRAHAM) introduced the following bill; which

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural

Resources

A BILL

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’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

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

9 United States is the story of how the United States

10 was populated;
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1 (2) the migration, immigration, and settlement

2 of the population of the United States—

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

4 America’’; and

5 (B) is characterized by—

6 (i) the movement of groups of people

7 across external and internal boundaries of

8 the United States and territories of the

9 United States; and

10 (ii) the interactions of those groups

11 with each other and with other popu12 lations;

13 (3) each of those groups has made unique, im14 portant contributions to American history, culture,

15 art, and life;

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

17 and economic vitality of the United States is a result

18 of the pluralism and diversity of the American popu19 lation;

20 (5) the success of the United States in embrac21 ing and accommodating diversity has strengthened

22 the national fabric and unified the United States in

23 its values, institutions, experiences, goals, and ac24 complishments;
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1 (6)(A) the National Park Service’s official the2 matic framework, revised in 1996, responds to the

3 requirement of section 1209 of the Civil War Sites

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

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

6 the full diversity of American history and prehistory

7 are represented’’ in the identification and interpreta8 tion of historic properties by the National Park

9 Service; and

10 (B) the thematic framework recognizes that

11 ‘‘people are the primary agents of change’’ and es12 tablishes the theme of human population movement

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

14 thematic category for interpretation and preserva15 tion; and

16 (7) although there are approximately 70,000

17 listings on the National Register of Historic Places,

18 sites associated with the exploration and settlement

19 of the United States by a broad range of cultures

20 are not well represented.

21 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—

22 (1) to foster a much-needed understanding of

23 the diversity and contribution of the breadth of

24 groups who have peopled the United States; and
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1 (2) to strengthen the ability of the National

2 Park Service to include groups and events otherwise

3 not recognized in the peopling of the United States.

4 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

5 In this Act:

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

7 the Secretary of the Interior.

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

9 means the national historic landmark theme study

10 required under section 4.

11 SEC. 4. THEME STUDY.

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

13 submit to Congress a national historic landmark theme

14 study on the peopling of America.

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

16 be to identify regions, areas, districts, communities, sites,

17 buildings, structures, objects, organizations, societies, and

18 cultures that—

19 (1) best illustrate and commemorate key events

20 or decisions affecting the peopling of America; and

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

22 interpretation of the peopling of America that has

23 shaped the culture and society of the United States.

24 (c) IDENTIFICATION AND DESIGNATION OF POTEN25 TIAL NEW NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The theme study shall iden2 tify and recommend for designation new national

3 historic landmarks.

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

5 study shall—

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

7 merit of the most appropriate sites for national

8 historic landmark designation; and

9 (B) encourage the nomination of other

10 properties to the National Register of Historic

11 Places by assisting members of the public in

12 evaluating sites within their communities and in

13 surrounding areas.

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

15 study, the Secretary shall designate new national

16 historic landmarks.

17 (d) NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.—

18 (1) IDENTIFICATION OF SITES WITHIN CUR19 RENT UNITS.—The theme study shall identify appro20 priate sites within units of the National Park Sys21 tem at which the peopling of America may be inter22 preted.

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

24 basis of the theme study, the Secretary shall rec25 ommend to Congress sites for which studies for po-
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1 tential inclusion in the National Park System should

2 be authorized.

3 (e) CONTINUING AUTHORITY.—After the date of sub4 mission to Congress of the theme study, the Secretary

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

6 the peopling of America—

7 (1) evaluate, identify, and designate new na8 tional historic landmarks; and

9 (2) evaluate, identify, and recommend to Con10 gress sites for which studies for potential inclusion

11 in the National Park System should be authorized.

12 (f) PUBLIC EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.—

13 (1) LINKAGES.—

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

15 theme study, the Secretary may identify appro16 priate means for establishing linkages—

17 (i) between—

18 (I) regions, areas, districts, com19 munities, sites, buildings, structures,

20 objects, organizations, societies, and

21 cultures identified under subsections

22 (b) and (d); and

23 (II) groups of people; and

24 (ii) between—
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1 (I) regions, areas, districts, com2 munities, sites, buildings, structures,

3 objects, organizations, societies, and

4 cultures identified under subsection

5 (b); and

6 (II) units of the National Park

7 System identified under subsection

8 (d).

9 (B) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the link10 ages shall be to maximize opportunities for pub11 lic education and scholarly research on the peo12 pling of America.

13 (2) COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS.—On the

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

15 to the availability of funds, enter into cooperative ar16 rangements with State and local governments, edu17 cational institutions, local historical organizations,

18 communities, and other appropriate entities to pre19 serve and interpret key sites in the peopling of

20 America.

21 (3) EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES.—

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—The documentation in

23 the theme study shall be used for broad edu24 cational initiatives such as—

25 (i) popular publications;
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1 (ii) curriculum material such as the

2 Teaching with Historic Places program;

3 (iii) heritage tourism products such as

4 the National Register of Historic Places

5 Travel Itineraries program; and

6 (iv) oral history and ethnographic pro7 grams.

8 (B) COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS.—On the

9 basis of the theme study, the Secretary shall

10 implement cooperative programs to encourage

11 the preservation and interpretation of the peo12 pling of America.

13 SEC. 5. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

14 The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements

15 with educational institutions, professional associations, or

16 other entities knowledgeable about the peopling of

17 America—

18 (1) to prepare the theme study;

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

20 in accordance with generally accepted scholarly

21 standards; and

22 (3) to promote cooperative arrangements and

23 programs relating to the peopling of America.
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1 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

3 as are necessary to carry out this Act.

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