II 

Calendar No. 641 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2873 

[Report No. 113–301] 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acknowledge contributions at 

units of the National Park System. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 

Mr. COBURN (for himself, Mr. WARNER, and Mr. ENZI) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

DECEMBER 10, 2014 

Reported by Ms. LANDRIEU, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acknowledge 

contributions at units of the National Park System. 

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 ‘‘National Park System 

5 Donor Acknowledgment Act of 2014’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘donor ac5 knowledgment’’ means a statement, logo, trade6 mark, proper legal name, or other reasonable 

7 form of credit acknowledging a contribution by 

8 a donor. 

9 (B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘donor ac10 knowledgment’’ does not include— 

11 (i) a sign or other fixture that would 

12 block or obstruct a natural or historic site 

13 or view; or 

14 (ii) a statement or credit that pro15 motes a political candidate or issue. 

16 (2) ELIGIBLE STRUCTURE.— 

17 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘eligible 

18 structure’’ means a structure at a unit of the 

19 National Park System. 

20 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘eligible 

21 structure’’ includes— 

22 (i) a visitor center; 

23 (ii) an administrative structure; and 

24 (iii) a specific room or section of a 

25 visitor center or an administrative struc26 ture. 


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1 (C) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘eligible 

2 structure’’ does not include a commemorative 

3 work (as defined in section 8902(a) of title 40, 

4 United States Code). 

5 (3) LANDSCAPE FEATURE.— 

6 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘landscape 

7 feature’’ means a component that contributes to 

8 the character significance of a landscape. 

9 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘landscape 

10 feature’’ includes land, water, vegetation, walls, 

11 pathways, stairways, and plazas. 

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

13 the Secretary of the Interior. 

14 SEC. 3. DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AT STRUCTURES IN 

15 UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the Sec17 retary may authorize donor acknowledgments at an eligi18 ble structure to recognize contributions for a museum col19 lection or landscape feature at a unit of the National Park 

20 System. 

21 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—Donor acknowledgments under 

22 subsection (a) shall be displayed— 

23 (1) in a manner that is approved by the Sec24 retary, in consultation with the Superintendent at 

25 the unit of the National Park System in which the 


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1 eligible structure, museum collection, or landscape 

2 feature is located, after taking into account any 

3 input from the donating entity; and 

4 (2) for a period of time, as determined by the 

5 Secretary, in consultation with the Superintendent 

6 at the unit of the National Park System in which 

7 the eligible structure, museum collection, or land8 scape feature is located, that is commensurate with 

9 the amount of the contribution and the life of the el10 igible structure. 

11 (c) PLACEMENT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Donor acknowledgments 

13 under subsection (a) may be affixed to benches, fur14 nishings, bricks, vehicles, walls, pathways, plazas, 

15 and staircases. 

16 (2) LIMITATION.—Any donor acknowledgment 

17 under subsection (a) associated with land, water, 

18 vegetation, an item in a museum collection, or a his19 toric structure shall be freestanding. 

20 (d) EXPANSION OF DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.— 

21 The Secretary may authorize the use of donor acknowledg22 ments under this section to include acknowledgments on 

23 digital and media platforms, including online applications 

24 and web-based product downloads relating to a specific 

25 unit of the National Park System. 


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1 (e) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 180 days 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

3 implement this section. 

4 (f) EFFECT OF SECTION.—Nothing in this section re5 quires the Secretary to accept a donation. 

6 SEC. 4. DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO BE DISPLAYED AT 

7 COMMEMORATIVE WORKS AND LANDSCAPE 

8 FEATURES. 

9 Section 8905 of title 40, United States Code, is 

10 amended— 

11 (1) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (7); 

12 and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(c) DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF LANDSCAPE FEATURE.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘landscape 

17 feature’ means a component that contributes to 

18 the character or significance of a landscape. 

19 ‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘landscape 

20 feature’ includes walls, pathways, stairways, 

21 plazas, and other features that are considered 

22 to be components of a landscape in accordance 

23 with applicable National Park Service regula24 tions. 


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1 ‘‘(2) ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DONOR CONTRIBU2 TION.—Except as otherwise provided in this sub3 section, the Secretary of the Interior or Adminis4 trator of General Services, as applicable, may ac5 knowledge or permit a sponsor to acknowledge, 

6 donor contributions at the commemorative work. 

7 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—An acknowledgment 

8 under paragraph (2) shall— 

9 ‘‘(A) be displayed— 

10 ‘‘(i) inside an ancillary structure asso11 ciated with the commemorative work; or 

12 ‘‘(ii) as part of a landscape feature; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(B) conform to applicable National Park 

15 Service or General Services Administration 

16 guidelines for donor recognition, as applicable. 

17 ‘‘(4) LIMITATIONS.—An acknowledgment under 

18 paragraph (2) shall— 

19 ‘‘(A) be limited to an appropriate state20 ment or credit recognizing the contribution; 

21 ‘‘(B) be displayed in a form approved by— 

22 ‘‘(i) the National Mall and Memorial 

23 Parks Donor Recognition Plan or other ap24 plicable National Park Service guidelines 

25 for donor recognition; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) General Services Administration 

2 guidelines; 

3 ‘‘(C) be displayed for a period of up to 10 

4 years, with the display period to be commensu5 rate with the level of the contribution, as deter6 mined in accordance with the plan and guide7 lines described in subparagraph (B); and 

8 ‘‘(D) be freestanding. 

9 ‘‘(5) COST.—The sponsor shall bear all ex10 penses related to the display of donor acknowledg11 ments under paragraph (2). 

12 ‘‘(6) APPLICABILITY.—This subsection shall 

13 apply to any commemorative work dedicated after 

14 January 1, 2010.’’. 

15 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

16 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Park System 

17 Donor Acknowledgment Act’’. 

18 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

19 In this Act: 

20 (1) DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT.—The term 

21 ‘‘donor acknowledgment’’ means an appropriate state22 ment or credit acknowledging a donation. 

23 (2) NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Na24 tional Park System’’ includes each program and indi25 vidual unit of the National Park System. 


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

2 the Secretary of the Interior. 

3 SEC. 3. DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IN UNITS OF NA4 TIONAL PARK SYSTEM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may authorize a 

6 donor acknowledgment to recognize a donation to— 

7 (1) the National Park Service; or 

8 (2) the National Park System. 

9 (b) RESTRICTIONS.—A donor acknowledgment shall 

10 not be used to state or imply— 

11 (1) recognition of the donor or any product or 

12 service of the donor as an official sponsor, or any 

13 similar form of recognition, of the National Park 

14 Service or the National Park System; 

15 (2) a National Park Service endorsement of the 

16 donor or any product or service of the donor; or 

17 (3) naming rights to any unit of the National 

18 Park System or a National Park System facility, in19 cluding a visitor center. 

20 (c) REQUIREMENTS.— 

21 (1) DISPLAY.—A donor acknowledgment shall be 

22 displayed— 

23 (A) in a manner that is approved by the 

24 Secretary; and 


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1 (B) for a period of time, as determined by 

2 the Secretary, that is commensurate with the 

3 amount of the contribution and the life of the 

4 structure. 

5 (2) GUIDELINES.—The Secretary shall establish 

6 donor acknowledgment guidelines that take into ac7 count the unique requirements of individual units 

8 and programs of the National Park System. 

9 (3) USE OF SLOGANS PROHIBITED.—A donor ac10 knowledgment shall not permit the use of— 

11 (A) an advertising slogan; or 

12 (B) a statement or credit promoting or op13 posing a political candidate or issue. 

14 (d) PLACEMENT.— 

15 (1) VISITOR AND ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES.— 

16 A donor acknowledgment may be located on or inside 

17 a visitor center or administrative facility of the Na18 tional Park System (including in a specific room or 

19 section) or any other appropriate location, such as on 

20 a donor recognition wall or plaque. 

21 (2) OUTSIDE.—A donor acknowledgment may be 

22 located in an area outside of a visitor or administra23 tive facility described in paragraph (1), including a 

24 bench, brick, pathway, area of landscaping, or plaza. 


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1 (3) PROJECTS.—A donor acknowledgment may 

2 be located near a park construction or restoration 

3 project, if the donation directly relates to the project. 

4 (4) VEHICLES.—A donor acknowledgment may 

5 be placed on a National Park Service vehicle, if the 

6 donation directly relates to the vehicle. 

7 (5) LIMITATION.—Any donor acknowledgment 

8 associated with a historic structure or placed outside 

9 a park restoration project— 

10 (A) shall be freestanding; and 

11 (B) shall not obstruct a natural or histor12 ical site or view. 

13 (e) PRINTED, DIGITAL, AND MEDIA PLATFORMS.—The 

14 Secretary may authorize the use of donor acknowledgments 

15 under this section to include donor acknowledgments on 

16 printed, digital, and media platforms, including brochures 

17 or Internet websites relating to a specific unit of the Na18 tional Park System. 

19 SEC. 4. COMMEMORATIVE WORKS ACT AMENDMENTS. 

20 Section 8905 of title 40, United States Code, is amend21 ed— 

22 (1) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (7); 

23 and 

24 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

25 ‘‘(c) DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DONOR CONTRIBU2 TION.—Except as otherwise provided in this sub3 section, the Secretary of the Interior or Administrator 

4 of General Services, as applicable, may permit a 

5 sponsor to acknowledge donor contributions at the 

6 commemorative work. 

7 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—An acknowledgment 

8 under paragraph (1) shall— 

9 ‘‘(A) be displayed— 

10 ‘‘(i) inside an ancillary structure asso11 ciated with the commemorative work; or 

12 ‘‘(ii) as part of a manmade landscape 

13 feature at the commemorative work; and 

14 ‘‘(B) conform to applicable National Park 

15 Service or General Services Administration 

16 guidelines for donor recognition, as applicable. 

17 ‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.—An acknowledgment under 

18 paragraph (1) shall— 

19 ‘‘(A) be limited to an appropriate statement 

20 or credit recognizing the contribution; 

21 ‘‘(B) be displayed in a form in accordance 

22 with National Park Service and General Services 

23 Administration guidelines; 

24 ‘‘(C) be displayed for a period of up to 10 

25 years, with the display period to be commensuVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:25 Dec 11, 2014 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S2873.RS S2873

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1 rate with the level of the contribution, as deter2 mined in accordance with the plan and guide3 lines described in subparagraph (B); 

4 ‘‘(D) be freestanding; and 

5 ‘‘(E) not be affixed to— 

6 ‘‘(i) any landscape feature at the com7 memorative work; or 

8 ‘‘(ii) any object in a museum collec9 tion. 

10 ‘‘(4) COST.—The sponsor shall bear all expenses 

11 related to the display of donor acknowledgments 

12 under paragraph (1). 

13 ‘‘(5) APPLICABILITY.—This subsection shall 

14 apply to any commemorative work dedicated after 

15 January 1, 2010.’’. 

16 SEC. 5. EFFECT OF ACT. 

17 Nothing in this Act or an amendment made by this 

18 Act— 

19 (1) requires the Secretary to accept a donation; 

20 or 

21 (2) modifies section 145 of Public Law 108–108 

22 (16 U.S.C. 1a–1 note; 117 Stat. 1280). 


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Calendar No. 641 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2873 

[Report No. 113–301] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acPark System. knowledge contributions at units of the National 

DECEMBER 10, 2014 

Reported with an amendment 


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