S. 233

One Hundred Eighth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the seventh day of January, two thousand and three

An Act

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of Coltsville in the

State of Connecticut for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coltsville Study Act of 2003’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that—

(1) Hartford, Connecticut, home to Colt Manufacturing

Company (referred to in this Act as ‘‘Colt’’), played a major

role in the Industrial Revolution;

(2) Samuel Colt, founder of Colt, and his wife, Elizabeth

Colt, inspired Coltsville, a community in the State of Connecticut that flourished during the Industrial Revolution and

included Victorian mansions, an open green area, botanical

gardens, and a deer park;

(3) the residence of Samuel and Elizabeth Colt in Hartford,

Connecticut, known as ‘‘Armsmear’’, is a national historic landmark, and the distinctive Colt factory is a prominent feature

of the Hartford, Connecticut, skyline;

(4) the Colt legacy is not only about firearms, but also

about industrial innovation and the development of technology

that would change the way of life in the United States,

including—

(A) the development of telegraph technology; and

(B) advancements in jet engine technology by Francis

Pratt and Amos Whitney, who served as apprentices at

Colt;

(5) Coltsville—

(A) set the standard for excellence during the Industrial Revolution; and

(B) continues to prove significant—

(i) as a place in which people of the United States

can learn about that important period in history; and

(ii) by reason of the close proximity of Coltsville

to the Mark Twain House, Trinity College, Old North

Cemetery, and many historic homesteads and

architecturally renowned buildings;

(6) in 1998, the National Park Service conducted a special

resource reconnaissance study of the Connecticut River Valley

to evaluate the significance of precision manufacturing sites;

and
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(7) the report on the study stated that—

(A) no other region of the United States contains an

equal concentration of resources relating to the precision

manufacturing theme that began with firearms production;

(B) properties relating to precision manufacturing

encompass more than merely factories; and

(C) further study, which should be undertaken, may

recommend inclusion of churches and other social institutions.

SEC. 3. STUDY.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the date on

which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary

of the Interior (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall

complete a study of the site in the State of Connecticut commonly

known as ‘‘Coltsville’’ to evaluate—

(1) the national significance of the site and surrounding

area;

(2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the site

and surrounding area as a unit of the National Park System;

and

(3) the importance of the site to the history of precision

manufacturing.

(b) APPLICABLE LAW.—The study required under subsection

(a) shall be conducted in accordance with Public Law 91–383 (16

U.S.C. 1a–1 et seq.).

SEC. 4. REPORT.

Not later than 30 days after the date on which the study

under section 3(a) is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the

Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and the

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report

that describes— (1) the findings of the study; and

(2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are

necessary to carry out this Act.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.