I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 904

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to inventory, 

evaluate, document, and assist efforts to preserve surviving United States 

Life-Saving Service stations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2003

Mr. PALLONE (for himself and Mr. LOBIONDO) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a 

program to inventory, evaluate, document, and assist 

efforts to preserve surviving United States Life-Saving 

Service stations.

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 ‘‘United States Life5 Saving Service Heritage Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) The United States Life-Saving Service was 

2 organized by the Congress by enactment of the Act 

3 entitled ‘‘An Act to organize the Life-Saving-Serv4 ice’’, approved June 18, 1878 (chapter 265; 20 Stat. 

5 163 et seq.). 

6 (2) These lifesaving stations were staffed by 

7 brave volunteer and professional lifesavers, who 

8 risked life and limb to rescue shipwrecked pas9 sengers and crews. 

10 (3) Many surviving Life-Saving Service stations 

11 are of rare architectural significance, yet these his12 toric stations are threatened by harsh coastal envi13 ronments, rapid economic development in the coastal 

14 zone, neglect, and lack of resources for their preser15 vation. 

16 (4) The heroic actions of Life-Saving Service 

17 personnel deserve greater recognition, and their con18 tributions to America’s maritime history should be 

19 celebrated through a comprehensive preservation 

20 program and greater opportunities for the public’s 

21 education about the heritage of the Life-Saving 

22 Service. 

23 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author24 ize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program 
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1 to inventory, evaluate, document, and assist efforts to pre2 serve surviving Life-Saving Service stations. 

3 SEC. 3. UNITED STATES LIFE-SAVING SERVICE STATION 

4 PRESERVATION PROGRAM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, 

6 through the National Maritime Initiative of the National 

7 Park Service, shall establish a program in accordance with 

8 this section to inventory, evaluate, document, and assist 

9 efforts to preserve surviving United States Life-Saving 

10 Service stations. 

11 (b) INVENTORY, DOCUMENTATION, AND EVALUA12 TION.—The Secretary, in cooperation with the U.S. Life13 Saving Service Heritage Association, shall—

14 (1) survey coastal regions of the United States 

15 to identify and prepare an inventory of surviving his16 toric lifesaving stations; 

17 (2) document the designs of significant existing 

18 structures and lifesaving boats of historic lifesaving 

19 stations, for inclusion in the Historic American En20 gineering Record Collection; and 

21 (3) evaluate historic lifesaving stations, includ22 ing—

23 (A) assessing the historic significance, in24 tegrity, and condition of surviving historic life25 saving stations; and 
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1 (B) making recommendations for out2 standing examples of historic lifesaving stations 

3 that should be designated as National Historic 

4 Landmarks. 

5 (c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATIONAL MATE6 RIALS, RESEARCH AIDS, AND OTHER INFORMATION.—

7 The Secretary shall—

8 (1) serve as a clearinghouse of information for 

9 persons interested in preserving historic lifesaving 

10 stations; and 

11 (2) make available to the public, including 

12 through the Internet, educational materials, research 

13 aids, guides, bibliographies, and other information 

14 regarding the Life-Saving Service and related orga15 nizations that provided humanitarian assistance to 

16 shipwrecked mariners, including—

17 (A) information on the history and devel18 opment of the Life-Saving Service, predecessor 

19 private and State lifesaving organizations, and 

20 Coast Guard lifesaving stations; 

21 (B) technical descriptions of lifesaving 

22 boats, line-guns, life cars, and other lifesaving 

23 gear; 

24 (C) the inventory, documentation, and 

25 evaluation prepared under subsection (b); and 
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1 (D) guidance and technical assistance in 

2 the listing of historic lifesaving stations in the 

3 National Register of Historic Places. 

4 (d) GRANTS.—

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, subject to 

6 the availability of appropriations, shall make grants 

7 to coordinate and assist preservation of historic life8 saving stations. 

9 (2) COST SHARE.—The Federal share of the 

10 cost of an activity carried out with financial assist11 ance under this subsection shall not exceed 75 per12 cent of the total cost of the activity. 

13 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

14 (1) HISTORIC LIFESAVING STATION.—The term 

15 ‘‘historic lifesaving station’’ means any land, struc16 ture, equipment, or other physical artifact or facility 

17 formerly under the jurisdiction or control of the 

18 Life-Saving Service, including lifesaving stations, 

19 sailor’s refuges, shipwreck survivors’ cache sites, and 

20 lifeboats. 

21 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

22 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Na23 tional Maritime Initiative of the National Park Serv24 ice. 
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1 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary—

3 (1) for use in making grants under subsection 

4 (d), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 

5 through 2008; and 

6 (2) for carrying out the other provisions of this 

7 section $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 

8 through 2008.

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