New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the archeological site and surrounding land of the New Philadelphia town site in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) Frank McWorter, an enslaved man, bought his freedom and the freedom of 15 family members by mining for crude niter in Kentucky caves and processing the mined material into saltpeter; (2) New Philadelphia, founded in 1836 by Frank McWorter, was the first town planned and legally registered by a free African-American before the Civil War; (3) the first railroad constructed in the area of New Philadelphia bypassed New Philadelphia, which led to the decline of New Philadelphia; and (4) the New Philadelphia site— (A) is a registered National Historic Landmark; (B) is covered by farmland; and (C) does not contain any original buildings of the town or the McWorter farm and home that are visible above ground. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Secretary The term Secretary (2) Study Area The term Study Area 4. Special resource study (a) Study The Secretary shall conduct a special resource study of the Study Area. (b) Contents In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— (1) evaluate the national significance of the Study Area; (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Study Area as a unit of the National Park System; (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the Study Area by— (A) Federal, State, or local governmental entities; or (B) private and nonprofit organizations; (4) consult with— (A) interested Federal, State, or local governmental entities; (B) private and nonprofit organizations; or (C) any other interested individuals; and (5) identify cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with the alternatives considered under paragraph (3). (c) Applicable law The study required under subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with section 8 of Public Law 91–383 16 U.S.C. 1a–5 (d) Report Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made available for the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing— (1) the results of the study; and (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary. (e) Funding The study authorized under this section shall be carried out using existing funds of the National Park Service.

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the New Philadelphia archaeological site and the land surrounding it in Illinois. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress regarding the national significance of the area, the suitability and feasibility of designating the area as a unit of the National Park System, and alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the area by federal, state, or local governments or by private and nonprofit organizations.