Sewall-Belmont House Act of 2015

To establish the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Sewall-Belmont House Act of 2015 2. Findings and purpose (a) Findings The Congress finds that— (1) the Sewall-Belmont House was designated as a National Historic Landmark, National Historic Site, and an affiliated area of the National Park Service in 1974; (2) beginning in 1929, the Sewall-Belmont House served as the headquarters of the National Woman’s Party, founded by Alice Paul (1885–1977), the most significant figure in the final phase of the struggle for a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote; (3) Alice Paul revived the movement, employing dramatic techniques, White House demonstrations, hunger strikes, and relentless political pressure, to achieve victory just prior to the 1920 election; and (4) in June 2015, the National Park Service completed a feasibility study of the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site, in which the National Park Service determined that— (A) the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site met the criteria for inclusion in the National Park System, confirming national significance, suitability, feasibility, and the need for direct National Park Service management; and (B) the Sewall-Belmont House would help fill identified gaps in the National Park System related to the 20th century women’s rights movement and strengthening the overall interpretation of women’s history. (b) Purpose The purpose of this Act is to establish the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park System to preserve and protect the site and to interpret the nationally significant resources related to the women’s rights movement. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Secretary The term Secretary (2) Map The term map Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site Proposed Boundary (3) National historic site The term national historic site 4. Establishment of Sewall-Belmont House as a unit of the National Park System (a) In general Subject to subsection (b), the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site is established as a unit of the National Park System, to be known as the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site (b) Conditions The national historic site shall not be established as a unit of the National Park System until the date on which the Secretary determines that— (1) the National Woman’s Party has transferred the land and any improvements to the land within the boundaries described in subsection (c) to the Secretary; and (2) the Secretary and the National Woman’s Party have entered into a Management Agreement in accordance with subsection (d). (c) Boundaries The national historic site shall consist of the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site, also known as the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum (d) Management agreement The Secretary may enter into a management agreement with the National Woman’s Party that provides for— (1) National Park Service operation and maintenance of the national historic site; (2) the National Woman’s Party to retain ownership and management of the National Woman’s Party collection, which includes an extensive library and archival and museum holdings relating to the women’s suffrage movement; and (3) collaboration and cooperation by the National Park Service and the National Woman’s Party on management and interpretation of the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site. (e) Administration The Secretary shall administer the national historic site in accordance with— (1) this Act; and (2) the laws generally applicable to units of the National Park Service, including— (A) section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and sections 100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of title 54, United States Code; and (B) chapter 3201

Summary: Sewall-Belmont House Act of 2015 This bill establishes the Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site (the former headquarters of the National Woman's Party of the women's suffrage movement) as a unit of the National Park System (NPS). The Site shall not be established as an NPS unit, however, until the Department of the Interior determines that: (1) the National Woman's Party has transferred to Interior the land and any improvements within the boundaries of the Site, and (2) Interior and the National Woman's Party have entered into a management agreement. The national historic site shall consist of the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, located at 144 Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, DC.