Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. BATTLE OF MILL SPRINGS STUDY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) In 1994, the Mills Springs Battlefield in 
Pulaski and Wayne Counties in Kentucky was des-
ignated as a National Historic Landmark by the De-
partment of the Interior. 
(2) The Battle of Mill Springs was the first sig-
nificant Union victory in the western theater of the 
Civil War. 
(3) The outcome of the Battle of Mill Springs, 
along with Union victories at Fort Henry and Fort 
Donelson paved the way for a major battle at Shiloh, 
Tennessee. 
(4) In 1991, the National Park Service placed 
the Mill Springs Battlefield on a list of endangered 
battlefields, noting the impact of this battle to the 
course of the Civil War. 
(5) In 1992, the Mill Springs Battlefield Asso-
ciation formed, and utilizing Federal, State, and 
local support has managed to preserve important 
tracts of the battlefield, construct an interactive vis-
itor center, and educate the public about this his-
toric event.
(6) There is strong community interest in incor-
porating the Mill Springs Battlefield into the Na-
tional Park Service. 
(7) The Mill Springs Battlefield Association has 
expressed its desire to give the preserved battlefield 
as a gift to the United States. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this Act: 
(1) MILL
SPRINGS
BATTLEFIELD.—The term 
‘‘Mill Springs Battlefield’’ means the area encom-
passed by the National Historic Landmark designa-
tions relating to the 1862 Battle of Mill Springs lo-
cated in the counties of Pulaski and Wayne in Ken-
tucky. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(c) STUDY.—Not later than 3 years from the date 
funds are made available, the Secretary shall conduct a 
special resource study to evaluate the significance of the 
Mill Springs Battlefield in Kentucky, and the feasibility 
of its inclusion in the National Park System. 
(d) CRITERIA FOR STUDY.—The Secretary shall con-
duct the study authorized by this Act in accordance with 
8(b) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(b)). 
(e) CONTENT OF STUDY.—The study shall include an 
analysis of the following:
(1) The significance of the Battle of Mill 
Springs to the outcome of the Civil War. 
(2) Opportunities for public education about the 
Civil War in Kentucky. 
(3) Operational issues that should be considered 
if the National Park System were to incorporate the 
Mill Springs Battlefield. 
(4) The feasibility of administering the Mill 
Springs Battlefield considering its size, configura-
tion, and other factors, to include an annual cost es-
timate. 
(5) The economic, educational, and other im-
pacts the inclusion of Mill Springs Battlefield into 
the National Park System would have on the sur-
rounding communities in Pulaski and Wayne Coun-
ties. 
(6) The effect of the designation of the Mill 
Springs Battlefield as a unit of the National Park 
System on— 
(A) existing commercial and recreational 
activities, including by not limited to hunting, 
fishing, and recreational shooting, and on the 
authorization, construction, operation, mainte-
nance, or improvement of energy production 
and transmission infrastructure; and
(B) the authority of State and local gov-
ernments to manage those activities. 
(7) The identification of any authorities, includ-
ing condemnation, that will compel or permit the 
Secretary to influence or participate in local land use 
decisions (such as zoning) or place restrictions on 
non-Federal lands if the Mill Springs Battlefield is 
designated a unit of the National Park System. 
(f) NOTIFICATION
OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWN-
ERS.—Upon commencement of the study, owners of pri-
vate property adjacent to the battlefield will be notified 
of the study’s commencement and scope. 
(g) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—Upon completion of 
the study, the Secretary shall submit a report on the find-
ings of the study to the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 
Passed the House of Representatives April 28, 2014. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 298 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a special resource study to evaluate the signifi-
cance of the Mill Springs Battlefield located in 
Pulaski and Wayne Counties, Kentucky, and the 
feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park 
System, and for other purposes.