IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 548 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 4, 2009 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources 
AN ACT 
To assist citizens, public and private institutions, and govern-
ments at all levels in planning, interpreting, and pro-
tecting sites where historic battles were fought on Amer-
ican soil during the armed conflicts that shaped the 
growth and development of the United States, and for 
other purposes. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
21:47 Mar 04, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H548.RFS
H548
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
HR 548 RFS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Civil War Battlefield 
Preservation Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION PROGRAM. 
The purpose of this Act is to assist citizens, public 
and private institutions, and governments at all levels in 
planning, interpreting, and protecting sites where historic 
battles were fought on American soil during the armed 
conflicts that shaped the growth and development of the 
United States, in order that present and future genera-
tions may learn and gain inspiration from the ground 
where Americans made their ultimate sacrifice. 
SEC. 3. PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Using the established national 
historic preservation program to the extent practicable, 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the American 
Battlefield Protection Program, shall encourage, support, 
assist, recognize, and work in partnership with citizens, 
Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, other public 
entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit or-
ganizations in identifying, researching, evaluating, inter-
preting, and protecting historic battlefields and associated 
sites on a National, State, and local level. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
21:47 Mar 04, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H548.RFS
H548
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
HR 548 RFS 
(b) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—To carry out sub-
section (a), the Secretary may use a cooperative agree-
ment, grant, contract, or other generally adopted means 
of providing financial assistance. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 annually to 
carry out this section, to remain available until expended. 
SEC. 4. BATTLEFIELD ACQUISITION GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) BATTLEFIELD REPORT.—The term ‘‘Battle-
field Report’’ means the document entitled ‘‘Report 
on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields’’, prepared by 
the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, and dated 
July 1993. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a State or local government. 
(3) ELIGIBLE SITE.—The term ‘‘eligible site’’ 
means a site— 
(A) that is not within the exterior bound-
aries of a unit of the National Park System; 
and 
(B) that is identified in the Battlefield Re-
port. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
21:47 Mar 04, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H548.RFS
H548
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS