II 
Calendar No. 867 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3981 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 9, 2008 
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Preserve America Program and Save 
America’s Treasures Program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Preserve America and Save America’s Treasures Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—PRESERVE AMERICA PROGRAM 
Sec. 101. Purpose. 
Sec. 102. Definitions. 
Sec. 103. Establishment. 
Sec. 104. Designation of Preserve America Communities. 
Sec. 105. Regulations. 
Sec. 106. Authorization of appropriations. 
TITLE II—SAVE AMERICA’S TREASURES PROGRAM 
Sec. 201. Purpose. 
Sec. 202. Definitions. 
Sec. 203. Establishment. 
Sec. 204. Regulations. 
Sec. 205. Authorization of appropriations. 
TITLE III—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Sec. 301. Prohibition on funding certain activities. 
TITLE I—PRESERVE AMERICA 
PROGRAM 
SEC. 101. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this title is to authorize the Preserve 
America Program, including— 
(1) the Preserve America grant program within 
the Department of the Interior; 
(2) the recognition programs administered by 
the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; and 
(3) the related efforts of Federal agencies, 
working in partnership with State, tribal, and local 
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governments and the private sector, to support and 
promote the preservation of historic resources. 
SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Council’’ means the 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. 
(2) HERITAGE TOURISM.—The term ‘‘heritage 
tourism’’ means the conduct of activities to attract 
and accommodate visitors to a site or area based on 
the unique or special aspects of the history, land-
scape (including trail systems), and culture of the 
site or area. 
(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the Preserve America Program established under 
section 103(a). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 103. ESTABLISHMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the De-
partment of the Interior the Preserve America Program, 
under which the Secretary, in partnership with the Coun-
cil, may provide competitive grants to States, local govern-
ments (including local governments in the process of ap-
plying for designation as Preserve America Communities 
under section 104), Indian tribes, communities designated 
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as Preserve America Communities under section 104, 
State historic preservation offices, and tribal historic pres-
ervation offices to support preservation efforts through 
heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation 
planning activities. 
(b) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The following projects shall 
be eligible for a grant under this title: 
(A) A project for the conduct of— 
(i) research on, and documentation of, 
the history of a community; and 
(ii) surveys of the historic resources of 
a community. 
(B) 
An 
education 
and 
interpretation 
project that conveys the history of a community 
or site. 
(C) A planning project (other than build-
ing rehabilitation) that advances economic de-
velopment using heritage tourism and historic 
preservation. 
(D) A training project that provides oppor-
tunities for professional development in areas 
that would aid a community in using and pro-
moting its historic resources. 
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101(c)(1) of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 470a(c)(1)). 
(d) GUIDELINES.—The Council, in consultation with 
the Secretary, shall establish any guidelines that are nec-
essary to carry out this section. 
SEC. 105. REGULATIONS. 
The Secretary shall develop any guidelines and issue 
any regulations that the Secretary determines to be nec-
essary to carry out this title. 
SEC. 106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this title $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, 
2011, 2012 and 2013, to remain available until expended. 
TITLE II—SAVE AMERICA’S 
TREASURES PROGRAM 
SEC. 201. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this title is to authorize within the 
Department of the Interior the Save America’s Treasures 
Program, to be carried out by the Director of the National 
Park Service, in partnership with— 
(1) the National Endowment for the Arts; 
(2) the National Endowment for the Human-
ities; 
(3) the Institute of Museum and Library Serv-
ices; 
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(4) the National Trust for Historic Preserva-
tion; 
(5) the National Conference of State Historic 
Preservation Officers; 
(6) the National Association of Tribal Historic 
Preservation Officers; and 
(7) the President’s Committee on the Arts and 
the Humanities. 
SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) 
COLLECTION.—The 
term 
‘‘collection’’ 
means a collection of intellectual and cultural arti-
facts, including documents, sculpture, and works of 
art. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a Federal entity, State, local, or tribal 
government, educational institution, or nonprofit or-
ganization. 
(3) HISTORIC PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘historic 
property’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
301 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 
U.S.C. 470w). 
(4) NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT.—The term ‘‘na-
tionally significant’’ means a collection or historic 
property that meets the applicable criteria for na-
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tional significance, in accordance with regulations 
promulgated by the Secretary pursuant to section 
101(a)(2) of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(16 U.S.C. 470a(a)(2)). 
(5) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the Save America’s Treasures Program established 
under section 203(a). 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the National Park Service. 
SEC. 203. ESTABLISHMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the De-
partment of the Interior the Save America’s Treasures 
program, under which the amounts made available to the 
Secretary under section 205 shall be used by the Sec-
retary, in consultation with the organizations described in 
section 201, subject to subsection (f)(1)(B), to provide 
grants to eligible entities for projects to preserve nation-
ally significant collections and historic properties. 
(b) DETERMINATION OF GRANTS.—Of the amounts 
made available for grants under section 205, not less than 
50 percent shall be made available for grants for projects 
to preserve collections and historic properties, to be dis-
tributed through a competitive grant process administered 
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by the Secretary, subject to the eligibility criteria estab-
lished under subsection (e). 
(c) APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS.—To be considered 
for a competitive grant under the program an eligible enti-
ty shall submit to the Secretary an application containing 
such information as the Secretary may require. 
(d) COLLECTIONS AND HISTORIC PROPERTIES ELI-
GIBLE FOR COMPETITIVE GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A collection or historic prop-
erty shall be provided a competitive grant under the 
program only if the Secretary determines that the 
collection or historic property is— 
(A) nationally significant; and 
(B) threatened or endangered. 
(2) ELIGIBLE COLLECTIONS.—A determination 
by the Secretary regarding the national significance 
of collections under paragraph (1)(A) shall be made 
in consultation with the organizations described in 
section 201, as appropriate. 
(3) ELIGIBLE HISTORIC PROPERTIES.—To be 
eligible for a competitive grant under the program, 
a historic property shall, as of the date of the grant 
application— 
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(A) be listed in the National Register of 
Historic Places at the national level of signifi-
cance; or 
(B) be designated as a National Historic 
Landmark. 
(e) SELECTION CRITERIA FOR GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall not pro-
vide a grant under this title to a project for an eligi-
ble collection or historic property unless the 
project— 
(A) eliminates or substantially mitigates 
the threat of destruction or deterioration of the 
eligible collection or historic property; 
(B) has a clear public benefit; and 
(C) is able to be completed on schedule 
and within the budget described in the grant 
application. 
(2) PREFERENCE.—In providing grants under 
this title, the Secretary may give preference to 
projects that carry out the purposes of both the pro-
gram and the Preserve America Program. 
(3) LIMITATION.—In providing grants under 
this title, the Secretary shall only provide 1 grant to 
each eligible project selected for a grant. 
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(f) CONSULTATION
AND NOTIFICATION
BY SEC-
RETARY.— 
(1) CONSULTATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the Secretary shall consult with the 
organizations described in section 201 in pre-
paring the list of projects to be provided grants 
for a fiscal year by the Secretary under the pro-
gram. 
(B) LIMITATION.—If an entity described in 
subparagraph (A) has submitted an application 
for a grant under the program, the entity shall 
be recused by the Secretary from the consulta-
tion requirements under that subparagraph and 
subsection (a). 
(2) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 30 days be-
fore the date on which the Secretary provides grants 
for a fiscal year under the program, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources of the Senate, the Committee on Ap-
propriations of the Senate, the Committee on Nat-
ural Resources of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives a list of any eligible projects that 
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