H. R. 449
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
An Act
To authorize the Gateway Visitor Center at Independence National Historical Park,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gateway Visitor Center
Authorization Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) The National Park Service completed and approved
in 1997 a general management plan for Independence National
Historical Park that establishes goals and priorities for the
park’s future.
(2) The general management plan for Independence
National Historical Park calls for the revitalization of Independ-
ence Mall and recommends as a critical component of the
Independence Mall’s revitalization the development of a new
‘‘Gateway Visitor Center’’.
(3) Such a visitor center would replace the existing park
visitor center and would serve as an orientation center for
visitors to the park and to city and regional attractions.
(4) Subsequent to the completion of the general manage-
ment plan, the National Park Service undertook and completed
a design project and master plan for Independence Mall which
includes the Gateway Visitor Center.
(5) Plans for the Gateway Visitor Center call for it to
be developed and managed, in cooperation with the Secretary
of the Interior, by a nonprofit organization which represents
the various public and civic interests of the greater Philadelphia
metropolitan area.
(6) The Gateway Visitor Center Corporation, a nonprofit
organization, has been established to raise funds for and
cooperate in a program to design, develop, construct, and
operate the proposed Gateway Visitor Center.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to authorize the Sec-
retary of the Interior to enter into a cooperative agreement with
the Gateway Visitor Center Corporation to construct and operate
a regional visitor center on Independence Mall.
SEC. 3. GATEWAY VISITOR CENTER AUTHORIZATION.
(a) AGREEMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior, in admin-
istering the Independence National Historical Park, may enter into
H. R. 449—2
an agreement under appropriate terms and conditions with the
Gateway Visitor Center Corporation (a nonprofit corporation estab-
lished under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) to
facilitate the construction and operation of a regional Gateway
Visitor Center on Independence Mall.
(b) OPERATIONS OF CENTER.—The Agreement shall authorize
the Corporation to operate the Center in cooperation with the
Secretary and to provide at the Center information, interpretation,
facilities, and services to visitors to Independence National Histor-
ical Park, its surrounding historic sites, the City of Philadelphia,
and the region, in order to assist in their enjoyment of the historic,
cultural, educational, and recreational resources of the greater
Philadelphia area.
(c) MANAGEMENT-RELATED ACTIVITIES.—The Agreement shall
authorize the Secretary to undertake at the Center activities related
to the management of Independence National Historical Park,
including, but not limited to, provision of appropriate visitor
information and interpretive facilities and programs related to
Independence National Historical Park.
(d) 
ACTIVITIES
OF
CORPORATION.—The 
Agreement 
shall
authorize the Corporation, acting as a private nonprofit organiza-
tion, to engage in activities appropriate for operation of a regional
visitor center that may include, but are not limited to, charging
fees, conducting events, and selling merchandise, tickets, and food
to visitors to the Center.
(e) USE OF REVENUES.—Revenues from activities engaged in
by the Corporation shall be used for the operation and administra-
tion of the Center.
(f ) PROTECTION OF PARK.—Nothing in this section authorizes
the Secretary or the Corporation to take any actions in derogation
of the preservation and protection of the values and resources
of Independence National Historical Park.
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘Agreement’’ means an agree-
ment under this section between the Secretary and the Corpora-
tion.
(2) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ means a Gateway Visitor
Center constructed and operated in accordance with the Agree-
ment.
(3) CORPORATION.—The term ‘‘Corporation’’ means the
Gateway Visitor Center Corporation (a nonprofit corporation
established under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
vania).
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(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of the Interior.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.