I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3903
To establish a program to award grants to improve and maintain sites 
honoring Presidents of the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2004
Mr. GILLMOR (for himself, Mr. ROSS, Mr. PITTS, Mr. HALL, Mr. LATHAM, 
Mr. OXLEY, Mr. GOODE, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. REGULA, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mrs. 
MALONEY, Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. 
BERRY, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. JENKINS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To establish a program to award grants to improve and 
maintain sites honoring Presidents of the United States.
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 ‘‘Presidential Sites Im-
provement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that—
(1) there are many sites honoring Presidents lo-
cated throughout the United States, including Presi-
dential birthplaces, homes, museums, burial sites, 
and tombs; 
(2) most of the sites are owned, operated, and 
maintained by non-Federal entities such as State 
and local agencies, family foundations, colleges and 
universities, libraries, historical societies, historic 
preservation organizations, and other nonprofit orga-
nizations; 
(3) Presidential sites are often expensive to 
maintain; 
(4) many Presidential sites are in need of cap-
ital, technological, and interpretive display improve-
ments for which funding is insufficient or unavail-
able; and 
(5) to promote understanding of the history of 
the United States by recognizing and preserving his-
toric sites linked to Presidents of the United States, 
the Federal Government should provide grants for 
the maintenance and improvement of Presidential 
sites. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) GRANT
COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Grant 
Commission’’ means the Presidential Site Grant 
Commission established by section 4(d).
(2) PRESIDENTIAL
SITE.—The term ‘‘Presi-
dential site’’ means a site related to a President of 
the United States that has national significance and 
is—
(A) managed, maintained, and operated 
for, and is accessible to, the public; and 
(B) owned or operated by—
(i) a State; or 
(ii) a private institution, organization, 
or person. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the National Park Service. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL SITES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants 
for major maintenance and improvement projects at Presi-
dential sites to owners or operators of Presidential sites 
in accordance with this section. 
(b) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant awarded under this 
section may be used for—
(A) repairs or capital improvements at a 
Presidential site (including new construction for 
necessary modernization) such as—
(i) installation or repair of heating or 
air conditioning systems, security systems, 
or electric service; or 
(ii) modifications at a Presidential site 
to achieve compliance with requirements 
under titles II and III of the Americans 
with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12131 et seq.); and 
(B) interpretive improvements to enhance 
public understanding and enjoyment of a Presi-
dential site. 
(2) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Of the funds made 
available to award grants under this Act—
(i) 15 percent shall be used for emer-
gency projects, as determined by the Sec-
retary; 
(ii) 65 percent shall be used for 
grants for Presidential sites with—
(I) a 3-year average annual oper-
ating budget of less than $700,000 
(not including the amount of any 
grant received under this section); and
(II) an endowment in an amount 
that is less than 3 times the annual 
operating budget of the site; and 
(iii) 20 percent shall be used for 
grants for Presidential sites with—
(I) an annual operating budget of 
$700,000 or more (not including the 
amount of any grant received under 
this section); and 
(II) an endowment in an amount 
that is equal to or more than 3 times 
the annual operating budget of the 
site. 
(B) UNEXPENDED FUNDS.—If any funds 
allocated for a category of projects described in 
subparagraph (A) are unexpended, the Sec-
retary may use the funds to award grants for 
another category of projects described in that 
subparagraph. 
(c) APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCEDURE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than a date to be 
determined by the Secretary, an owner or operator 
of a Presidential site may submit to the Secretary 
an application for a grant under this section. 
(2) INVOLVEMENT OF GRANT COMMISSION.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
forward each application received under para-
graph (1) to the Grant Commission. 
(B) CONSIDERATION BY GRANT COMMIS-
SION.—Not later than 60 days after receiving 
an application from the Secretary under sub-
paragraph (A), the Grant Commission shall re-
turn the application to the Secretary with a rec-
ommendation of whether the proposed project 
should be awarded a Presidential site grant. 
(C) RECOMMENDATION OF GRANT COMMIS-
SION.—In making a decision to award a Presi-
dential site grant under this section, the Sec-
retary shall take into consideration any rec-
ommendation of the Grant Commission. 
(3) AWARD.—Not later than 180 days after re-
ceiving an application for a Presidential site grant 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
(A) award a Presidential site grant to the 
applicant; or 
(B) notify the applicant, in writing, of the 
decision of the Secretary not to award a Presi-
dential site grant. 
(4) MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of 
the cost of a project at a Presidential site for 
which a grant is awarded under this section 
shall not exceed 50 percent. 
(B) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Fed-
eral share of the cost of a project at a Presi-
dential site for which a grant is awarded under 
this section may be provided in cash or in kind. 
(d) PRESIDENTIAL SITE GRANT COMMISSION.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—There is established the 
Presidential Site Grant Commission. 
(2) COMPOSITION.—The Grant Commission 
shall be composed of—
(A) the Director of the National Park 
Service; and 
(B) 4 members appointed by the Secretary 
as follows: 
(i) A State historic preservation offi-
cer. 
(ii) A representative of the National 
Trust for Historic Preservation. 
(iii) A representative of a site de-
scribed in subsection (b)(2)(A)(ii). 
(iv) A representative of a site de-
scribed in subsection (b)(2)(A)(iii).
(3) TERM.—A member of the Grant Commis-
sion shall serve a term of 2 years. 
(4) DUTIES.—The Grant Commission shall—
(A) review applications for Presidential site 
grants received under subsection (c); and 
(B) recommend to the Secretary projects 
for which Presidential site grants should be 
awarded. 
(5) INELIGIBILITY OF SITES DURING TERM OF 
REPRESENTATIVE.—A site described in clause (iii) 
or (iv) of paragraph (2)(B) shall be ineligible for a 
grant under this Act during the 2-year period in 
which a representative of the site serves on the 
Grant Commission. 
(6) NONAPPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Grant 
Commission shall not be subject to the Federal Advi-
sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008, 
to remain available until expended.
Æ