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.
(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.
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
American Battlefield Protection Program. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a battlefield acquisition grant program under which the 
Secretary may provide grants to eligible entities to pay 
the Federal share of the cost of acquiring interests in eligi-
ble sites for the preservation and protection of those eligi-
ble sites. 
(c) NONPROFIT PARTNERS.—An eligible entity may 
acquire an interest in an eligible site using a grant under 
this section in partnership with a nonprofit organization. 
(d) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal share 
of the total cost of acquiring an interest in an eligible site 
under this section shall be not less than 50 percent. 
(e) LIMITATION ON LAND USE.—An interest in an 
eligible site acquired under this section shall be subject 
to section 6(f)(3) of the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–8(f)(3)). 
(f) WILLING SELLERS.—Acquisitions of land and in-
terests in land under this Act shall be limited to acquisi-
tions, from willing sellers only, of conservation easements 
and fee-simple purchases of eligible sites. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide
grants under this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2009 through 2013. 
SEC. 5. REPEAL. 
This Act shall be repealed on September 30, 2019. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 3, 
2009. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 548 
AN ACT 
To assist citizens, public and private institutions, 
and governments at all levels in planning, inter-
preting, and protecting sites where historic bat-
tles were fought on American soil during the 
armed conflicts that shaped the growth and de-
velopment of the United States, and for other 
purposes.