I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5878 
To designate the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 3, 2023 
Mr. LATURNER (for himself, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, and Mr. CLEAVER) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Nat-
ural Resources 
A BILL 
To designate the Quindaro Townsite National Historic 
Landmark, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Quindaro Townsite 
National Historic Landmark Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the town of Quindaro was founded in 1857, 
in the Territory of Kansas, with the specific intent 
of aiding the Free-State movement in the struggle 
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over whether to admit Kansas to the Union as a free 
State or a slave State; 
(2) as a result of the circumstances described in 
paragraph (1), the town of Quindaro played an im-
portant role in the history of Kansas and the broad-
er debate over slavery in the United States; 
(3) the town of Quindaro was a key site during 
the conflict, known as the ‘‘Bleeding Kansas’’ con-
flict, serving as a safe port of entry into Kansas on 
the Missouri River for people opposed to slavery; 
(4) the town of Quindaro also acted as an im-
portant piece of the Underground Railroad, allowing 
runaway slaves to escape to freedom in Kansas; 
(5) since the first excavation of the Quindaro 
Townsite, the area has yielded a wealth of important 
artifacts that have contributed to the understanding 
of the town and the place of the town in history; 
(6) the Quindaro Townsite maintains a high 
level of archaeological integrity, with the potential 
for additional discoveries at the townsite in the fu-
ture; 
(7) local government, private entities, and indi-
vidual stakeholders in the area have invested time 
and resources to further the preservation of the 
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physical remains of the town and the historical and 
cultural legacy of the town; and 
(8) the Quindaro Townsite fits the require-
ments for National Historic Landmark designation 
of— 
(A) possessing exceptional value in illus-
trating the history of the United States; and 
(B) providing the potential to yield new in-
formation about the history of the United 
States. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) LANDMARK.—The term ‘‘Landmark’’ means 
the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark 
designated by section 4(a). 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Kansas. 
SEC. 4. QUINDARO TOWNSITE NATIONAL HISTORIC LAND-
MARK. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—The Quindaro Townsite in Kan-
sas City, Kansas, as listed on the National Register of 
Historic Places, is designated as the ‘‘Quindaro Townsite 
National Historic Landmark’’. 
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(b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the State, Kansas City, Kansas, and af-
fected subdivisions of the State, may enter into co-
operative agreements with appropriate public or pri-
vate entities, for the purposes of— 
(A) protecting historic resources at the 
Landmark; and 
(B) providing educational and interpretive 
facilities and programs at the Landmark for the 
public. 
(2) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.— 
The Secretary may provide technical and financial 
assistance to any entity with which the Secretary 
has entered into a cooperative agreement under 
paragraph (1). 
(c) NO EFFECT ON ACTIONS OF PROPERTY OWN-
ERS.—Designation of the Quindaro Townsite as a Na-
tional Historic Landmark shall not prohibit any actions 
that may otherwise be taken by a property owner (includ-
ing any owner of the Landmark) with respect to the prop-
erty of the owner. 
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(d) NO EFFECT ON ADMINISTRATION.—Nothing in 
this section affects the administration of the Landmark 
by Kansas City, Kansas, or the State. 
Æ 
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