To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction Era to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``National Reconstruction Study Area 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Reconstruction Era, during which Congress adopted 
        the 13th amendment ending slavery, the 14th amendment 
        guaranteeing civil rights, and the 15th amendment guaranteeing 
        voting rights to all citizens of the United States, saw the 
        occurrence of a transforming series of events in the history of 
        the United States.
            (2) Beaufort, South Carolina, and the surrounding sea 
        islands--
                    (A) contain significant historical and 
                archaeological sites associated with the Reconstruction 
                Era; and
                    (B) offer a unique opportunity for preserving and 
                interpreting the Reconstruction Era.
            (3) The first African-Americans to hear the reading of 
        Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation assembled on 
        January 1, 1863, at the Old Fort Plantation on the Beaufort 
        River in the State of South Carolina.
            (4) The Penn School, a national historic landmark located 
        on St. Helena Island, South Carolina--
                    (A) was the first educational experiment of the 
                Reconstruction Era and the eventual end of chattel 
                slavery; and
                    (B) remains 1 of the most significant African-
                American cultural and educational institutions in the 
                United States.
            (5) The Freedmen's Bureau, located in the restored Beaufort 
        College, served as the chief policy arm of the Federal 
        Government for matters related to emancipated slaves during the 
        Reconstruction Era.
            (6) Beaufort County, South Carolina, and the surrounding 
        sea islands have many other noteworthy historic buildings and 
        archaeological sites, including--
                    (A) buildings and sites associated with Robert 
                Smalls, a former slave who--
                            (i) became a hero to the Union cause when 
                        he and several slaves seized control of the 
                        armed Confederate ship on which they served and 
                        then turned the ship over to the Union navy; 
                        and
                            (ii) represented the State of South 
                        Carolina in the House of Representatives during 
                        the Reconstruction Era;
                    (B) the first Freedmen's Village of Mitchellville 
                on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina;
                    (C) Camp Sexton, the site of the first African-
                American regiment mustered in the United States Army; 
                and
                    (D) Penn School and Beaufort College.
            (7) The National Park System does not have a park or 
        historic site that focuses primarily on the preservation and 
        interpretation of the Reconstruction Era.
            (8) The Reconstruction Era was a period of deep cultural, 
        political, and economic division in the United States, and it 
        is necessary to better understand this complex period of 
        history and the continuing impact of this period on the United 
        States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

     In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
        Park Service.
            (2) Study area.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``study area'' means the 
                area comprised of historical sites in the historic 
                district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the 
                Reconstruction Era.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``study area'' includes 
                the following:
                            (i) The Penn School.
                            (ii) The Old Fort Plantation on the 
                        Beaufort River.
                            (iii) The Freedmen's Bureau in Beaufort 
                        College.
                            (iv) The First Freedmen's Village of 
                        Mitchellville on Hilton Head Island.
                            (v) Various historic buildings and 
                        archaeological sites associated with Robert 
                        Smalls.
                            (vi) The Beaufort Arsenal.
                            (vii) other significant sites relating to 
                        the Reconstruction Era.

SEC. 4. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a study of the study 
area to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the study 
area as a unit of the National Park System.
    (b) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection (a) shall 
be conducted in accordance with Public Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et 
seq.).

SEC. 5. REPORT.

     As soon as practicable after the study under section 4 is 
completed, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Resources of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report that describes the findings of the 
study and any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

Summary: National Reconstruction Study Area Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study and report on the suitability and feasibility of designating an area comprised of historical sites in the historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction Era as a unit of the National Park System.