Title: Camp Nelson Heritage Park Study Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Camp Nelson Heritage Park Study Act
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park and adjacent property in Jessamine County, Kentucky.
Interior shall: (1) evaluate the site's national significance, and (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park System.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1992 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1992

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 
    study of the site of the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in 
          Jessamine County, Kentucky, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2017

  Mr. Barr (for himself and Ms. Fudge) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 
    study of the site of the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in 
          Jessamine County, Kentucky, 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 ``Camp Nelson Heritage Park Study 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) In June 1863, Camp Nelson was founded and constructed 
        by Major General Ambrose Burnside and the unit under his 
        command, the 9th Corps of the Army of Ohio.
            (2) Camp Nelson was established as a supply depot for the 
        Union Army during the Civil War and helped support the Union 
        Army's campaigns in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.
            (3) Camp Nelson was one of the Nation's largest recruitment 
        and training centers for African American soldiers during the 
        Civil War, as well as a refugee camp for the wives and children 
        of many of those soldiers.
            (4) Because of its proximity to Confederate States, 
        thousands of slaves fled to Camp Nelson with their families to 
        escape enslavement and to enlist in the Union Army, thereby 
        gaining their freedom.
            (5) Eight regiments of ``U.S. Colored Troops'', the 
        designation of African American regiments at that time, were 
        founded at Camp Nelson, and three other regiments were trained 
        at the site.
            (6) Camp Nelson established a refugee camp for enlisted 
        African American soldiers' families, housing over 3,000 people, 
        primarily women and children, and included a school house, 
        hospital, mess hall, and other accommodations.
            (7) Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park was designated as 
        part of the National Park Service's National Underground 
        Railroad Network to Freedom in 2008 and designated a National 
        Historic Landmark in 2013.
            (8) In 1998, Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park was 
        created by Jessamine County Fiscal Court using Federal, State, 
        and local support, and has preserved large tracts of this site, 
        constructed a visitor center, constructed a replica barracks, 
        recreated a fort, developed interpretive trails, and educated 
        the public about this historic site.
            (9) There is strong community interest in making Camp 
        Nelson Civil War Heritage Park a unit of the National Park 
        System.
            (10) Jessamine County Fiscal Court has expressed its desire 
        to donate the preserved historic site as a gift to the United 
        States.

SEC. 3. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall conduct a special resource study of the 
site of the Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park in Jessamine County, 
Kentucky, and adjacent property (referred to in this Act as the 
``site'').
    (b) Criteria.--The Secretary shall conduct the study under 
subsection (a) in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United 
States Code.
    (c) Contents.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) evaluate the national significance of the site;
            (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 
        designating the site as a unit of the National Park System;
            (3) include cost estimates for any necessary acquisition, 
        development, operation, and maintenance of the site; and
            (4) consult with interested Federal, State, or local 
        governmental entities, private and nonprofit organizations, or 
        other interested individuals.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made 
available to carry out the study under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report that describes--
            (1) the findings and conclusions of the study; and
            (2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
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