Fort Pillow National Battlefield Park Study Act

Bill: 115-hr-4868
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]
Introduced: 2018-01-19
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Government studies and investigations

Military history

Monuments and memorials

Parks, recreation areas, trails

Tennessee
Latest action: action_date: 2018-01-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-01-19
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Fort Pillow National Battlefield Park Study Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Interior to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating&nbsp;the Fort Pillow Historic State Park in Henning, Tennessee, which was the site of the Battle of Fort Pillow during the Civil War, as a unit of the National Park System.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4868 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 19, 2018 Mr. Rush introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of Fort Pillow Historic State Park in Henning, Tennessee, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fort Pillow National Battlefield Park Study Act . 2. Findings Congress finds as follows: (1) Fort Pillow was built by Confederate troops in 1861 and named after General Gideon J. Pillow of Maury County. (2) In 1862, the area was abandoned due to the Union Navy advancement along the Mississippi River. (3) The Fort was attacked and captured by the Union Navy, which mostly controlled it during the war. (4) On June 4, 1862, Confederate troops evacuated Fort Pillow, enabling Union troops to take Memphis, Tennessee. (5) On April 12, 1864, the Battle of Fort Pillow was fought at Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. (6) The Confederate troops defeated the Union Navy, resulting in the death of 229 of the 262 black Union soldiers engaged in the battle. (7) In 1971, Fort Pillow became a State park. (8) In 1973, Fort Pillow was designated as a Historic Park. (9) Fort Pillow Historic State Park consists of 1,642 acres. (10) It preserves the American Civil War site of the Battle of Fort Pillow. (11) The park contains several attraction areas such as a Civil War museum, hiking trail, camping ground, and picnic area. 3. Fort Pillow special resource study (a) Study The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the Secretary ) shall conduct a special resource study of Fort Pillow Historic State Park in Henning, Tennessee. (b) 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; and (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the lands by Federal, State, or local governmental entities, or private and nonprofit organizations. (c) Applicable law The study authorized under subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States Code. (d) Report Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made available for 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 of the study; and (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.