Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act

Bill: 115-s-2895
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2018-05-22
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Archaeology and anthropology

Historic sites and heritage areas

Kansas

Land use and conservation

Racial and ethnic relations

U.S. history
Latest action: action_date: 2018-12-12
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-05-22
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act</b></p> <p>This bill designates the Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City, Kansas, which is associated with the the Bleeding Kansas conflict of 1854-1861 and the Underground Railroad, as the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2895 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 22, 2018 Mr. Roberts introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To designate the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act . 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 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 important role in the history of Kansas and the broader debate over slavery in the United States; (3) the town of Quindaro was a key site during the conflict, known as the Bleeding Kansas conflict, 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 important 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 future; (7) local government, private entities, and individual stakeholders in the area have invested time and resources to further the preservation of the physical remains of the town and the historical and cultural legacy of the town; and (8) the Quindaro Townsite fits the requirements for National Historic Landmark designation of— (A) possessing exceptional value in illustrating the history of the United States; and (B) providing the potential to yield new information about the history of the United States. 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. 4. Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark (a) Designation The Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City, Kansas, as listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is designated as the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark . (b) Cooperative agreements (1) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the State, Kansas City, Kansas, and affected subdivisions of the State, may enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate public or private 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 owners Designation of the Quindaro Townsite as a National Historic Landmark shall not prohibit any actions that may otherwise be taken by a property owner (including any owner of the Landmark) with respect to the property of the owner. (d) No effect on administration Nothing in this section affects the administration of the Landmark by Kansas City, Kansas, or the State.