Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002
PL 107-359 (H.R.5125), enacted 12/17/2002

116 STAT. 3016 
PUBLIC LAW 107-359—DEC. 17, 2002 
Public Law 107-359 
107th Congress 
An Act 
Dec. 17, 2002 
To amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary 
[H.R. 5125] 
°^ ^^^ Interior to establish a battlefield acquisition grant program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
Civil War 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
Battlefield 
Preservation Act 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
16 use 469k 
This Act may be cited as the "Civil War Battlefield Preservation 
note. 
Act of 2002". 
16 use 469k 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Civil War battlefields provide a means for the people 
of the United States to understand a tragic period in the 
history of the United States. 
(2) According to the Report on the Nation's Civil War 
Battlefields, prepared by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commis-
sion, and dated July 1993, of the 384 principal Civil War 
battlefields— 
(A) almost 20 percent are lost or fragmented; 
(B) 17 percent are in poor condition; and 
(C) 60 percent have been lost or are in imminent 
danger of being fragmented by development and lost as 
coherent historic sites. 
(b) PURPOSES.—^The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to act quickly and proactively to preserve and protect 
nationally significant Civil War battlefields through conserva-
tion easements and fee-simple purchases of those battlefields 
from willing sellers; and 
(2) to create partnerships among State and local govern-
ments, regional entities, and the private sector to preserve, 
conserve, and enhance nationally significant Civil War battle-
fields. 
SEC. 3. BATTLEFIELD ACQUISITION GRANT PROGRAM. 
The American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 
469k) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as paragraph (3) of 
subsection (c), and indenting appropriately; 
(2) in paragraph (3) of subsection (c) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (1))— 
(A) by striking "APPROPRIATIONS" and inserting "APPRO-
PRIATIONS"; and 
(B) by striking "section" and inserting "subsection"; 
(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the following: 
PUBLIC LAW 107-359—DEC. 17, 2002 
116 STAT. 3017 
"(d) BATTLEFIELD ACQUISITION GRANT PROGRAM.— 
"(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
"(A) 
BATTLEFIELD 
REPORT.—The term 
'Battlefield 
Report' means the document entitled 'Report on the 
Nation's Civil War Battlefields', prepared by the Civil War 
Sites Advisory Commission, and dated July 1993. 
"(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term 'eligible entity means 
a State or local government. 
"(C) ELIGIBLE SITE.—The term 'eligible site' means a 
site— 
"(i) that is not within the exterior boundaries of 
a unit of the National Park System; and 
"(ii) that is identified in the Battlefield Report. 
"(D) SECRETARY.—The term 'Secretary' means the Sec-
retary of the Interior, acting through the American Battle-
field Protection Program. 
"(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish a 
battlefield acquisition grant program under which the Secretary 
may provide grants to eligible entities to pay the Federal share 
of the cost of acquiring interests in eligible sites for the 
preservation and protection of those eligible sites. 
"(3) NONPROFIT PARTNERS.—^An eligible entity may acquire 
an interest in an eligible site using a grant under this sub-
section in partnership with a nonprofit organization. 
"(4) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—^The non-Federal share of the 
total cost of acquiring an interest in an eligible site under 
this subsection shall be not less than 50 percent. 
"(5) LIMITATION ON LAND USE.—^An interest in an eligible 
site acquired under this subsection shall be subject to section 
6(f)(3) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 
(16 U.S.C. 4601-8(f)(3)). 
"(6) R E P O R T S . — 
Deadlines. 
"(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years after the 
date of the enactment of this subparagraph, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the activities carried 
out under this subsection. 
"(B) UPDATE OF BATTLEFIELD REPORT.—Not later than 
2 years after the date of the enactment of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that 
updates the Battlefield Report to reflect— 
"(i) preservation activities carried out at the 384 
battlefields during the period between publication of 
the Battlefield Report and the update; 
"(ii) changes in the condition of the battlefields 
during that period; and 
"(iii) any other relevant developments relating to 
the battlefields during that period. 
"(7) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
"(A) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary from the Land and Water Con-
servation Fund to provide grants under this subsection 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008. 
"(B) UPDATE OF BATTLEFIELD REPORT.—^There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out paragraph (6)(B), $500,000."; and 
(4) in subsection (e)-— 
116 STAT. 3018 
PUBLIC LAW 107-359—DEC. 17, 2002 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking "as of and all that 
follows through the period and inserting "on September 
30, 2008."; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting "and provide battle-
field acquisition grants" after "studies". 
Approved December 17, 2002. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 5125: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 107-710 (Comm. on Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 148 (2002): 
Oct. 1, considered and passed House. 
Nov. 20, considered and passed Senate.