118th CONGRESS 2d Session |
To amend chapter 3081 of title 54, United States Code, to enhance the protection and preservation of America’s battlefields.
January 10, 2024
Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Warner, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
To amend chapter 3081 of title 54, United States Code, to enhance the protection and preservation of America’s battlefields.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act of 2024”.
SEC. 2. American battlefield protection program improvements.
(a) Definitions.—Section 308101 of title 54, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
“In this chapter:
“(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary, acting through the American Battlefield Protection Program.
“(2) BATTLEFIELD REPORTS.—The term ‘Battlefield Reports’ means, collectively—
“(A) the document entitled ‘Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields’, prepared by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, and dated July 1993; and
“(B) the document entitled ‘Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States’, prepared by the National Park Service, and dated September 2007.”.
(b) Preservation assistance.—Section 308102(a) of title 54, United States Code, is amended by striking “Federal” and all that follows through “organizations” and inserting “Federal agencies, States, Tribes, local governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations”.
(c) Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants Improvements.—Section 308103 of title 54, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
“(a) Eligible site defined.—In this section, the term ‘eligible site’—
“(A) is not within the exterior boundaries of a unit of the National Park System; and
“(B) is identified in the Battlefield Reports as a battlefield; and
“(2) excludes sites identified in the Battlefield Reports as associated historic sites.”;
(2) in subsection (b), by striking “State and local governments” and inserting “States, Tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations”;
(3) in subsection (c), by striking “State or local government” and inserting “State, Tribe, or local government”; and
(4) in subsection (e), by striking “under this section” and inserting “under this section, including by States, Tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations,”.
(d) Battlefield Restoration Grants Improvements.—Section 308105 of title 54, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish a battlefield restoration grant program (referred to in this section as the ‘program’) under which the Secretary may provide grants to States, Tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations for projects that restore day-of-battle conditions on—
“(1) land preserved and protected under the battlefield acquisition grant program established under section 308103(b); or
“(2) battlefield land that is—
“(A) owned by a State, Tribe, local government, or nonprofit organization; and
“(B) referred to in the Battlefield Reports.”; and
(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
“(b) Eligible sites.—The Secretary may make grants under this section for Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield sites—
“(1) eligible for assistance under the battlefield acquisition grant program established under section 308103(b); or
“(2) on battlefield land that is—
“(A) owned by a State, Tribe, local government, or nonprofit organization; and
“(B) referred to in the Battlefield Reports.”.
(e) Updates and improvements.—Chapter 3081 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Ҥ 308106. Updates and improvements to Battlefield Reports
“Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, and every 10 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that updates the Battlefield Reports to reflect—
“(1) preservation activities carried out at the battlefields in the period since the publication of the most recent Battlefield Reports update;
“(2) changes in the condition, including core and study areas, of the battlefields during that period; and
“(3) any other relevant developments relating to the battlefields during that period.”.
(f) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections for chapter 3081 of title 54, United States Code, is amended as follows:
(1) By amending the item relating to section 308101 to read as follows:
“308101. Definitions.”.
(2) By adding at the end the following:
“308106. Updates and improvements to Battlefield Reports.”.