Presidential Sites Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to award grants to owners or operators of Presidential sites for major maintenance and improvement projects. Defines "Presidential site" as a site related to a President of the United States that has national significance, is open to the public, and is owned or operated by a State or private institution, organization, or person.
Establishes the Presidential Site Grant Commission to review applications for grants and to make recommendations for the awarding of grants under this Act.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 431 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 431
To establish a program to award grants to improve and maintain sites
honoring Presidents of the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 17, 2005
Mr. DeWine (for himself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a program to award grants to improve and maintain sites
honoring Presidents of the United States.
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 ``Presidential Sites Improvement
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) there are many sites honoring Presidents located
throughout the United States, including Presidential
birthplaces, homes, museums, burial sites, and tombs;
(2) most of the sites are owned, operated, and maintained
by non-Federal entities such as State and local agencies,
family foundations, colleges and universities, libraries,
historical societies, historic preservation organizations, and
other nonprofit organizations;
(3) Presidential sites are often expensive to maintain;
(4) many Presidential sites are in need of capital,
technological, and interpretive display improvements for which
funding is insufficient or unavailable; and
(5) to promote understanding of the history of the United
States by recognizing and preserving historic sites linked to
Presidents of the United States, the Federal Government should
provide grants for the maintenance and improvement of
Presidential sites.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Grant commission.--The term ``Grant Commission'' means
the Presidential Site Grant Commission established by section
4(d).
(2) Presidential site.--The term ``Presidential site''
means a site that is--
(A) related to a President of the United States;
(B) of national significance;
(C) managed, maintained, and operated for, and is
accessible to, the public; and
(D) owned or operated by--
(i) a State; or
(ii) a private institution, organization,
or person.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National
Park Service.
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL SITES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants for major
maintenance and improvement projects at Presidential sites to owners or
operators of Presidential sites in accordance with this section.
(b) Use of Grant Funds.--
(1) In general.--A grant awarded under this section may be
used for--
(A) repairs or capital improvements at a
Presidential site (including new construction for
necessary modernization) such as--
(i) installation or repair of heating or
air conditioning systems, security systems, or
electric service; or
(ii) modifications at a Presidential site
to achieve compliance with requirements under
titles II and III of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et
seq.); and
(B) interpretive improvements to enhance public
understanding and enjoyment of a Presidential site.
(2) Allocation of funds.--
(A) In general.--Of the funds made available to
award grants under this Act--
(i) 15 percent shall be used for emergency
projects, as determined by the Secretary;
(ii) 65 percent shall be used for grants
for Presidential sites with--
(I) a 3-year average annual
operating budget of less than $700,000
(not including the amount of any grant
received under this section); and
(II) an endowment in an amount that
is less than 3 times the annual
operating budget of the site; and
(iii) 20 percent shall be used for grants
for Presidential sites with--
(I) an annual operating budget of
$700,000 or more (not including the
amount of any grant received under this
section); and
(II) an endowment in an amount that
is equal to or more than 3 times the
annual operating budget of the site.
(B) Unexpended funds.--If any funds allocated for a
category of projects described in subparagraph (A) are
unexpended, the Secretary may use the funds to award
grants for another category of projects described in
that subparagraph.
(c) Application and Award Procedure.--
(1) In general.--Not later than a date to be determined by
the Secretary, an owner or operator of a Presidential site may
submit to the Secretary an application for a grant under this
section.
(2) Involvement of grant commission.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall forward each
application received under paragraph (1) to the Grant
Commission.
(B) Consideration by grant commission.--Not later
than 60 days after receiving an application from the
Secretary under subparagraph (A), the Grant Commission
shall return the application to the Secretary with a
recommendation of whether the proposed project should
be awarded a Presidential site grant.
(C) Recommendation of grant commission.--In making
a decision to award a Presidential site grant under
this section, the Secretary shall take into
consideration any recommendation of the Grant
Commission.
(3) Award.--Not later than 180 days after receiving an
application for a Presidential site grant under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall--
(A) award a Presidential site grant to the
applicant; or
(B) notify the applicant, in writing, of the
decision of the Secretary not to award a Presidential
site grant.
(4) Matching requirements.--
(A) In general.--The Federal share of the cost of a
project at a Presidential site for which a grant is
awarded under this section shall not exceed 50 percent.
(B) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of
the cost of a project at a Presidential site for which
a grant is awarded under this section may be provided
in cash or in kind.
(d) Presidential Site Grant Commission.--
(1) In general.--There is established the Presidential Site
Grant Commission.
(2) Composition.--The Grant Commission shall be composed
of--
(A) the Director of the National Park Service; and
(B) 4 members appointed by the Secretary as
follows:
(i) A State historic preservation officer.
(ii) A representative of the National Trust
for Historic Preservation.
(iii) A representative of a site described
in subsection (b)(2)(A)(ii).
(iv) A representative of a site described
in subsection (b)(2)(A)(iii).
(3) Term.--A member of the Grant Commission shall serve a
term of 2 years.
(4) Duties.--The Grant Commission shall--
(A) review applications for Presidential site
grants received under subsection (c); and
(B) recommend to the Secretary projects for which
Presidential site grants should be awarded.
(5) Ineligibility of sites during term of representative.--
A site described in clause (iii) or (iv) of paragraph (2)(B)
shall be ineligible for a grant under this Act during the 2-
year period in which a representative of the site serves on the
Grant Commission.
(6) Nonapplicability of faca.--The Grant Commission shall
not be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C.
App.).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2006 through 2010, to remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1651)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1651-1652)
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 109-355.
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