119-hr1581

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1581 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1581

 To establish the Fort Monroe National Historical Park in the 
 Commonwealth of Virginia, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 25, 2025

 Mr. Scott of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Wittman, Ms. McClellan, and 
 Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish the Fort Monroe National Historical Park in the 
 Commonwealth of Virginia, and for other purposes.

 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 ``Fort Monroe National Historical Park 
Establishment Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Commonwealth.--The term ``Commonwealth'' means the 
 Commonwealth of Virginia.

    (2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map titled ``Fort 
 Monroe National Historical Park Proposed Boundary'', numbered 
 250/193734, and dated June 2024.

    (3) Historical park.--The term ``Historical Park'' means 
 the Fort Monroe National Historical Park established by section

    (3) (a) .

    (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF FORT MONROE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

    (a) In General.--There is established the Fort Monroe National 
Historical Park in the Commonwealth to preserve the historic, natural, 
and recreational resources of Fort Monroe and interpret for the benefit 
of present and future generations--

    (1) Old Point Comfort, its relationship to the voyages of 
 Captain John Smith, its location as the first entry place of 
 captive Africans into English North America, its use for 
 successive fortifications, and its role in the War of 1812;

    (2) the development and use of Fort Monroe as a coastal 
 defense facility and artillery training center, including its 
 military and community life;

    (3) the fort's role in the Civil War, including the 1861 
 Contraband Decision providing a pathway to freedom for those 
 escaping enslavement during that war, and the formation and 
 service of United States Colored Troop units stationed at Fort 
 Monroe;

    (4) persons and events associated with the fort, which 
 contributed to its and the Nation's history, and their 
 relevance to modern society; and

    (5) the natural and recreational resource values associated 
 with Fort Monroe.

    (b) Abolishment of National Monument.--The Fort Monroe National 
Monument, established by Presidential Proclamation 8750 of November 1, 
2011 (54 U.S.C. 320301 note), is abolished and all land or interests in 
land therein are incorporated into, and shall be considered to be part 
of, the Historical Park.
            (c) Availability of Funds.--Any unobligated funds available for 
purposes of the Fort Monroe National Monument shall be available for 
purposes of the Historical Park.
            (d) References.--Any reference in a law, regulation, document, 
record, map, or other paper of the United States to Fort Monroe 
National Monument shall be deemed to be a reference to ``Fort Monroe 
National Historical Park''.

SEC. 4. BOUNDARY; ACQUISITION OF LAND.

    (a) Boundary.--The boundary of the Historical Park shall be as 
generally depicted on the Map.

    (b) Availability of Map.--The Map shall be on file and available 
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
Service.
            (c) Acquisition of Land.--The Secretary may acquire land, including 
interests in land, within the boundaries of the Historical Park by 
donation, transfer, exchange, or purchase from a willing seller using 
donated or appropriated funds.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the Historical Park 
in accordance with--

    (1) this Act; and

    (2) the laws generally applicable to units of the National 
 Park System, including--
        (A) section 100101

    (a) , chapter 1003, and sections 
 100751

    (a) , 100752, 100753 and 102101 of title 54, 
 United States Code; and
        (B) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States Code.

    (b) Federal, Commonwealth, and Local Jurisdiction.--

    (1) Federal authority.--Except as otherwise provided in 
 this Act, nothing shall enlarge, diminish or modify any 
 authority of the United States to carry out Federal laws and 
 regulations on Federal land located within the boundary of the 
 Historical Park.

    (2) Commonwealth authority.--Nothing in this Act enlarges, 
 diminishes, or modifies any authority of the Commonwealth, or 
 any political subdivision of the Commonwealth--
        (A) to exercise civil and criminal jurisdiction 
 unless an agreement for concurrent jurisdiction is 
 executed and modifies Commonwealth or local government 
 jurisdiction in any way; or
        (B) to carry out Commonwealth laws, regulations and 
 rules on non-Federal land located within the boundary 
 of the Historical Park.
            (c) No Net Loss of Commonwealth Owned Buildings and Structures.--In 
the event of loss or authorized demolition of buildings or structures 
within the Fort Monroe National Historic Landmark District, replacement 
of the square footage from such loss or demolition shall be permitted 
provided that such construction complies with the Secretary's Standards 
for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and 

section 306108 of title 
54, United States Code (formerly 

section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act), as applicable.
            (d) Authorization of Ex-Officio Appointments.--The Superintendent 
of the Historical Park is authorized to serve as an ex-officio member 
of such boards or committees affecting Fort Monroe that the Secretary 
considers beneficial to the preservation of Historical Park resources 
and which further the interpretive or educational purposes of the 
Historical Park.

    (e) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into 
cooperative agreements with the Commonwealth or other public or private 
entities to identify, interpret, and provide financial and technical 
assistance for the preservation of non-Federal resources within the 
boundary of the Historical Park and outside of the boundary in close 
proximity to the Historical Park provided that--

    (1) any cooperative agreement entered into to provide 
 assistance to non-Federal land shall provide for reasonable 
 public access to the non-Federal land;

    (2) no changes or alterations shall be made to the exterior 
 of the properties except by mutual agreement of the other 
 parties to the agreements; and

    (3) the Federal share of the total cost of any activity 
 carried out under the agreement shall be not more than 50 
 percent, with in-kind contributions or goods or services fairly 
 valued authorized, as appropriate, for the non-Federal share.

    (f) Adaptive Reuse.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
inhibit the Commonwealth from providing for the adaptive reuse of the 
interior of any non-federally owned historic resource in accordance 
with the Secretary's Standards for the Treatment of Historic 
Properties.
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