No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5719 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5719
To establish the Black Panther Party National Historical Park in the
State of California, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 26, 2023
Ms. Lee of California introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Black Panther Party National Historical Park in the
State of California, 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 ``Black Panther Party National
Historical Park Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Black Panther Party was an integral part of the
civil rights movement and its history and influence is
nationally significant.
(2) The United States government has not provided a
publicly accessible space to learn about the history of the
Black Panther Party and their contributions to social progress
nationwide.
(3) National Park Service has the opportunity to engage
with a large new audience and tell a more holistic history of
the United States by interpreting the histories of people of
color.
(4) The Black Panther Party, originally called the Black
Panther Party for Self-Defense, was established in Oakland,
California in 1966 by Huey P. Newton (Minister of Defense from
1966-1981) and Bobby Seale (Chairman of the Black Panther Party
from 1966-1974), who met at Merritt College in Oakland.
Oakland, California, was the home of the Black Panther Party,
which came to include more than forty chapters around the
United States and numerous others elsewhere in the world.
(5) The Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland,
California, to address systemic poverty and protect the Black
community from police brutality. Although they intended on
being a local organization, communities across the country were
empowered by their message and services, leading to the
establishment of over 40 chapters across the United States and
many multi-racial and class coalitions.
(6) DeFremery Park is perhaps Oakland's best known site for
many of the Black Panther Party's free community programs,
political demonstrations, rallies, and fundraisers. Panthers
and community members continue to hold a myriad of programs and
direct services at DeFremery Park to commemorate this legacy.
(7) In 1973, the Black Panther Party established the
Oakland Community School, an elementary school that took a
holistic approach to education, centered around Black history,
encouraged civic participation, fed students, and performed
health screenings. California is now in the process of
establishing ``community schools'' statewide.
(8) Starting in 1968, the Black Panther Party established
dozens of free medical clinics across the United States. Then
through those clinics, in 1970 the Black Panther Party launched
the first nationwide sickle cell anemia testing program, which
directly influenced Congress' decision to pass the National
Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act of 1972.
(9) In January 1969, the Black Panther Party created the
first ``Free Breakfast for School Children Program'' in the
Nation, eventually feeding hundreds of thousands of children
across the United States and becoming a model for today's
Federal school breakfast program.
(10) David Hilliard and Fredrika Newton established the Dr.
Huey P. Newton Foundation to educate both the local community
and visitors from around the world on the history and
principles of the Black Panther Party and its co-founder Dr.
Huey P. Newton.
(11) The cities of Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond
unanimously adopted resolutions urging the National Park
Service to conduct a reconnaissance survey to determine the
appropriateness of a National Park Service unit to recognize
the historical significance and contributions of the Black
Panther Party. The resolutions also urge President Biden to use
the results of the survey to establish a National Park unit
including a Visitors Center and Museum through the Antiquities
Act. These are the first 3 cities in the United States to adopt
such resolutions.
(12) On February 17, 2021, Ninth Street at the intersection
of Mandela Parkway in Oakland, California, was renamed after
the Black Panther Party co-founder: Dr. Huey P. Newton Way.
(13) On March 4, 2021, Congresswoman Barbara Lee requested
the National Park Service launch a reconnaissance survey in
regard to the Black Panther Party, especially with regard to
the sites in and around Oakland, California, that would be
suitable for National Historical Park designation.
(14) On January 10, 2022, the bust of Dr. Huey P. Newton
was unveiled at Dr. Huey P. Newton Way and Mandela Parkway,
near the spot where Newton was murdered in 1989.
(15) On July 19, 2022, Oakland City Council unanimously
approved the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation to enter into a
lease agreement with the City Administrator to establish the
Black Panther Party Museum.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of the National Historical Park are--
(1) to preserve and protect for the benefit of present and
future generations the nationally significant historic
resources associated with the Black Panther Party;
(2) to improve public understanding of the legacy of the
Black Panther Party through interpretation of the historic
resources associated with the Black Panther Party; and
(3) to enhance public access to preserve and protect the
historically significant resources associated with the Black
Panther Party.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) National historical park.--The term ``National
Historical Park'' means the Black Panther Party National
Historical Park established by section 5(a)(1).
(2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ____,
numbered __, and dated ____.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National
Park Service.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY NATIONAL HISTORICAL
PARK.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is
established the Black Panther Party National Historical Park in
the State of California, as a unit of the National Park System,
to preserve and educate the history and impact of the Black
Panther Party and the nationally significant role it played in
the history of the United States.
(2) Conditions.--The National Historical Park shall not be
established until the date on which the Secretary acquires
sufficient land within the boundaries of the National
Historical Park to constitute a manageable unit.
(b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the National Historical Park
shall be the boundaries generally depicted on the Map.
(c) Availability of Map.--The Map shall be on file and available
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park
Service.
(d) Other Resources.--The Secretary may include in the National
Historical Park boundary any resources that are the subject of an
agreement under subsection (g).
(e) Boundary Adjustment.--On the acquisition of additional land or
interests in land or on entering an agreement under subsection (g), the
boundary of the National Historical Park shall be adjusted to reflect
the acquisition or agreement by publishing a National Historical Park
boundary map in the Federal Register. The map shall be available for
public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park
Service.
(f) Land Acquisition.--The Secretary may acquire any land or
interest in land located within the boundary of the National Historical
Park, by--
(1) donation;
(2) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or
(3) exchange.
(g) Cooperative Agreements.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into a cooperative
agreement with the city of Oakland, the State of California,
political subdivisions of the State of California, institutions
of higher education, nonprofit organizations (such as the Huey
P. Newton Foundation), and individuals for the purposes of
carrying out this Act.
(2) Cost-sharing requirement.--
(A) Federal share.--The Federal share of the total
cost of any activity carried out under a cooperative
agreement entered into under paragraph (1) shall be not
more than 50 percent.
(B) Form of non-federal share.--The non-Federal
share may be in the form of in-kind contributions or
goods or services fairly valued.
(h) Related Sites.--The Secretary may provide technical assistance,
visitor services, interpretive tours, and educational programs to sites
and resources associated with the purposes for which the National
Historical Park is established.
(i) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the
National Historical Park in accordance with--
(A) this Act; and
(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the
National Park System.
(2) Management plan.--
(A) Deadline for completion.--Not later than 3
years after the date on which funds are made available
to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall
prepare a general management plan for the National
Historical Park--
(i) in consultation with the States and
other interested parties; and
(ii) in accordance with section 100502 of
title 54, United States Code.
(B) Submission to congress.--On completion of the
general management plan under subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall submit that general management plan to
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line