Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Boundary Expansion and Partnership Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5169 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5169

To expand the boundaries of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National
   Historic District, to recognize and enhance the Shenandoah Valley
  Battlefields National Historic District partnership model, and for
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 2026

   Mr. Justice (for himself, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Warner)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To expand the boundaries of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National
   Historic District, to recognize and enhance the Shenandoah Valley
  Battlefields National Historic District partnership model, 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 ``Shenandoah Valley Battlefields
National Historic District Boundary Expansion and Partnership Act of
2026''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION AND ADMINISTRATION OF SHENANDOAH VALLEY BATTLEFIELDS
              NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) District.--The term ``District'' means the Shenandoah
        Valley Battlefields National Historic District established by
        subsection (e) of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National
        Historic District and Commission Act of 1996 (section 606 of
        division I of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act
        of 1996) (54 U.S.C. 320101 note; Public Law 104-333) (as
        amended by subsection (b)).
            (2) Management entity; plan.--The terms ``management
        entity'' and ``plan'' have the meanings given those terms in
        subsection (d) of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National
        Historic District and Commission Act of 1996 (54 U.S.C. 320101
        note; Public Law 104-333).
    (b) Boundary Expansion.--Subsection (e) of the Shenandoah Valley
Battlefields National Historic District and Commission Act of 1996 (54
U.S.C. 320101 note; Public Law 104-333) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Commonwealth of
        Virginia'' and inserting ``States of Virginia and West
        Virginia''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking ``(A) The corridor shall consist of
                lands and interests therein as'' and inserting the
                following:
                    ``(A) In general.--The District shall consist of--
                            ``(i) land and interests in land, as'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in clause (i) (as so designated), by
                        striking the period at the end and inserting a
                        semicolon; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) Rockbridge County, Virginia;
                            ``(iii) Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan
                        Counties, West Virginia; and'';
                    (C) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by striking ``subparagraph (A)'' and
                        inserting ``clause (i) or any of the counties
                        described in clauses (ii) and (iii)''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``(B) The District shall
                        consist of historic'' and inserting the
                        following:
                            ``(iv) any historic''; and
                    (D) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``(C) The map
                referred to in subparagraph (A)'' and inserting the
                following:
                    ``(B) Availability of map.--The map referred to in
                subparagraph (A)(i)''.
    (c) Administration.--
            (1) In general.--The District shall be managed and
        administered by the management entity--
                    (A) as a distinct National Historic District
                partnership model; and
                    (B) subject to paragraph (2), in accordance with--
                            (i) the purposes described in subsection
                        (c) of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields
                        National Historic District and Commission Act
                        of 1996 (54 U.S.C. 320101 note; Public Law 104-
                        333); and
                            (ii) the plan, subject to the condition
                        that the plan shall be updated as necessary to
                        address interpretive measures, partnerships,
                        and other resources and needs in the areas
                        added to the District by the amendments made by
                        subsection (b).
            (2) References.--Any reference contained in the Shenandoah
        Valley Battlefields National Historic District and Commission
        Act of 1996 (54 U.S.C. 320101 note; Public Law 104-333) or the
        plan to the ``Commonwealth of Virginia'' shall be considered to
        be a reference to the ``States of Virginia and West Virginia''.
            (3) Applicability of other law.--Notwithstanding any other
        provision of law, the District shall not be subject to the
        administrative provisions or funding allocation formulas
        applicable to components of the National Heritage Area System
        under section 6001 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation,
        Management, and Recreation Act (54 U.S.C. 320101 note; Public
        Law 116-9).
            (4) Eligibility for funding.--Notwithstanding any other
        provision of law, for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year
        thereafter, the District and the management entity shall
        continue--
                    (A) to receive funding for purposes of management
                and administration of the District in an amount equal
                to not less than the amount provided for those purposes
                in fiscal year 2026; and
                    (B) to be eligible for any technical assistance or
                grants otherwise available to National Heritage Areas.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated--
            (1) for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter,
        $1,250,000 to the management entity, of which--
                    (A) not more than $625,000 for each fiscal year
                shall be used for operations of the management entity;
                and
                    (B) not more than $625,000 for each fiscal year
                shall be used for the operation and maintenance of the
                battlefield parks, visitor facilities, and preserved
                historic properties in the District; and
            (2) for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2033, $2,500,000
        for--
                    (A) grants and technical assistance under
                subsection (g) of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields
                National Historic District and Commission Act of 1996
                (54 U.S.C. 320101 note; Public Law 104-333); and
                    (B) the acquisition from willing sellers of land
                and interests in land for the District.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to Congress a
report that includes recommendations of the Secretary for methods to
replicate the partnership model used in the District at other locations
in the National Park System.
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