H.R. 791 (ih) To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the route of the War of 1812 British invasion of Maryland and Washington, District of Columbia, and the route of the American defense, for study for potential addition to the national trai...

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        H.R.791

                       One Hundred Sixth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
   the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine


                                 An Act


 
 To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the route of the 
  War of 1812 British invasion of Maryland and Washington, District of 
Columbia, and the route of the American defense, for study for potential 
                 addition to the national trails system.

    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 ``Star-Spangled Banner National 
Historic Trail Study Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
        (1) the British invasion of Maryland and Washington, District 
    of Columbia, during the War of 1812 marks a defining period in the 
    history of our Nation, the only occasion on which the United States 
    of America has been invaded by a foreign power;
        (2) the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail traces the 
    arrival of the British fleet in the Patuxent River in Calvert 
    County and St. Mary's County, Maryland, the landing of British 
    forces at Benedict, the sinking of the Chesapeake Flotilla at Pig 
    Point in Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 
    the American defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg, the siege of the 
    Nation's Capital, Washington, District of Columbia (including the 
    burning of the United States Capitol and the White House), the 
    British naval diversions in the upper Chesapeake Bay leading to the 
    Battle of Caulk's Field in Kent County, Maryland, the route of the 
    American troops from Washington through Georgetown, the Maryland 
    Counties of Montgomery, Howard, and Baltimore, and the City of 
    Baltimore, Maryland, to the Battle of North Point, and the ultimate 
    victory of the Americans at Fort McHenry on September 14, 1814, 
    where a distinguished Maryland lawyer and poet, Francis Scott Key, 
    wrote the words that captured the essence of our national struggle 
    for independence, words that now serve as our national anthem, the 
    Star-Spangled Banner; and
        (3) the designation of this route as a national historic 
    trail--
            (A) would serve as a reminder of the importance of the 
        concept of liberty to all who experience the Star-Spangled 
        Banner National Historic Trail; and
            (B) would give long overdue recognition to the patriots 
        whose determination to stand firm against enemy invasion and 
        bombardment preserved this liberty for future generations of 
        Americans.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF TRAIL FOR STUDY.

    Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) 
is amended--
        (1) by redesignating paragraph (36) (as added by section 3 of 
    the El Camino Real Para Los Texas Study Act of 1993 (107 Stat. 
    1497)) as paragraph (37) and in subparagraph (C) by striking 
    ``detemine'' and inserting ``determine'';
        (2) by designating the paragraphs relating to the Old Spanish 
    Trail and the Great Western Scenic Trail as paragraphs (38) and 
    (39), respectively; and
        (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(40) Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.--
        ``(A) In general.--The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic 
    Trail, tracing the War of 1812 route from the arrival of the 
    British fleet in the Patuxent River in Calvert County and St. 
    Mary's County, Maryland, the landing of the British forces at 
    Benedict, the sinking of the Chesapeake Flotilla at Pig Point, the 
    American defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg, the siege of the 
    Nation's Capital, Washington, District of Columbia (including the 
    burning of the United States Capitol and the White House), the 
    British naval diversions in the upper Chesapeake Bay leading to the 
    Battle of Caulk's Field in Kent County, Maryland, the route of the 
    American troops from Washington through Georgetown, the Maryland 
    Counties of Montgomery, Howard, and Baltimore, and the City of 
    Baltimore, Maryland, to the Battle of North Point, and the ultimate 
    victory of the Americans at Fort McHenry on September 14, 1814.
        ``(B) Affected areas.--The trail crosses eight counties within 
    the boundaries of the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, 
    Maryland, and Washington, District of Columbia.
        ``(C) Coordination with other congressionally mandated 
    activities.--The study under this paragraph shall be undertaken in 
    coordination with the study authorized under section 603 of the 
    Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 
    1a-5 note; 110 Stat. 4172) and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and 
    Watertrails Network authorized under the Chesapeake Bay Initiative 
    Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 461 note; 112 Stat. 2961). Such coordination 
    shall extend to any research needed to complete the studies and any 
    findings and implementation actions that result from the studies 
    and shall use available resources to the greatest extent possible 
    to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort.
        ``(D) Deadline for study.--Not later that 2 years after funds 
    are made available for the study under this paragraph, the study 
    shall be completed and transmitted with final recommendations to 
    the Committee on Resources in the House of Representatives and the 
    Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the Senate.''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.

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