New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act


The New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act was a bill that would instruct the United States Department of the Interior to study the New Philadelphia archaeological site in Illinois to evaluate the national significance of the area and to determine the feasibility of designating the site as a unit of the National Park System. The site is famous because it was "the first town planned and founded by an African-American."
The bill passed in the United States House of Representatives during the 113th United States Congress.

Background

The New Philadelphia Town Site is the original site of the now-vanished town of "New Philadelphia", Illinois. It is located near the city of Barry, in Pike County. Founded in 1836, it was the first town in the United States platted and registered by an African American before the American Civil War. The founder Free Frank McWorter was a former slave who was able to save money from work and his own business to purchase the freedom of his wife, himself and 13 members of his family in Kentucky. The town site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009.
Previously, in June 2010, Rep. Aaron Schock had introduced legislation to direct the Department of Interior to study the New Philadelphia townsite for possible designation as a National Park. If approved, it would be the first such park in Illinois.

Provisions of the bill

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.
The New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act was intended to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the New Philadelphia archaeological site and the land surrounding it in Illinois.
The bill sought to require the Secretary to: evaluate the national significance of the study area; determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System; consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the study area by federal, state, or local governmental entities, or private and nonprofit organizations; and determine the effect of the designation as a System unit on existing commercial and recreational activities as well as the authorization, construction, and operation of energy production and transmission infrastructure, and the effect on the authority of state and local officials to manage those activities. It also would have directed the Secretary to identify any authorities, including condemnation, that will compel or permit the Secretary to influence or participate in local land use decisions or place restrictions on non-federal land if the study area is designated as a System unit.

Congressional Budget Office report

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Budget Office, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on July 31, 2013. This is a public domain source.
H.R. 930 would have directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the New Philadelphia archaeological site in Illinois to evaluate the national significance of the area and to determine the feasibility of designating the site as a unit of the National Park System. Based on information provided by the National Park Service and assuming the availability of appropriated funds, the Congressional Budget Office estimated its costs to reach approximately $250,000 by 2016.
H.R. 930 contained no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would have imposed no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.

Procedural history

The New Philadelphia, Illinois, Study Act was introduced into the United States House of Representatives on February 28, 2013 by Rep. Aaron Schock. The bill was referred to the United States House Committee on Natural Resources and the United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. It was reported on November 20, 2013 alongside . On April 28, 2014, the House voted in a voice vote to pass the bill. It was received in the United States Senate on April 29, 2014 and referred to the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
A similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk.

Debate and discussion

Rep. Schock said that "this legislation is another sure stitch in the healing process for a nation once divided so bitterly and tragically over the issue of slavery." According to Schock, "at a time of immense cultural and political hostilities over the issue of slavery, the McWorter family and the other citizens of New Philadelphia built a town where free African-Americans and European settlers lived and worked side by side."
Charlotte King, a director of the New Philadelphia Association, testified before Congress that "by including New Philadelphia among the national treasures designated units of the National Park Service, of which currently less than 5 percent are predominantly associated with African-American history, the story of the country will be more complete and accurate and give recognition to contributions of African-Americans to the development of our country."