Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Emancipation National Historic Trail Act”.
Emancipation National Historic Trail Act
A BILL
To designate the Emancipation National Historic Trail, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Designation of Emancipation National Historic Trail
Designation of Emancipation National Historic Trail— Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(__) Emancipation National Historic Trail
“(A) In general—Notwithstanding the results of the study conducted under subsection (c)(__), the Emancipation National Historic Trail, extending approximately 51 miles from the Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas State Highway 3 and Interstate Highway 45 North, to Freedmen’s Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas, following the migration route taken by newly freed slaves and other persons of African descent from the major 19th century seaport town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen’s Town, located in the 4th Ward of Houston, Texas.
“(B) Administration—The trail shall be administered by the National Park Service, in cooperation with the relevant Federal, State, and local authorities.
“(C) Map—The Secretary of the Interior shall make the map described in section 5(c)(__)(B) available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Secretary.”
Study of Emancipation National Historic Trail— Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(__)
“(A) In general—The Emancipation National Historic Trail, extending approximately 51 miles from the Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas State Highway 3 and Interstate Highway 45 North, to Freedmen’s Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas.
“(B) Map—The Secretary of the Interior shall include in the study a map of the trail described in subparagraph (A).
“(C) Completion date—The study shall be completed not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this paragraph.”
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized $5,000,000 for purposes of this Act.
Date of enactment of designation— Subsection (a) shall be enacted upon the date that the study required by the amendment made in subsection (b) has been submitted to Congress.