---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 407dd"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "407dd"
heading: "Directives to Secretary"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/407dd"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter LI–A — National Constitution Center"
---

# §407dd. Directives to Secretary

- (a) **Independence National Historical Park and other units—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall interpret the origins, subsequent development, and effects of the United States Constitution on this country at Independence National Historical [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) and at such other [units](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) of the National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) System as are closely associated with the Constitution. The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall select not less than 12 [units](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) of the National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) System for such interpretation, including Independence National Historical [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3).
- (b) **Memorial—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) is authorized to establish and maintain at Independence National Historical [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) an appropriate [memorial](/usc/16/450ss–1.md?p=2) to the United States Constitution as a key document in our Nation’s history.
- (c) **Public materials—** In coordination with the National Constitution Center, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall develop and make available to the public interpretive and educational materials related to sites within the National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) System as referred to in [subsection (a)](#a).
- (d) **Cooperative agreements—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may enter into cooperative agreements with the [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) or [administrators](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of historic sites closely associated with the Constitution, pursuant to which the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may provide technical assistance in the preservation and interpretation of such sites.
- (e) **Research and education—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall contract with the National Constitution Center and other qualified institutions of higher learning for research and other activities including the distribution of interpretive and educational materials as appropriate in order to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.
- (f) **Maintenance of historic integrity—** Nothing in this section may be construed to alter or waive the requirement that the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) maintain the historic integrity of [units](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) of the National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) System, including compliance with [section 306108 of title 54](/usc/54/306108.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 100–433, § 5, Sept. 16, 1988, 102 Stat. 1641.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

In subsec. (f), “section 306108 of title 54” substituted for “section 106 of the Historic Preservation Act (90 Stat. 1320) as amended” on authority of Pub. L. 113–287, § 6(e), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3272, which Act enacted Title 54, National Park Service and Related Programs.