Scipio Jones House Study Act

Summary#

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a special resource study of the Scipio A. Jones House in Little Rock. The study must evaluate the site's national significance and decide whether it is suitable and feasible to be a National Historic Landmark, an Affiliated Area of the National Park System, or included in the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. The study must also consider other preservation, protection, and interpretation options by Federal, State, local, Tribal, private, or nonprofit entities. The Secretary must consult with interested agencies, governments, Tribes, organizations, and individuals, and identify cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance tied to the alternatives. The study must follow section 100507 of title 54, United States Code, except it may not consider options that involve Federal acquisition of lands, interests in lands, or other property related to the study area. The Secretary must send a report with results, conclusions, and recommendations to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources no later than 3 years after funds are first made available for the study.

What it means for you#

  • This is an authorized study only; it does not itself change the site's status or create a new Federal site.
  • The Interior Department will look at how important the house is nationally, whether it could get special historic designations, and what other ways exist to preserve and interpret it.
  • The study will include consultations with local groups and officials, and will include cost estimates for options the study reviews.
  • The study must be finished and reported to Congress within 3 years after funding starts.
  • The study cannot consider options that would involve the Federal Government buying the property or land interests.

Expenses#

  • No publicly available information on specific dollar costs for the study or any actions.
  • The bill requires the study to identify cost estimates for Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with the alternatives it examines.
  • The bill also states the study shall not consider options that involve Federal acquisition of lands, interests in lands, or other property related to the study area.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.