National Historical Park and National Historic Landmark Establishment and Boundary Adjustments Act of 2025 in plain language
1: Short title
This section would give the Act the short title "National Historical Park and National Historic Landmark Establishment and Boundary Adjustments Act of 2025."
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the National Historical Park and National Historic Landmark Establishment and Boundary Adjustments Act of 2025 .
2: Establishment of Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park
This section would establish the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System in the State of New York, once the conditions below are met. The stated purpose of the park is to preserve, protect, and interpret resources connected to the 982 refugees from World War II who were housed at Fort Ontario from August 1944 until February 1946. The park would not be established until the Secretary of the Interior determines that enough land or interests in land have been acquired within the area marked "Proposed Boundary" on a map titled "Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Proposed Boundary" (numbered 962/194,681, dated September 2024) to form a manageable park unit; within 30 days of that determination, the Secretary would have to publish notice of the park's establishment in the Federal Register. The map would be kept on file and open to public inspection at the appropriate National Park Service offices, and the park's boundary would include whatever land or interests in land the Secretary acquires under this section. The Secretary would administer the park under this section and under the laws that generally apply to National Park System units, including specific listed sections and chapters of title 54 of the United States Code. The Secretary could enter cooperative agreements with the State of New York or other public and private entities to provide interpretive and educational services within the park, and could enter separate agreements to identify, interpret, and restore nationally significant historic or cultural resources on non-Federal land within or near the park's boundary; any such agreement covering non-Federal land would have to provide for reasonable public access to that land. The Secretary could acquire land or interests in land within the park's boundary by donation, by purchase using donated or appropriated funds, or by exchange, except that land owned by the State or one of its political subdivisions could be acquired only by donation. Within 3 fiscal years after funds are first made available to carry out this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the State, would have to complete a general management plan for the park in accordance with section 100502 of title 54, United States Code, and any other applicable laws.
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2. Establishment of Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Map The term map means the map entitled Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Proposed Boundary , numbered 962/194,681, and dated September 2024. (2) National Historical Park The term National Historical Park means the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park established by subsection (b)(1). (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (4) State The term State means the State of New York. (b) Establishment (1) In general Subject to paragraph (3), there is established in the State as a unit of the National Park System the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park. (2) Purpose The purpose of the National Historical Park is to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and future generations resources associated with the stories of the 982 refugees from World War II who were housed at Fort Ontario from August of 1944 until February of 1946. (3) Conditions of establishment (A) Determination by the secretary The National Historical Park shall not be established until the date on which the Secretary determines that a sufficient quantity of land or interests in land has been acquired from land identified as Proposed Boundary on the map to constitute a manageable park unit. (B) Notice Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary makes a determination under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the establishment of the National Historical Park. (4) Map The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service. (5) Boundary The boundary of the National Historical Park shall include any land or interests in land acquired by the Secretary under this section. (c) Administration (1) In general The Secretary shall administer the National Historical Park in accordance with— (A) this section; and (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including— (i) sections 100101(a), 100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of title 54, United States Code; and (ii) chapters 1003 and 3201 of title 54, United States Code. (2) Agreements (A) Cooperative agreements In accordance with section 101702 of title 54, United States Code, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the State or other public and private entities to provide interpretive and educational services within the National Historical Park. (B) Interpretation and restoration agreements The Secretary may enter into agreements to identify, interpret, and restore nationally significant historic or cultural resources located on non-Federal land within the boundary of, or in close proximity to, the National Historical Park. (C) Public access Any cooperative agreement entered into under subparagraph (B) to provide assistance to non-Federal land shall provide for reasonable public access to the non-Federal land. (3) Acquisition of land (A) In general Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary may acquire land and interests in land located within the boundary of the National Historical Park by— (i) donation; (ii) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or (iii) exchange. (B) Limitation Any land owned by the State or a political subdivision of the State may be acquired for inclusion in the National Historical Park only by donation. (4) Management plan Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the State, shall complete a general management plan for the National Historical Park in accordance with— (A) section 100502 of title 54, United States Code; and (B) any other applicable laws.
3: America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark
This section would designate America's National Churchill Museum, located at Westminster College (501 Westminster Avenue in Fulton, Missouri), including the Winston Churchill Memorial listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as the America's National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark. The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the State of Missouri, the city of Fulton, and Westminster College, could enter cooperative agreements with appropriate public or private entities to protect historic resources at the landmark and to provide educational and interpretive facilities and programs there for the public, and the Secretary could give technical and financial assistance to any entity with which it has entered such an agreement. The designation would not prohibit any property owner, including the College or any other owner of the landmark, from taking actions it could otherwise take with respect to its own property, and nothing in the designation would affect the landmark's administration by the State, the city, or the College. The Secretary would have to conduct a special resource study of the landmark that evaluates its national significance; determines the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park System; considers alternatives to that designation for preserving, protecting, and interpreting the landmark by the Federal Government, the State, the city, other affected units of local government, or private and nonprofit organizations (including the College), and identifies cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with those alternatives; and consults with interested Federal agencies, the State, the city, other affected units of local government, private and nonprofit entities (including the College), and other interested individuals. The Secretary would have to conduct the study in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States Code. Not later than 3 years after funds are first made available to carry out the study, the Secretary would have to submit a report to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural Resources describing the study's results and the Secretary's conclusions and recommendations.
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3. America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark (a) Definitions In this section: (1) City The term City means the city of Fulton, Missouri. (2) College The term College means Westminster College, located at 501 Westminster Avenue in the City. (3) Landmark The term Landmark means the America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark designated by subsection (b)(1). (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (5) State The term State means the State of Missouri. (b) Designation of America's National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark (1) In general America’s National Churchill Museum located at the College, including the Winston Churchill Memorial listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is designated as the America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark . (2) Cooperative agreements (A) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the State, the City, and the College, may enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate public or private entities, for the purposes of— (i) protecting historic resources at the Landmark; and (ii) providing educational and interpretive facilities and programs at the Landmark for the public. (B) Technical and financial assistance The Secretary may provide technical and financial assistance to any entity with which the Secretary has entered into a cooperative agreement under subparagraph (A). (3) No effect on actions of property owners Designation of the America’s National Churchill Museum as a National Historic Landmark shall not prohibit any actions that may otherwise be taken by a property owner (including the College and any other owner of the Landmark) with respect to the property of the owner. (4) No effect on administration Nothing in this subsection affects the administration of the Landmark by the State, the City, or the College. (c) Special resource study (1) In general The Secretary shall conduct a special resource study of the Landmark. (2) Contents In conducting the study under this subsection, the Secretary shall— (A) evaluate the national significance of the Landmark; (B) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Landmark as a unit of the National Park System; (C) (i) consider alternatives to that designation for the preservation, protection, and interpretation of the Landmark by the Federal Government, the State, the City and other affected units of local government, or private and nonprofit organizations (including the College); and (ii) identify cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with the alternatives described in clause (i); and (D) consult with interested Federal agencies, the State, the City and other affected units of local government, private and nonprofit entities (including the College), and other interested individuals. (3) Requirement The Secretary shall conduct the study under this subsection in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States Code. (4) Report Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made available to carry out the study under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that describes— (A) the results of the study; and (B) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary. Passed the Senate December 16, 2025. Secretary