National Heritage Areas Partnership Act
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on National Parks.
National Heritage Areas Partnership Act - (Sec. 4) Establishes a system of National Heritage Areas through which the Secretary of the Interior shall provide technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of the National Heritage Areas. Provides for such system to be composed of National Heritage Areas established by Congress before, on, or after enactment of this Act.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure participation and assistance by units of the National Park System (NPS) located near or encompassed by National Heritage Areas in local initiatives for National Heritage Areas that conserve and interpret resources consistent with the approved management plan; and (2) work with National Heritage Areas to promote public enjoyment of NPs units and park-related resources.
Prohibits National Heritage Areas from being: (1) considered to be NPs units; or (2) subject to the laws applicable to such units.
Describes the Secretary's duties, including: (1) conducting studies to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating proposed National Heritage Areas; (2) providing technical and financial assistance for the development and implementation of management plans; (3) submitting annual reports; and (4) conducting an evaluation and submitting a report on the accomplishments, sustainability, and recommendations for the future of each designated National Heritage Area three years before the ending of federal funding for the area under this Act.
(Sec. 5) Specifies the criteria that the Secretary shall apply to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating proposed National Heritage Areas. States that designation of a National Heritage Area shall be: (1) by Act of Congress; and (2) contingent on the prior completion of a study and an affirmative determination by the Secretary that the area meets such criteria.
(Sec. 7) Sets forth requirements for National Heritage Area management plans. Instructs local coordinating entities to submit plans to the Secretary for approval. Prohibits a local coordinating entity from using federal funds authorized by this Act to implement an amendment until the Secretary approves the amendment.
The summary continues for 9 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed Senate amended" stage on July 26, 2005. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on August 2, 2005: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 109th Congress (2005-06), 482 of the 10,701 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.5 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
CRAIG THOMAS (R-WY) introduced it on February 1, 2005. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 1, 2005, 7938 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7756 days ago, on August 2, 2005.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 109th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2007 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers