,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #bhe #aacth         
,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #ebj 
,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united 
,,states  ,june #ah1 #bjac,received     
,december #bj1 #bjac,read twice and     
placed on the calendar  ,,an ,,act  ,to 
authorize the ,secretary of the         
,interior to conduct a study of         
alternatives for commemorating and      
interpreting the role of the ,buffalo   
,soldiers in the early years of the     
,national ,parks1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,buffalo ,soldiers  
in the ,national ,parks ,study ,act4    
#b4 ,findings and purpose  7a7 ,findings
 ,the ,congress finds the following3    
7#a7 ,in the late #aith century and     
early #bjth century1 ,african-,american 
troops who came to be known as the      
,buffalo ,soldiers served in many       
critical roles in the western ,united   
,states1 including protecting some of   
the first ,national ,parks4  7#b7 ,based
 at the ,presidio in ,san ,francisco1   

,buffalo ,soldiers were assigned to     
,sequoia and ,yosemite ,national ,parks 
where they patrolled the backcountry1   
built trails1 stopped poaching1 and     
otherwise served in the roles later     
assumed by ,national ,park rangers4     
7#c7 ,the public would benefit from     
having opportunities to learn more about
 the ,buffalo ,soldiers in the ,national
 ,parks and their contributions to the  
management of ,national ,parks and the  
legacy of ,african-,americans in the    
post-,civil ,war era4  7#d7 ,as the     
centennial of the ,national ,park       
,service in #bjaf approaches1 it is an  
especially appropriate time to conduct  
research and increase public awareness  
of the stewardship role the ,buffalo    
,soldiers played in the early years of  
the ,national ,parks4  7b7 ,purpose ,the
 purpose of this ,act is to authorize a 
study to determine the most effective   
ways to increase understanding and      
public awareness of the critical role   
that the ,buffalo ,soldiers played in   

the early years of the ,national ,parks4
  #c4 ,study  7a7 ,in general ,the      
,secretary of the ,interior shall       
conduct a study of alternatives for     
commemorating and interpreting the role 
of the ,buffalo ,soldiers in the early  
years of the ,national ,parks4  7b7     
,contents of study ,the study shall     
include-- 7#a7 a historical assessment1 
based on extensive research1 of the     
,buffalo ,soldiers who served in        
,national ,parks in the years prior to  
the establishment of the ,national ,park
 ,service2  7#b7 an evaluation of the   
suitability and feasibility of          
establishing a national historic trail  
commemorating the route traveled by the 
,buffalo ,soldiers from their post in   
the ,presidio of ,san ,francisco to     
,sequoia and ,yosemite ,national ,parks 
and to any other ,national ,parks where 
they may have served2  7#c7 the         
identification of properties that could 
meet criteria for listing in the        
,national ,register of ,historic ,places

 or criteria for designation as         
,national ,historic ,landmarks2  7#d7 an
 evaluation of appropriate ways to      
enhance historical research1 education1 
interpretation1 and public awareness of 
the story of the ,buffalo ,soldiers'    
stewardship role in the ,national       
,parks1 including ways to link the story
 to the development of ,national ,parks 
and the story of ,african-,american     
military service following the ,civil   
,war2 and  7#e7 any other matters that  
the ,secretary of the ,interior deems   
appropriate for this study4  7c7 ,report
 ,not later than #c years after funds   
are made available for the study1 the   
,secretary of the ,interior shall submit
 to the ,committee on ,natural          
,resources of the ,house of             
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,energy and ,natural ,resources of the  
,senate a report containing the study's 
findings and recommendations4  ,passed  
the ,house of ,representatives ,june    
#ag1 #bjac4,karen ,l4 ,haas1,clerk      

,december #bj1 #bjac,read twice and     
placed on the calendar