,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ehci  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #aj1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,young 7for himself and ,mr4  
,case7 introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ed1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to authorize the provision of technical 
assistance under the ,preserve ,america 
,program and to direct the ,secretary of
 the ,interior to enter into            
partnerships with communities adjacent  
to units of the ,national ,park ,system 
to leverage local cultural heritage     
tourism assets4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,explore       
,america ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,purposes  
,the purposes of this ,act are-- 7#a7 to
 strengthen economic development across 
the ,united ,states by supporting       
cultural heritage tourism and historic  
preservation activities through the     
,preserve ,america ,program2 and  7#b7  
to encourage the ,director of the       

,national ,park ,service to partner with
 gateway communities 7including ,native 
,american communities and ,national     
,heritage ,areas7 to leverage local     
cultural and historic heritage tourism  
assets4  #c4 ,preserve ,america grant   
program  7a7 ,establishment ,section    
#caaajb of title #ed1 ,united ,states   
,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7d7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by        
inserting and the ,secretary of         
,commerce after ,council2 and  7,b7 by  
adding at the end the following3  7#c7  
,advisory role of ,secretary of         
,commerce ,the ,secretary of ,commerce  
shall advise the program with respect to
 job creation1 economic growth1 and     
tourism policy and promotion4  2 and    
7#b7 by adding at the end the following3
  7f7 ,technical assistance  7#a7 ,in   
general ,for any fiscal year for which  
funds are not made available to provide 
grants under this section1 to the extent
 practicable1 the program shall1 in lieu
 of the grants1 provide technical       

assistance to the eligible entities     
described in subsection 7a7 for projects
 that meet the eligibility requirements 
described in subsection 7b71 as         
identified on the list of projects      
prepared by the ,secretary in accordance
 with subsection 7d74  7#b7 ,limitation 
,the ,secretary may take into account   
the availability of staff resources at  
the ,department of the ,interior1 the   
,council1 and the ,department of        
,commerce for purposes of determining   
the number of projects that are provided
 technical assistance under this        
subsection4  7#c7 ,form ,the form of    
technical assistance under paragraph    
7#a7 may include technical assistance   
provided by-- 7,a7 the ,director1 with  
respect to-- 7i7 best practices in      
visitor services2  7ii7 the conduct of  
research1 inventories1 and surveys2     
7iii7 the documentation of historic     
resources2 and  7iv7 the interpretation 
and promotion of cultural and heritage  
assets2  7,b7 the ,council1 with respect

 to historic preservation initiatives   
and best practices in stewardship2 and  
7,c7 the ,secretary of ,commerce1 with  
respect to economic development and job 
creation resources4  4  7b7 ,program    
,metrics ,chapter #caaa of title #ed1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by redesignating section #caaaje as    
section #caaajf2 and  7#b7 by inserting 
after section #caaajd the following3    
#caaaje4 ,reports  7a7 ,metrics ,not    
later than #ahj days after the date of  
enactment of the ,explore ,america ,act 
of #bjai1 the ,secretary1 in            
consultation with the ,council and the  
,secretary of ,commerce1 shall develop  
specific metrics to measure the         
effectiveness of the program1           
including-- 7#a7 the economic impact of 
the program on local communities        
7including ,native ,american communities
 and ,national ,heritage ,areas72 and   
7#b7 the effect of the program on       
efforts to preserve heritage resources4 
7b7 ,grantee report ,not later than #b  

years after the date on which a grantee 
receives a grant or technical assistance
 under this chapter1 the grantee shall  
submit to the ,secretary a report that--
 7#a7 describes the outcome of the      
project that was provided a grant or    
technical assistance under this chapter2
 and  7#b7 based on the metrics         
developed under subsection 7a71         
assesses-- 7,a7 the accomplishments of  
the project2 and  7,b7 the impact of the
 project on the community in which the  
project was carried out4  7c7 ,annual   
reports ,the ,secretary shall submit an 
annual report to the appropriate        
committees of ,congress that includes   
data provided by grantees to demonstrate
 the economic impact of the program4  4 
7c7 ,conforming amendment ,the table of 
sections for chapter #caaa of title #ed1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by   
striking the item relating to section   
#caaaje and inserting the following3    
#caaaje4 ,reports4 #caaajf4             
,authorization of appropriations4  4    

#d4 ,national park service partnerships 
with gateway communities  7a7 ,in       
general ,subdivision #a of division ,b  
of subtitle ,,iii of title #ed1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #cjib           
,partnerships with gateway communities  
,sec4 #cjibja4 ,definitions4 #cjibjb4   
,partnerships with gateway communities4 
#cjibjc4 ,report4 #cjibjd4              
,authorization of appropriations4       
#cjibja4 ,definitions ,in this chapter3 
7#a7 ,appropriate congressional         
committee ,the term appropriate         
congressional committee means-- 7,a7 the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation of the ,senate2  7,b7   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural  
,resources of the ,senate2  7,c7 the    
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,senate2  7,d7 the ,committee on ,energy
 and ,commerce of the ,house of         
,representatives2  7,e7 the ,committee  
on ,natural ,resources of the ,house of 
,representatives2 and  7,f7 the         

,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7       
,gateway ,community ,the term gateway   
community means a community adjacent to 
a unit of the ,system1 including a      
,native ,american community or a        
,national ,heritage ,area4  7#c7        
,heritage ,tourism ,the term heritage   
tourism has the meaning given the term  
in section #caaaja4  #cjibjb4           
,partnerships with gateway communities  
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall1  
to the extent practicable1 offer to     
enter into partnerships with gateway    
communities to leverage heritage tourism
 assets to strengthen local economies   
and create jobs in the gateway          
communities with the goal of            
establishing a standardized framework   
for partnerships throughout the ,system1
 including through-- 7#a7 providing     
financial assistance to gateway         
communities to support outreach and     
promotional efforts2  7#b7 providing    
technical assistance to gateway         

communities based on ,service best      
practices in tourism development and    
visitor management1 such as-- 7,a7      
inventorying tourism resources in the   
gateway community2  7,b7 identifying    
historic heritage and cultural          
resources2  7,c7 engaging collaborative 
partners and stakeholders2  7,d7        
designing community outreach and        
participation strategies2  7,e7         
developing concept plans for trails1    
parks1 historic resources1 and natural  
areas2  7,f7 developing sustainable     
tourism development frameworks for      
community planning2 and  7,g7           
encouraging regional strategies for     
tourism development and promotion2 and  
7#c7 assisting gateway communities in   
accessing additional ,federal resources 
available to strengthen tourism assets  
and support economic development4  7b7  
,obtaining financial and technical      
assistance ,the ,secretary1 in          
consultation with stakeholders of       
,system units1 shall establish a process

 through which ,states1 units of local  
government1 and ,tribal governments may 
apply for designation as a gateway      
community to become eligible for        
financial and technical assistance made 
available under this section4  7c7      
,metrics ,the ,secretary1 in            
consultation with gateway communities1  
shall develop metrics to measure the    
impact of the financial and technical   
assistance provided to gateway          
communities under this section4         
#cjibjc4 ,report ,not later than #a year
 after the date of enactment of this    
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to the
 appropriate congressional committees a 
report that-- 7#a7 describes the efforts
 of the ,secretary to partner with      
gateway communities under this chapter2 
7#b7 analyzes the results of the        
financial and technical assistance using
 the metrics developed under section    
#cjibjb7;c72 and  7#c7 identifies-- 7,a7
 the next steps that should be taken to 
improve partnerships with gateway       

communities2 and  7,b7 any actions that 
the ,secretary will take to improve the 
partnerships4  #cjibjd4 ,authorization  
of appropriations ,there are authorized 
to be appropriated such sums as are     
necessary to carry out this chapter4  4 
7b7 ,conforming amendment ,the table of 
chapters for title #ed1 ,united ,states 
,code1 is amended by inserting after the
 item relating to chapter #cjia the     
following3 #cijb4 ,partnerships with    
gateway communities #cjiba 4