Detailed Summary

<b>(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on August 4, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)</b>

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Act of 2007 - (Sec. 4) Establishes in the city of Paterson in the county of Passaic in New Jersey, the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System.

(Sec. 5) Requires the Park to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with this Act and the provisions of law generally applicable to units of the National Park System.

Authorizes the Secretary, after consultation with the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Commission (established in section 7 of this Act), to enter into cooperative agreements with the owners of properties of natural, historical, or cultural significance within the Park, under which the Secretary may: (1) mark, interpret, restore, and provide technical assistance for the preservation of such properties; and (2) provide other assistance, including management services and program implementation.

Requires each such agreement to provide that: (1) the Secretary, through the National Park Service (NPS), shall have the right of access at all reasonable times to public parts of the property covered by the agreement to conduct visitors through such properties and interpret them to the public; and (2) no changes or alterations shall be made in the property covered by the agreement, except by mutual agreement between the Secretary and the other party to the agreement.

Subjects any payment made by the Secretary pursuant to such a cooperative agreement to an agreement that conversion, use, or disposal of a project so assisted for purposes contrary to the purposes of this Act shall result in the right of the United States to reimbursement of all funds made available to the project or the part of the increased value of the project attributable to such funds as determined at the time of such conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is greater.

Instructs the Secretary, to require that the expenditure of any funds appropriated to the Secretary for the purposes of cooperative agreements under this section must be matched by expenditure of an equal amount of funds provided by non-federal sources.

Considers, with the approval of the Secretary, any donation of property, goods, or services from a non-federal source as a contribution of funds from a non-federal source.

(Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to prepare, in consultation with the Commission, and transmit to specified congressional committees, a general management plan for the Park.

(Sec. 7) Establishes the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Commission. Requires the Commission to assist and advise the Secretary in the development and implementation of the general management plan for the Park.

Terminates the Commission ten years after the enactment of this Act.

(Sec. 8) Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land or interests within the boundaries of the Park from willing sellers only by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, but land or interests in land owned by the state of New Jersey or any political subdivision of it may be acquired only by donation.

(Sec. 9) Directs the Secretary to complete a study regarding the preservation and interpretation of Hinchliffe Stadium as listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which shall include an assessment of the potential for listing as a National Historic Landmark as well as options for maintaining the historic integrity of the Stadium.

(Sec. 10) Authorizes appropriations.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 6/16/2008: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 808.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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