Title 54, United States Code
National Park System

BACKGROUND

Since the mid-19th century, numerous laws relating to the organization and management of the National Park System by the National Park Service have been enacted. The Service also is responsible for carrying out the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other laws relating to protecting and preserving sites that illustrate America's history. These laws have been classified as part of Title 16, Conservation, but are classified throughout title 16 rather than being in one distinct place in the title. Furthermore, as laws relating to the National Park System are amended and new laws are enacted that relate closely to these laws, the Code classifications have become cumbersome to use.

H.R. 1068 gathers provisions relating to the National Park System and restates these provisions as a new positive law title of the United States Code. The new positive law title replaces the former provisions, which are repealed by the bill.

The bill was prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel as part of its ongoing responsibility under section 205(c) of House Resolution No. 988, 93d Congress, as enacted into law by Public Law 93-544 (2 U.S.C. 285b), to prepare and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, one title at a time, a complete compilation, restatement, and revision of the general and permanent laws of the United States.

All changes in existing law made by the bill are purely technical in nature. The bill was prepared in accordance with the statutory standard for codification legislation, which is that the restatement of existing law shall conform to the understood policy, intent, and purpose of the Congress in the original enactments, with such amendments and corrections as will remove ambiguities, contradictions, and other imperfections.

A predecessor bill, H.R. 6161, was introduced in the 110th Congress on September 22, 2010. No action was taken before the 110th Congress adjourned sine die. Another predecessor bill, H.R. 1950, was introduced in the 112th Congress on May 23, 2011. H.R. 1950 was ordered favorably reported by the Commitee on July 10, 2012. H.R. 1950 passed the House on August 1, 2012, and was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on August 2, 2012. No further action was taken during the 112th Congress.

The bill includes minor changes that are a result of laws enacted in the 2d session of the 112th Congress.

MAJOR ACTIONS & STATUS

H.R. 1068 was introduced by the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee on March 12, 2013, and was ordered favorably reported by the Committee on March 14, 2013. H.R. 1068 passed the House on April 23, 2013, and was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on April 24, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

(1) H.R. 1068

(2) H. Rept. 113-44

QUESTIONS & COMMENTS

Questions and comments about the draft bill and the title 54 codification project should be directed to:

     Kenneth I. Paretzky, Senior Counsel
     Office of the Law Revision Counsel
     U.S. House of Representatives
     Washington, D.C. 20515

     Email: Ken Paretzky
     Telephone: (202) 226-9061