S3490-119

What This Bill Does

Creates the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park in Oswego, New York, as a National Park System unit once the Secretary of the Interior acquires enough land within the September 2024 proposed boundary to make a manageable park. The park's purpose is to preserve and interpret the story of the 982 World War II refugees housed at Fort Ontario from August 1944 through February 1946. The bill also designates America's National Churchill Museum at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, including the Winston Churchill Memorial, as a National Historic Landmark and orders a special resource study on whether it should become a National Park System unit.

Who Benefits and How

Holocaust-refugee history organizations, educators, visitors, and Oswego tourism businesses benefit from a new National Park Service unit with interpretive programming, cooperative agreements, and a general management plan. Westminster College and America's National Churchill Museum benefit from National Historic Landmark recognition, possible cooperative agreements, and technical or financial assistance for historic-resource protection and public interpretation. Fulton, Missouri and local tourism businesses may benefit from higher visibility tied to the Churchill Museum designation and NPS study.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The National Park Service and Secretary of the Interior take on acquisition, Federal Register notice, park administration, cooperative-agreement management, resource restoration, a general management plan within three fiscal years after funds are available, and a Churchill Museum special resource study. Federal taxpayers fund acquisition, planning, technical assistance, operations, and any future NPS-unit alternatives. New York and local public entities can donate land but cannot have their land purchased into the park, and non-Federal land receiving assistance must provide reasonable public access.

Key Provisions

• Establishes Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park as a National Park System unit after sufficient land or interests are acquired.
• Requires the park to preserve, protect, and interpret resources tied to 982 World War II refugees housed at Fort Ontario from August 1944 to February 1946.
• Authorizes Interior to acquire park land by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, while allowing State or local land acquisition only by donation.
• Authorizes cooperative agreements with New York, public entities, and private entities for interpretation, education, historic-resource identification, restoration, and public access.
• Requires a Fort Ontario general management plan within three fiscal years after funds are available.
• Designates America's National Churchill Museum and the Winston Churchill Memorial at Westminster College as a National Historic Landmark.
• Authorizes cooperative agreements and technical or financial assistance for the Churchill landmark while preserving property-owner control.
• Requires a special resource study evaluating whether the Churchill Museum is suitable and feasible as a National Park System unit, including alternatives and cost estimates.