S3878-119

Reported

A bill to establish the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Jefferson College as affiliated areas of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced Feb 12, 2026

Summary

What This Bill Does

The bill establishes the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians in Natchez, Mississippi, as an affiliated area of the National Park System and provides for Historic Jefferson College to become an affiliated area once the Secretary of the Interior determines that it meets National Park Service criteria. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is designated as the management entity.

Who Benefits and How

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History benefits from authority to work with the National Park Service through cooperative agreements and possible financial assistance for marketing, marking, interpretation, and preservation. Visitors to Natchez historic sites benefit from National Park System affiliation, maps, interpretation, and preservation support. Natchez Indian cultural heritage interpretation benefits because the bill states that the Grand Village designation is intended to promote public appreciation of the historic contributions of the Natchez Indians. Adams County tourism businesses may benefit from higher visibility for the affiliated areas.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The National Park Service must prepare boundary maps, keep maps available for public inspection, provide technical assistance if requested, and enter into a management agreement. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History bears day-to-day management responsibility for the affiliated areas under National Park System standards. Interior is protected from acquiring property or assuming financial responsibility for operations, maintenance, or management, which leaves those recurring responsibilities outside direct federal control.

Key Provisions

  • Establishes the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians as an affiliated area of the National Park System.
  • Establishes Historic Jefferson College as an affiliated area once the Secretary determines that it meets National Park Service criteria.
  • Designates the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as the management entity.
  • Authorizes Interior to provide technical assistance and cooperative-agreement financial assistance for marketing, marking, interpretation, and preservation.
  • Prohibits Interior from acquiring property or assuming operating, maintenance, or management costs for the affiliated areas.

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Establishes the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and, once eligible, Historic Jefferson College as affiliated areas of the National Park System managed by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Key Policy Areas

Public Lands, Historic Preservation, Tourism

Primary Purpose

Establishes the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and, once eligible, Historic Jefferson College as affiliated areas of the National Park System managed by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Policy Domains

Public Lands Historic Preservation Tourism

Natchez affiliated areas of the National Park System

Identified Gains
  • Mississippi Department of Archives and History
  • Grand Village of the Natchez Indians visitors
  • Historic Jefferson College visitors
  • Adams County heritage tourism businesses
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: rs
Historic Jefferson College visitors:
Adams County heritage tourism businesses:
Grand Village of the Natchez Indians visitors:
Mississippi Department of Archives and History:
Identified Costs
  • National Park Service affiliated-area staff
  • Mississippi Department of Archives and History site managers
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: rs
National Park Service affiliated-area staff:
Mississippi Department of Archives and History site managers:

Legislative Progress

Reported
Introduced Committee Passed
Jul 23, 2026

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. …

Jul 23, 2026

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee …

Jul 23, 2026

Reported by Mr. Lee, without amendment

Jun 10, 2026

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported …

Feb 12, 2026

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and …

Feb 12, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Feb 12, 2026

Mrs. Hyde-Smith (for herself and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

State & Local Government
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Government
1 mention across 1 clause
-1 negative

National Park Service affiliated-area staff

General Public
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Grand Village of the Natchez Indians visitors

1/1
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Public Lands Historic Preservation Tourism
Actor Mappings
"secretary"
→ Secretary of the Interior
"affiliated_area"
→ Grand Village of the Natchez Indians or Historic Jefferson College
"management_entity"
→ Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Key Definitions

Terms defined in this bill

1 term
"affiliated area" §1

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and, once eligible, Historic Jefferson College in Natchez, Mississippi.

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology