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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§407dd Directives to Secretary

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER LI–A— - NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER › § 407dd

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must explain the Constitution’s origins, how it developed, and what effects it had at Independence National Historical Park and at least 11 other National Park units (12 sites total) that are closely tied to the Constitution. The Secretary may create a memorial at Independence National Historical Park. In coordination with the National Constitution Center, the Secretary will make and share educational materials, may work with site owners to help preserve and interpret those places, and may hire the National Constitution Center and colleges for research and distribution. Nothing here lets the Secretary ignore the duty to keep park units historically intact or to follow section 306108 of title 54.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §407dd

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall interpret the origins, subsequent development, and effects of the United States Constitution on this country at Independence National Historical Park and at such other units of the National Park System as are closely associated with the Constitution. The Secretary shall select not less than 12 units of the National Park System for such interpretation, including Independence National Historical Park.
(b)The Secretary is authorized to establish and maintain at Independence National Historical Park an appropriate memorial to the United States Constitution as a key document in our Nation’s history.
(c)In coordination with the National Constitution Center, the Secretary shall develop and make available to the public interpretive and educational materials related to sites within the National Park System as referred to in subsection (a).
(d)The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the owners or administrators of historic sites closely associated with the Constitution, pursuant to which the Secretary may provide technical assistance in the preservation and interpretation of such sites.
(e)The Secretary shall contract with the National Constitution Center and other qualified institutions of higher learning for research and other activities including the distribution of interpretive and educational materials as appropriate in order to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.
(f)Nothing in this section may be construed to alter or waive the requirement that the Secretary maintain the historic integrity of units of the National Park System, including compliance with section 306108 of title 54.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification In subsec. (f), “section 306108 of title 54” substituted for “section 106 of the Historic Preservation Act (90 Stat. 1320) as amended” on authority of Pub. L. 113–287, § 6(e), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3272, which Act enacted Title 54, National Park Service and Related Programs.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 407dd

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73