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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§407dd Directives to Secretary

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

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must explain how the U.S. Constitution began, how it changed, and how it affected the country at Independence National Historical Park and at least 12 other National Park sites that are closely tied to the Constitution. The Secretary may create and keep a fitting memorial to the Constitution at Independence National Historical Park. The Secretary must work with the National Constitution Center to make educational and interpretive materials about those sites available to the public, may make cooperative agreements with site owners or managers to provide preservation and interpretation help, and must contract with the National Constitution Center and qualified colleges for research and related work. Nothing here changes the duty to preserve historic integrity or the requirement to follow section 306108 of title 54.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §407dd

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Independence National Historical Park and other units
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)Memorial
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)Public materials
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)Cooperative agreements
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)Research and education
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)Maintenance of historic integrity
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

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110