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Title 54 — National Park Service and Related ProgramsRelease 119-73not60

§308303 Preservation and Interpretation of Underground Railroad History, Historic Sites, and Structures

Title 54 › Subtitle Subtitle III— National Preservation Programs › Chapter 3083— NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD NETWORK TO FREEDOM › § 308303

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may give grants to places in the national network to preserve or restore buildings and structures tied to the Underground Railroad and to pay for related research and records. Grants must say that the property owner and the Secretary must both agree before any changes are made. The Secretary can visit the public parts of the property at reasonable times for interpretation and other uses. If the property is turned to uses that conflict with the chapter, the United States can get back the federal money paid. Recipients must match the grant with at least the same amount from non‑Federal sources unless the Secretary waives that rule for an extreme emergency or when waiving is in the public interest to protect important historic resources.

Full Legal Text

Title 54, §308303

National Park Service and Related Programs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may make grants in accordance with this section for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings or structures associated with the Underground Railroad, and for related research and documentation to sites, programs, or facilities that have been included in the national network.
(b)Any grant made under this section shall provide that—
(1)no change or alteration may be made in property for which the grant is used except with the agreement of the property owner and the Secretary;
(2)the Secretary shall have the right of access at reasonable times to the public portions of the property for interpretive and other purposes; and
(3)conversion, use, or disposal of the property for purposes contrary to the purposes of this chapter, as determined by the Secretary, shall result in a right of the United States to compensation equal to all Federal funds made available to the grantee under this chapter.
(c)The Secretary may obligate funds made available for a grant under this section only if the grantee agrees to match, from funds derived from non-Federal sources, the amount of the grant with an amount that is equal to or greater than the grant. The Secretary may waive the requirement if the Secretary determines that an extreme emergency exists or that a waiver is in the public interest to ensure the preservation of historically significant resources.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 30830316 U.S.C. 469l–2.Pub. L. 105–203, § 4, as added Pub. L. 106–291, title I, § 150(h), Oct. 11, 2000, 114 Stat. 959; Pub. L. 110–229, title III, subtitle G, § 361(a)(2), May 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 801.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Pub. L. 106–291, title I, § 150(b), Oct. 11, 2000, 114 Stat. 956, provided that: “(1) Findings.—Congress finds that—“(A) the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (hereinafter ‘Freedom Center’) is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio in 1995; “(B) the objectives of the Freedom Center are to interpret the history of the Underground Railroad through development of a national cultural institution in Cincinnati, Ohio, that will house an interpretive center, including museum, educational, and research facilities, all dedicated to communicating to the public the importance of the quest for human freedom which provided the foundation for the historic and inspiring story of the Underground Railroad; “(C) the city of Cincinnati has granted exclusive development rights for a prime riverfront location to the Freedom Center; “(D) the Freedom Center will be a national center linked through state-of-the-art technology to Underground Railroad sites and facilities throughout the United States and to a constituency that reaches across the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond; and “(E) the Freedom Center has reached an agreement with the National Park Service to pursue a range of historical and educational cooperative activities related to the Underground Railroad, including but not limited to assisting the National Park Service in the implementation of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act [see 54 U.S.C. 308301 et seq.]. “(2) Purposes.—The purposes of this section are—“(A) to promote preservation and public awareness of the history of the Underground Railroad; “(B) to assist the Freedom Center in the development of its programs and facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio; and “(C) to assist the National Park Service in the implementation of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act (112 Stat. 679; [former] 16 U.S.C. 469l and following) [see 54 U.S.C. 308301 et seq.].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

54 U.S.C. § 308303

Title 54 — National Park Service and Related Programs

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60