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H.R. 1002: National Heritage Area Act of 2017

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H.R. 1002: National Heritage Area Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-13 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: ASSUMING FRIST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. McKinley asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be the first sponsor of H.R. 1002, a bill originally introduced by Representative Dent, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-13 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Dent, Charles W. [R-PA-15] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: ASSUMING FRIST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. McKinley asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be the first sponsor of H.R. 1002, a bill originally introduced by Representative Dent, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

National Heritage Area Act of 2017

Plain summary

National Heritage Area Act of 2017 This bill establishes a National Heritage Areas System to recognize certain areas of the United States that tell nationally significant stories and to conserve, enhance, and interpret the areas' natural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources that illustrate significant aspects of U.S. heritage. Through such system, the Department of the Interior may provide technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of such areas. The system shall be comprised of: such areas designated by Congress under this bill; such areas designated after enactment of this bill, unless the law designating the area exempts it from inclusion in the system; and 49 specified areas; and any other national heritage areas designated before this bill's enactment. National heritage areas shall not be considered to be units of the National Park System. Interior shall: (1) undertake studies as directed by Congress to assess the feasibility of designating proposed national heritage areas, (2) approve or disapprove the management plan prepared by the local coordinating entity for an area, and (3) evaluate the accomplishments of an area every 10 years after its designation and submit a recommendation on whether federal funding for such area should be continued, reduced, or eliminated. The bill: (1) specifies the criteria that Interior shall apply to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating proposed national heritage areas, and (2) states that the designation of an area shall be by federal statute and contingent on the prior completion of a management plan and an affirmative determination by Interior that the area meets such criteria.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

National Heritage Area Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Dent, Charles W. [R-PA-15] · 62 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Paul Tonko (D-NY), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), James A. Himes (D-CT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Michael R. Turner (R-OH), Mike Bost (R-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and 2 more.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Statute
A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1002 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115