Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Designation Act
Public Law 108-387 · H.R. 3819 · 108th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 30, 2004 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA-3)
Cosponsors (17): Rep. David Wu, Rep. George Nethercutt,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Title I: Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Designation Act - Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Designation Act - (Sec. 103) Designates the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System.
Defines the boundaries of the park, located in the States of Oregon and Washington, according to a map entitled "Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Boundary Map" (December 2003), which includes the Fort Clatsop National Memorial and other specified lands.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land, interests in land, and improvements therein within park boundaries. Directs that such land may be acquired only with the consent of the owner except with regard to specified corporately owned timberlands. Requires the Secretary, if the owner of specified corporately owned timberlands agrees to sell as a result of actual condemnation proceedings or in lieu of condemnation proceedings, to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the owner addressing post-acquisition management of those lands.
Directs the Secretary to transfer, subject to valid rights (including withdrawals), to the Director of the National Park Service management of any Federal land at Cape Disappointment, Washington, that is within the boundary of the park. Revokes all withdrawals of a specified 20-acre parcel depicted as a "Memorial to Thomas Jefferson" and directs the Secretary to establish a memorial to Thomas Jefferson on the parcel. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the State of Washington providing for the administration by such State of the land within the boundary of the park known as Cape Disappointment State Park.
(Sec. 104) Requires the Secretary to: (1) administer the park in accordance with this title and with laws generally applicable to the NPS; and (2) prepare an amendment to the general management plan for Fort Clatsop National Memorial to guide management of the Park. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative management agreements with appropriate officials in Oregon and Washington with respect to the conduct of living exhibits and interpretive demonstrations.
(Sec. 105) Repeals specified law regarding the establishment and administration of Fort Clatsop National Memorial.
(Sec. 106) Prohibits anything in this title from being construed to: (1) require any private property owner to permit public access (including government access) to such private property; or (2) modify any provision of law concerning public access to or use of private lands.
States that designation of the Park shall not be considered to create any liability, or to have any effect on any liability under any other law, of any private property owner with respect to any persons injured on such private property.
Prohibits anything in this title from being construed to modify any authority to regulate the use of private land within the Park's boundaries.
(Sec. 107) Authorizes appropriations.
Title II: Lewis and Clark Eastern Legacy Study - (Sec. 201) Directs the Secretary to update the 1958 Lewis and Clark National Historic Landmark theme study of the eastern sites of the Corps of Discovery expedition used by Lewis and Clark in the preparation phase starting at Monticello, Virginia, and traveling to Wood River, Illinois, and the return phase from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Washington, District of Columbia, including sites in Virginia, Washington, District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. Requires the study's focus to be on developing historic context information to assist in the evaluation and identification of sites eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a National Historic Landmark. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on any findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
(Sec. 202) Authorizes appropriations.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Federal Lands Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 2167Related bill
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Act of 2004
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.
- Oct 30, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-387.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 21, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Oct 12, 2004FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Oct 10, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 7, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Jul 20, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate.
- Jul 19, 2004FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3819.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Hayworth moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jun 25, 2004CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 332.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 108-570.
- May 5, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Apr 22, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Feb 26, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
- Feb 24, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.