Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
Latest action · Oct 17, 2022 Became Public Law No: 117-206.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 27, 2021
- Passed SenateMay 19, 2022
- Passed HouseSep 20, 2022
- To the PresidentOct 17, 2022
- Became lawOct 17, 2022Public Law 117-206
Summary
Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
This bill establishes the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Texas as a unit of the National Park System.
The purpose of the site is to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and future generations the Blackwell School, including (1) the role of the Blackwell School, which educated children of Mexican descent, as an academic and cultural cornerstone in Marfa, Texas; and (2) the function of the Blackwell School within a segregated system of education in Texas and the United States from the period of 1885 through 1965.
The historic site shall not be established until the date on which the Department of the Interior has (1) entered into a written agreement with the Marfa Unified School District providing that the Blackwell School shall be donated to or placed by agreement into comanagement with the United States for inclusion in a national historic site to be managed consistently with the purposes of such a site, and (2) acquired sufficient land or interests in land within the boundaries of the historic site to constitute a manageable unit.
Interior may only acquire by donation, purchase with donated funds, or exchange any land or interest in land located within the boundary of the historic site.
The bill prohibits any private property or nonfederal public property from being included within the boundaries of the historic site or managed as part of such site without the written consent of the owner.
Interior shall prepare a general management plan for the historic site.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 444 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed414–12 | Sep 20, 2022 |
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jul 27, 2021.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Alex Padilla | Original | Jul 27, 2021 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Energy and Natural Resources Committee | Referred Jul 27, 2021Markup Nov 18, 2021Reported Mar 2, 2022 |
| National Parks Subcommittee | Hearings Oct 6, 2021 |
Actions 21
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 17, 2022Presented to President.
- Oct 17, 2022Signed by President.
- Oct 17, 2022Became Public Law No: 117-206.
- Sep 20, 2022Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H7992-7993)
- Sep 20, 2022Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 414 - 12 (Roll no. 444). (text: 9/19/2022 CR H7936)
- Sep 20, 2022Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Sep 19, 2022Mr. Grijalva moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 19, 2022Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7936-7937)
- Sep 19, 2022DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2490.
- Sep 19, 2022At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- May 19, 2022Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S2605-2606)
- May 19, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S2606)
- May 19, 2022Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 19, 2022Received in the House.
- May 19, 2022Held at the desk.
- Mar 2, 2022Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin without amendment. With written report No. 117-92.
- Mar 2, 2022Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 300.
- Nov 18, 2021Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Oct 6, 2021Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 117-450.
- Jul 27, 2021Introduced in Senate
- Jul 27, 2021Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Recorded votes H7992enactLists H7993Votes recorded by proxy on S. 2490, Blackwell School National Historic Site Act | — | Sep 20, 2022 |
| House | Debate and remarks H7936, H7937Text printed H7936 | Jerry L. Carl R-AL, Raúl M. Grijalva D-AZ, Tony Gonzales R-TX | Sep 19, 2022 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2605, S2606Text printed S2606Amendments S2606, S2625 | John Cornyn R-TX (amendment), Mazie K. Hirono D-HI | May 19, 2022 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 117-450 | PENDING LEGISLATION375 pages | Energy and Natural Resources Committee | Oct 6, 2021 |
CRS reports 2
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 2
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL32794 | House Committee Funding: Process and Historical Appropriations and Authorizations | Report | Sep 24, 2025 |
| R45800 | The Federal Role in Historic Preservation: An Overview | Report | Mar 22, 2024 |
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 5042 | To modify the map information. | John Cornyn R-TX | Amendment SA 5042 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2606; text: CR S2625) |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 4706 | Blackwell School National Historic Site Act | Related bill | Dec 9, 2021 |
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
- Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Blackwell School National Historic Site Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- May 19, 2022Engrossed in Senate
- Mar 2, 2022Reported to Senate
- Jul 27, 2021Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
