Two Mississippi historic sites — the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Historic Jefferson College, both in Natchez — would be added to the National Park System as "affiliated areas." Affiliated status means the National Park Service can offer technical help and cooperative agreements, but the Mississippi Department of Archives and History keeps day-to-day management. The legislation explicitly bars the Interior Secretary from buying property at either site or taking on operating, maintenance, or management costs. Jefferson College only becomes affiliated once the National Park Service confirms it meets the agency's designation criteria. It is a low-cost recognition designation aimed at boosting public visibility of the sites without expanding federal land holdings.
Congressional Summary
This bill establishes the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians in Natchez, Mississippi, as an affiliated area of the National Park System. The bill also establishes Historic Jefferson College in Natchez, Mississippi, as an affiliated area of the National Park System, subject to the Department of the Interior's determination that the site meets established criteria for affiliated areas.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-02-12
- Date Added
- 2026-04-27
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