Katko praises Senate passage of bill to evaluate National Park status for home state site

The U.S. Senate on Sept. 18 amended and approved by voice vote the Fort Ontario Study Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced last year by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY).

H.R. 46 would direct the U.S. Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Oswego, N.Y., site to determine if it should be designated as a unit of the National Park System, according to the congressional record.

“I’m thrilled that the Senate has moved forward this important, bipartisan and bicameral measure that I passed through the House in January of last year,” Rep. Katko said. “I now urge the president to act swiftly in signing this measure into law so that this historic site is given the recognition it deserves.”

New York State colleagues U.S. Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), who passed away last March, and Claudia Tenney (R-NY) joined as original cosponsors of the House bill. The U.S. House approved H.R. 46 by voice vote on Jan. 30, 2017 and sent the measure to the Senate, which passed it on Tuesday.

“Fort Ontario and Safe Haven National Refugee Shelter are treasures in our community, and testament to the important role of Central New York in our nation’s history,” said Rep. Katko, who added that H.R. 46 has been among his top priorities since 2015 when he started serving in Congress.

The site’s study that would be authorized under the bill is a prerequisite for receiving National Park designation.

U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had introduced the same measure, S. 55, in the Senate last January.