WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bill sponsored by U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) that would designate the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Historic Jefferson College as affiliated areas of the National Park Service has cleared a key Senate committee hurdle.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved Hyde-Smith’s Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Jefferson College Affiliated Areas Establishment Act (S. 3878) on a voice vote on Wednesday, advancing the legislation to the full Senate for consideration.
Hyde-Smith said the measure would help preserve two of Mississippi’s most significant historic landmarks while increasing their visibility through a connection with the National Park Service.
If approved, the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians would become an affiliated area of Natchez National Historical Park, making it eligible for preservation and interpretation resources. The legislation would also direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish Historic Jefferson College as an affiliated area once it meets federal requirements.
The bill, co-sponsored by Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), would require the National Park Service to establish boundaries and management plans for both sites within three years. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History would continue overseeing the sites in partnership with the National Park Service.
The proposal does not authorize the federal government to acquire property within the affiliated areas or assume responsibility for their daily operations and maintenance.
Hyde-Smith first introduced the legislation in 2023. Although it previously gained committee approval, it did not receive final congressional approval before the end of the 118th Congress. The senator reintroduced the measure at the beginning of the current Congress and is now seeking passage by the full Senate.
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