The Statue of Liberty's crown, closed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, may be on the way to reopening, according to documents released by a New York congressman.

"The bureaucracy which had stubbornly refused to open the crown is finally moving in the right direction," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y.

The National Park Service, which manages the statue in New York City's harbor, has called for private contractors to prepare plans to "minimize life and safety risks to staff, visitors, and emergency management personnel" who might visit the landmark.

The statue's base, pedestal, and observation deck were reopened in August 2004. (View a slideshow of Lady Liberty since 9/11 here.)

According to Weiner, the NPS request was made to an estimated 800 firms that specialize in providing security services. The deadline for submitting plans is July 9, 2008. The plans would be finalized by January 2009, he said.

Weiner, a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, said that the number of visitors to the Statue of Liberty dropped from 3.6 million in 2000 to 2.5 million visitors in 2006 –- a 44 percent decrease.

A gift of friendship from France to the United States, the statue is located on a 12-acre island accessible by ferry from Manhattan's Battery Park. It was dedicated on Oct. 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.

Visitors to the momument, an icon for immigrants for generations, are now required to pass through multiple security screenings before setting foot on the tour ferries headed to the island.

There are strict limits on the size of packages, backpacks, suitcases and other travel bags allowed on the ferry. Park service guidelines say that if a bag can't fit in a standard-size milk crate, it stays ashore.