[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10091 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10091
To designate the 26-mile portion of Interstate 17 in the State of
Arizona between milepost 237 near New River and milepost 263 at the
junction with State Route 69 near Cordes Junction as the ``Kayla Jean
Mueller and Charles H. Keating IV Memorial Highway'', and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 13, 2026
Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate the 26-mile portion of Interstate 17 in the State of
Arizona between milepost 237 near New River and milepost 263 at the
junction with State Route 69 near Cordes Junction as the ``Kayla Jean
Mueller and Charles H. Keating IV Memorial Highway'', and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mueller-Keating Memorial Highway
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Kayla Jean Mueller was a humanitarian aid worker from
Prescott, Arizona, who devoted her life to assisting vulnerable
populations in conflict zones, was kidnapped by the Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) while providing humanitarian
assistance in Syria in August 2013, and was later murdered in
captivity.
(2) Chief Petty Officer Charles H. Keating IV, a native of
Phoenix, Arizona, was a United States Navy SEAL who was killed
in action on May 3, 2016, while supporting operations against
ISIS in Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
(3) Kayla Jean Mueller's courage, faith, moral conviction,
and commitment to human dignity exemplified the highest ideals
of American humanitarian service.
(4) Chief Petty Officer Keating's bravery, valor, and
professionalism exemplified the highest ideals of American
military service and the commitment of United States service
members to defeat ISIS and protect innocent civilians.
(5) Despite extensive efforts by the United States
Government, the remains of Kayla Jean Mueller have not yet been
recovered and returned to her family, underscoring the Nation's
enduring obligation of No American Left Behind: a solemn
commitment to recover and repatriate Americans lost overseas
whenever possible.
(6) Operation Inherent Resolve represents the collective
effort by the United States and its coalition and local
partners to degrade and defeat ISIS through military action,
enablement of local partner forces, humanitarian assistance,
and stabilization efforts.
(7) Operation Kayla Mueller, named in her honor and in
pursuit of justice, resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi and symbolized the Nation's enduring
commitment to defeating ISIS and bringing to justice those
responsible for the suffering endured by Kayla Mueller, Chief
Petty Officer Charles H. Keating IV, and countless other
victims, including members of ancient Christian, Yazidi, Druze,
Kurdish, and other communities persecuted by ISIS.
(8) Arizonans have contributed to this effort through both
military service and humanitarian action, confronting ISIS
through distinct but complementary expressions of might and
mercy.
(9) Interstate 17 serves as a principal transportation
corridor connecting central Arizona communities, including
routes linking Phoenix to northern Arizona and the Prescott
region.
(10) This designation honors two Arizonans whose lives were
shaped in different communities, connected by the same
corridor, and ended confronting the same evil.
(11) Honorary designations of Federal-aid highways have
long served as a means of recognizing Americans whose lives and
service reflect enduring national values.
(12) The State of Arizona has honorarily designated
Interstate 17 as the Arizona Veterans Highway in recognition of
the service and sacrifice of America's veterans, and this
designation is intended to complement that existing
recognition.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF MUELLER-KEATING MEMORIAL HIGHWAY.
(a) Designation.--The 26-mile portion of Interstate 17 in the State
of Arizona between milepost 237 near New River and milepost 263 at the
junction with State Route 69 near Cordes Junction shall hereafter be
known and designated as the ``Kayla Jean Mueller and Charles H. Keating
IV Memorial Highway'', to be commonly referred to as the ``Mueller-
Keating Memorial Highway''.
(b) Rules of Applicability.--The designation under subsection (a)--
(1) shall complement, and shall not be construed to alter,
replace, diminish, or otherwise affect the existing Arizona
Veterans Highway designation applicable to Interstate 17;
(2) shall be honorary in nature;
(3) shall not require any change to existing highway names,
maps, addresses, or navigation systems; and
(4) shall not impose any requirement for additional Federal
funding.
(c) Signage; Repository.--The Secretary of Transportation, in
coordination with appropriate State and local authorities, shall--
(1) permit the installation of suitable honorary signage
and permit memorialization at Sunset Point Rest Area consistent
with the designation under subsection (a); and
(2) include the designation in the appropriate repository
on the website of the Department of Transportation.
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