[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 2, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3755-H3757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION PROGRAM AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2026
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 7618) to amend title 54, United States Code, to modify
certain cost-sharing requirements for grant programs under the American
Battlefield Protection Program, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 7618
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 ``American Battlefield
Protection Program Amendments Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION PROGRAM GRANT
PROGRAMS.
(a) Reauthorization of Battlefield Acquisition Grant
Program.--Section 308103(f) of title 54, United States Code,
is amended by striking ``2028'' and inserting ``2036''.
(b) Battlefield Interpretation Modernization Grant
Program.--Section 308104 of title 54, United States Code, is
amended by striking subsection (d).
(c) Battlefield Restoration Grant Program.--Section 308105
of title 54, United States Code, is amended by striking
subsection (e) and inserting the following:
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to provide grants under
section
[[Page H3756]]
308104 and this section $2,000,000 for each fiscal year
through fiscal year 2036.''.
SEC. 3. FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR SITES
STUDIES.
(a) In General.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations made in advance for such purpose, the
Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Director of the
National Park Service) (referred to in this section as the
``Secretary''), shall prepare or certify, pursuant to
subsection (b), studies of sites and structures located in
the United States that are thematically tied with nationally
significant events that occurred during--
(1) the French and Indian War from 1754-1763; and
(2) the Mexican-American War from 1846-1848.
(b) Preparation.--
(1) In general.--The studies under subsection (a) may be
carried out--
(A) by the Secretary, in consultation with affected States,
Indian Tribes, local governments, the American Battlefield
Trust, historic preservation organizations, and any other
interested individuals or entities, as determined by the
Secretary; or
(B) by interested individuals or entities, if the Secretary
certifies that the completed study meets the requirements of
subsection (c).
(2) Certification.--Not later than 1 year after receiving a
study carried out by interested individuals or entities under
subsection (b)(1)(B), the Secretary shall review and certify
whether the study meets the requirements of subsection (c).
(c) Contents.--The studies prepared under subsection (a)
shall--
(1) identify French and Indian War and Mexican-American War
sites, respectively, located within the United States;
(2) determine the relative significance of the identified
sites;
(3) assess short- and long-term threats to the integrity of
the identified sites; and
(4) provide alternatives for the preservation and
interpretation of the identified sites by the Federal
Government, State, local, and Tribal governments, or other
public or private entities, including potential designation
of the identified sites as units of the National Park System,
as appropriate.
(d) Consideration of Previous Studies and Reports.--In
preparing the studies under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary
shall consider and may include information from previous
studies and reports relating to French and Indian War or
Mexican-American War historic sites prepared by the National
Park Service, the American Battlefield Trust, or other
historic preservation organizations, as appropriate.
(e) Submission to Congress.--
(1) Studies carried out by the secretary.--With respect to
studies carried out by the Secretary in accordance with
subsection (b)(1)(A), the Secretary shall submit such studies
to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
of the Senate not later than 2 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out such studies.
(2) Studies carried out by other interested parties.--With
respect to studies carried out by interested individuals or
entities in accordance with subsection (b)(1)(B), the
Secretary shall submit such studies to the Committee on
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate not
later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary
certifies under subsection (b)(2) that the studies meet the
requirements of subsection (c).
(3) Battlefield report definition clarification.--A study
submitted under this subsection shall be deemed to be a
document included in the definition of ``Battlefield
Reports'' in section 308101 of title 54, United States Code.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms.
Stansbury) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 7618, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7618, the American Battlefield
Protection Program Amendments Act of 2026, introduced by Representative
Kiggans.
America's battlefields are more than just parks. They are hallowed
grounds that tell a story of our Nation's struggles, triumphs, and
defining moments. They are the places where ordinary people made
extraordinary sacrifices in defense of liberty, self-government, and
the ideals that continue to define us today.
As the settings of battles spanning from the Revolutionary War to the
Civil War, these historic sites serve as living classrooms that
continue to teach generations of Americans about the conflicts that
forged our great Nation, but many of these places are being lost.
Today, the majority of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields
no longer retain significant land from the period of battle, and more
than 20 percent of Civil War battlefields have been lost altogether.
That is why 30 years ago, Congress created the American Battlefield
Protection Program to help protect and restore historic battlefields
through public-private partnerships, and the numbers speak for
themselves. Since its inception, this program has helped to protect
more than 100 battlefields in 42 States and conserve battlefield lands
at 110 battlefield sites in 19 States.
Representative Kiggans' bipartisan legislation keeps that momentum
going, fittingly, during our Nation's semiquincentennial year. Her
legislation reauthorizes and strengthens this successful program
through 2036 and streamlines the program by consolidating separate
authorizations for the restoration and interpretation modernization
grant programs into a single, unified authorization.
This legislation also directs the National Park Service to study
sites associated with the French and Indian War and the Mexican-
American War, two important conflicts that helped to shaped our
Nation's history but which are not currently included in the program.
This is a targeted bill. It doesn't create a new program or expand
Federal control. Rather, it builds onto something that already works
and makes it better.
It also comes at the right time. In this year of America's 250th
anniversary, there is growing interest in making sure that we take
stock of our Nation's history, not just through books but on the
ground, where people can see and experience it.
From Gettysburg and Vicksburg to Manassas and beyond, H.R. 7618
ensures that we are able to appreciate the places where American
history was made and that future generations will be able to experience
these hallowed grounds firsthand for America's next 250 years.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7618, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, for over three decades, the American Battlefield
Protection Program has been instrumental in saving sites from the
Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, and the Civil War. H.R. 7618 would
build on that legacy by reauthorizing the program for another 7 years,
beyond the current expiration through fiscal year 2036, at the existing
authorization level of $20 million per annum.
This bill would also streamline the program by combining funding for
interpretation grants and restoration grants into a single $2 million
authorization. This is a smart technical improvement to how we provide
support for State, local, and nonprofit partners who work to protect
these lands.
Since history does not start and stop with just these three
conflicts, the legislation rightly directs the Secretary of the
Interior to prepare resource studies for sites from the French and
Indian War and the Mexican-American War, two pivotal eras currently
ineligible for these specific grants, laying the groundwork to protect
even more of our shared heritage.
Preserving our history is a bipartisan obligation, so I thank
Representative Seth Magaziner for his leadership on the Democratic side
in bringing this bill forward, along with our colleagues across the
aisle. As we celebrate America250 this year, preserving the physical
landscapes of our past has never been more vital.
Our battlegrounds are living classrooms. Protecting these sacred
grounds ensures historical accuracy, allowing future generations to
walk where our forebearers fought, sacrificed, and demonstrated the
true cost of our freedoms.
Bills like this one show the importance of bipartisan unity. It is so
important that we not allow partisanship
[[Page H3757]]
to destroy this historic moment. We must work together to safeguard the
unvarnished truth of our history.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7618, honoring our
past and ensuring that our history remains intact for the next 250
years, and I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1530
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans), the lead sponsor of this bill.
Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my
bill, H.R. 7618, the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments
Act of 2026.
I thank Chairman Westerman, Chairman Tiffany, and my bipartisan
colleague, Congressman Seth Magaziner, for their support of this
important legislation.
America's battlefields are more than historic sites. They are outdoor
classrooms, living memorials, and sacred grounds where generations of
Americans fought and sacrificed for our great Nation. Yet, many of
these irreplaceable landmarks remain threatened by development and the
passage of time.
H.R. 7618 reauthorizes the American Battlefield Protection Program
through fiscal year 2036, streamlines and improves the flexibility of
existing battlefield interpretation and restoration grants, and directs
the National Park Service to evaluate significant sites associated with
the French and Indian War and the Mexican-American War to help inform
future preservation efforts. These changes will help ensure future
generations can learn from and experience the places where our Nation's
history was made.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, preserving
these hallowed grounds is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor
the Americans who came before us and pass their stories on to those who
will follow.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan
legislation.
Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, Representative Kiggans' bill is a
practical step to keep a proven program working and to prevent further
loss of historic battlefields across America.
We are not creating something new. We are building on a program with
a track record of success so that it can continue to deliver results.
If we do not act, more of these hallowed grounds will be lost to time.
This bill ensures that those landscapes are conserved and able to tell
the full story of our Nation for generations to come.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 7618, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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