June 30, 2025
Ms. Tenney (for herself and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to provide funding for memorials honoring veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Remembering Our Local Heroes Act
.
Sec. 2. Grant program for memorials
(a) In general
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a grant program to fund construction, restoration, renovation, and maintenance for covered memorials.
(b) Eligible entities
(1) In general
In carrying out the Program, the Secretary may award grants to units of local government and nonprofit organizations.
(2) Applications
To be eligible for a grant under the Program, a unit of local government or nonprofit organization shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(3) Priority
In awarding grants under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to grants that will fund projects—
(A)
for which strong support is demonstrated from the local community; and
(B)
that memorialize individuals or groups, living or deceased—
(i)
who are broadly viewed to have contributed positively, in a manner demonstrating exemplary public service, to their community or to the United States; or
(ii)
who distinguished themselves through acts of bravery in which they risked their lives.
(c) Use of funds
Grant funds awarded under the Program may only be used for construction, restoration, renovation, or maintenance for covered memorials.
(d) Limitation on grants
(1) In general
The Secretary may not award more than 1 grant in a fiscal year with respect to any single—
(A)
unit of local government or nonprofit organization; or
(B)
covered memorial.
(2) Amount
No grant awarded under the Program may exceed $100,000.
(e) Matching requirement
(1) In general
The recipient of a grant under the Program shall provide non-Federal matching funds equal to not less than 50 percent of the grant.
(2) In-kind support
The non-Federal matching funds described in paragraph (1) may include in-kind support.
(f) Authorization
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the Program $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
(g) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Covered memorial
(A) In general
The term covered memorial means any statue, monument, sculpture, memorial, plaque, inscription, or other structure or landscape feature, including a garden or memorial grove that is—
(i)
owned or administered by a unit of local government or nonprofit organization; and
(ii)
designed to perpetuate in a permanent manner the memory of individuals or groups, living or deceased, who—
(I)
are veterans of the Armed Forces who served on or after April 6, 1917;
(II)
are members of the Armed Forces killed while on active duty as a result of injuries incurred in the line of duty on or after April 6, 1917;
(III)
have served as law enforcement officers; or
(IV)
have served as firefighters.
(B) Exception
The term covered memorial does not include any item listed in subparagraph (A) that is located within the interior of a structure or a structure which is primarily used for other purposes.
(2) Program
The term Program means the grant program established under this section.
(3) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
(4) Unit of local government
The term unit of local government means—
(A)
a unit of general government below the State level, including a city, county, municipality, town, township, or village;
(B)
the Government of the District of Columbia;
(C)
the government of, or a unit of general government within, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory or possession of the United States; or
(D)
the Tribal Government of a federally recognized Indian Tribe.