November 4, 2025
Ms. Leger Fernandez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To amend title 54, United States Code, to increase amounts deposited in the Historic Preservation Fund, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Historic Preservation Enhancement Act
.
Sec. 2. Amendments to Historic Preservation Fund provisions
(a) Funding
Section 303102 of title 54, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by striking For each
and inserting (a) In general.—Except as provided in subsection (b), for each
;
(2)
by striking of fiscal years 2012 to 2023
and inserting fiscal year
;
(3)
by striking $150,000,000
and inserting $300,000,000
; and
(4)
by adding at the end the following:
(b) Deposits
Unless otherwise provided by law, if the revenues described in subsection (a) are not sufficient to cover the amount to be deposited into each of the funds such revenues are directed under other Federal laws, the difference between the shortfall in the revenues and the amount to be deposited into the Historic Preservation Fund under subsection (a) shall be deposited from amounts in the general fund of the Treasury.
(b) Use and availability
Section 303103 of title 54, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
303103. Use and availability
(a) In general
Any amounts deposited in the Historic Preservation Fund under section 303102 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter shall be made available for expenditure for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter, without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation, to carry out this division (including programs made available from the Historic Preservation Fund).
(b) Allocation authority
(1) Minimum allocation for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices
(A) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to subparagraph (B), of the amounts made available from the Fund for each fiscal year under subsection (a)—
(i)
not less than 40 percent shall be allocated to State Historic Preservation Offices; and
(ii)
not less than 20 percent shall be allocated to Tribal Historic Preservation Offices.
(B) Adjustment
The annual allocation to Tribal Historic Preservation Offices under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be increased as necessary to reflect any annual increase in the number of Tribal Historic Preservation Offices.
(2) Submission of cost estimates
The President shall submit to Congress proposed allocations to State Historic Preservation Offices (expressed as the total amount proposed to be allocated to all such Offices), Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (expressed as the total amount proposed to be allocated to all such Offices), grant programs described in the item relating to the Historic Preservation Fund in title I of division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117–328), and any other relevant programs (as determined by the President or a designee of the President), of the full amount made available under subsection (a)—
(A)
for fiscal year 2027, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Historic Preservation Enhancement Act; and
(B)
for each fiscal year thereafter, as part of the annual budget submission of the President.
(3) Alternate allocation
(A) In general
Appropriations Acts may provide for alternate allocation of amounts made available under subsection (a), including allocations by program.
(B) Allocation by President
(i) No alternate allocations
If Congress has not enacted legislation establishing alternate allocations by the date on which the Act making full-year appropriations for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for the applicable fiscal year is enacted into law, amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be allocated by the President.
(ii) Insufficient alternate allocation
If Congress enacts legislation establishing alternate allocations for amounts made available under subsection (a) that are less than the full amount appropriated under such subsection, the difference between the amount appropriated and the alternate allocation shall be allocated by the President.
(4) Continuing resolution
If the Department of the Interior or the National Park Service is operating under a continuing resolution during any period in a fiscal year, the President may distribute funds made available under subsection (a) to State Historic Preservation Offices and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices during such period at the rate of operations provided for such Offices under such subsection during the immediately preceding fiscal year.
(5) Annual Report
The President shall submit to Congress an annual report that describes the final allocation, by program, of amounts made available under subsection (a).
Sec. 3. Authorization of Historic Preservation Fund programs
Subject to the availability of appropriations, amounts are authorized to be made available from the Historic Preservation Fund to the following programs:
(1)
African American Civil Rights Movement Initiative & Grants.
(2)
History of Equal Rights Grants (formerly known as Civil Rights Grants for All Americans
).
(3)
Survey Grants for Underrepresented Communities.
(4)
Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants.