September 30, 2026
Mr. Booker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To require the Secretary of the Navy to establish a process for naming of Naval vessels, 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 Navy Accountability and Military Eponym Standards Act
or the NAMES Act
.
Sec. 2. Establishment of process for naming of vessels of the Navy
(a) In general
The Secretary of the Navy shall—
(1)
establish and publish objective criteria for naming and renaming vessels of the Navy;
(2)
obtain a written historical assessment from the Naval History and Heritage Command before naming or renaming a vessel;
(3)
provide a written rationale for the selected name for the vessel;
(4)
explain any departure from the primary naming recommendation of the Naval History and Heritage Command with respect to the vessel; and
(5)
when renaming a vessel, explain the historical significance of the existing name and the reasons for removing it.
(b) Written determination
The Secretary shall provide any written determination required under subsection (a) to the congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code) and make it publicly available, subject to applicable law.