Sponsors (4)
The bill preserves and interprets historic battlefield sites—boosting local education, stewardship, and tourism through modest, predictable federal funding and studies—at the cost of additional taxpayer spending and the risk of uneven geographic/historical attention and potential local land-use constraints.
State, Tribal, and local communities — along with students and visitors — gain preserved, interpreted, and restored historic battlefield sites (including French & Indian War and Mexican–American War sites), improving public access, educational programming, and heritage tourism.
State and local governments, nonprofits, and local economies receive predictable federal funding ($2 million per year through FY2036) that enables multi-year battlefield preservation projects and supports conservation and construction jobs.
States, Tribes, and local governments receive a formal federal study and reporting process that can support grant applications, preservation planning, and better prioritization of specific historic sites.
Taxpayers will incur additional federal costs (roughly $2 million per year through FY2036 plus study and reporting expenses), which could crowd out other federal priorities or spending.
The bill's targeted funding and study focus on specific battlefield themes and sites may produce uneven geographic and historical coverage, favoring some sites or regions and diverting attention and resources from other preservation priorities and underrepresented histories.
Study findings and possible follow-on actions (like NPS designations or federal land acquisition) could restrict local land uses or development, affecting homeowners, property owners, and local planning choices.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Revises and reauthorizes American Battlefield Protection Program grant authorities, authorizes $2M/year through FY2036 for interpretation/modernization and restoration, and requires NPS studies of French & Indian War and Mexican–American War sites.
Amends the American Battlefield Protection Program to update and reauthorize its grant authorities for battlefield acquisition, interpretation/modernization, and restoration; it also authorizes $2,000,000 per year through FY2036 for those grants. Requires the National Park Service to study sites and structures tied to the French and Indian War and the Mexican–American War, assessing significance, threats, and preservation/interpretation options and reporting to Congress within two years after funds are provided.
Introduced February 20, 2026 by Jennifer Kiggans · Last progress February 20, 2026