Sponsors (47)
The bill protects the historic character of Lady Bird Johnson Park and avoids federal spending on a new monumental arch, but it limits sites for commemorative architecture and imposes congressional approval and likely delays/costs for proponents.
Residents and visitors to Lady Bird Johnson Park (and nearby urban communities) retain the park's historic character because the bill prevents large monumental arches from being built there.
Taxpayers face lower federal spending because the bill prevents federal funds from being used for constructing a new large arch on the site.
Congress gains final approval authority over very tall (>50 ft) arches on National Capital Region NPS lands, increasing legislative oversight of major memorial-scale projects.
Nonprofits and other groups proposing commemorative architecture lose a potential site and face higher barriers to approval for memorial-scale projects at Lady Bird Johnson Park.
Private or local projects that might have used NPS land for a large monument will require congressional action, likely delaying or preventing construction and complicating project timelines.
Restrictions may push proposals elsewhere or force design changes, shifting costs and potentially raising planning and construction expenses for proponents.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits a triumphal arch in Lady Bird Johnson Park and requires congressional approval for any triumphal arch taller than 50 feet on NPS National Capital Region land.
Official title: To restrict the establishment of triumphal arches within certain areas of the District of Columbia and the capital region, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 29, 2026 by Donald Sternoff Beyer · Last progress May 29, 2026
Prohibits building a triumphal arch in Lady Bird Johnson Park (formerly Columbia Island) and blocks federal funding for such a structure there. Also bars construction of any triumphal arch taller than 50 feet on land managed by the National Capital Region Office of the National Park Service unless Congress explicitly authorizes it, and defines the terms used in the law.