Sponsors (11)
The bill reinstates the Kennedy Center's historic name and reasserts Congressional authority to prevent politicized or unilateral renamings, but does so by limiting local trustees' discretion and imposing immediate administrative and signage costs plus potential political controversy.
All Americans (taxpayers) — the bill reasserts Congressional control over the Kennedy Center name and forbids unilateral renamings by trustees or a sitting President, reducing the risk that federal memorials are politicized or changed without legislative approval.
Visitors and the public — the bill restores the Kennedy Center's historic name, preserving continuity of branding and public recognition.
Taxpayers and stakeholders — by preventing future unilateral renaming by the Board, the bill reduces the likelihood of sudden name changes and the downstream costs and confusion such changes can cause.
Trustees and entities that installed new signs — must bear immediate, potentially urgent costs to remove or replace signage within one day, imposing a concentrated short-term expense.
Kennedy Center Board/trustees and state/local partners — the bill restricts local trustees' discretion over naming and commemorative decisions, limiting flexibility for future actions by local governance bodies.
Federal, state, and local agencies plus publishers and educational institutions — must update references quickly, creating administrative burden and modest costs to correct documents, records, and publications.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced December 23, 2025 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress December 23, 2025
Voids a recent Board of Trustees vote to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, restores and requires use of the original name, requires immediate removal of any signage or identification using a different name, bars the Board from renaming the Center in the future by amending federal law, and requires the Trustees to report to Congress within 30 days on any public or private funds used to implement the now-voided name change.