Sponsors (11)
The bill quickly restores and cements the Kennedy Center's historic name and increases transparency, but it centralizes renaming authority in Congress, reduces local board control, risks politicizing a cultural institution, and imposes short-term administrative and financial costs.
Visitors, the public, and taxpayers see the John F. Kennedy Center restored to its historic name and receive official affirmation of that historical naming, preserving institutional identity and cultural continuity.
Congressional authority over renaming is reinforced so only Congress may rename the Center, preserving legislative control and a clear governance rule for federal building names.
Visitors and the public get quick clarity because the bill requires nonconforming signage to be removed within one day, reducing public confusion about the Center's name.
The Kennedy Center Board (Trustees) permanently loses the ability to vote on future renamings, removing local governance discretion and centralizing control over naming decisions.
Congressional findings that criticize presidential actions and the Board's vote risk politicizing a major cultural institution and could deepen partisan tensions among the public and officials.
Requiring rapid signage removal and forcing agencies and record-holders to revert references will create short-term administrative and financial burdens (replacement costs, record updates, potential legal disputes) for the Center, federal agencies, and taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Voids a Board rename, restores the Kennedy Center's official name, requires immediate removal of nonconforming signs, bars Board renaming, and mandates a 30-day report on funds used.
Official title: To require the removal of any signage or other identification from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that differs from the designation "John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts", as designated under section 3 of the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 76i), and for other purposes.
Introduced December 23, 2025 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress December 23, 2025
Restores the Center’s official name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, voids a December 18, 2025 Board vote that renamed the Center to include a living President’s name, and requires removal of any signs or materials that reflect the invalid name within one day of enactment. It bars the Board from proposing or authorizing any renaming of the Center (leaving such authority with Congress) and requires the Trustees to report within 30 days on any public or private funds used to implement the invalid name change.