RESTORE Act

This bill would create a National Freedom Settlements Preservation Program inside the National Park Service to identify, protect, and share the history of towns founded by formerly enslaved African Americans after emancipation. It recognizes these communities’ importance and coordinates work across government and local partners to research, preserve, and tell their stories.

• Who is affected: Property owners of sites tied to these communities; Tribal, state, and local governments; community groups; residents and descendants; scholars; and the public who visit and learn from these places.
• What changes: The program can give grants to find sites, restore and preserve them, build tourism programs, do research and documentation, strengthen local groups that manage sites, and create educational programs. Private property can only be included with the owner’s written consent. The Park Service may accept donations and make agreements with other agencies, tribes, schools, nonprofits, and local partners. A study will identify key sites, and a national registry will list and update known settlements (for example, Nicodemus, KS; Africatown, AL; Mound Bayou, MS; Eatonville, FL; and others). An advisory committee of residents, descendants, historians, and community leaders will help guide the work .
• When and funding: Authorizes $3,000,000 each year from 2026 through 2031 to carry out the grant program.