Sponsors (3)
Authorizes up to $50 million in Interior Department grants to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation conditional on $100 million in non‑Federal/state funding and allows loans of federal artifacts for exhibition.
The bill mobilizes substantial non-federal and state investment and clarifies governance to enable a presidential library while shifting ongoing operational responsibility to non-federal parties, exposing taxpayers to up to $50M in start-up grants and concentrating oversight in the Department of the Interior.
Non-Federal partners and the State of North Dakota secure at least $100M before any federal grant is paid, leveraging private/state investment to create a presidential library and museum and ensuring strong local buy-in.
The Foundation and Library are given a clear legal identity and the bill explicitly names the Secretary of the Interior for oversight, reducing ambiguity in contracts and streamlining coordination with the Department of the Interior.
Federal agencies may loan artifacts at no cost for preservation and public exhibition, increasing public access to historic materials without additional purchase costs.
Taxpayers could be exposed to up to $50 million in federal grants to establish the library, increasing federal outlays for the project.
Because grants cannot be used for maintenance or operations, the Foundation or state/local governments may bear ongoing costs, risking future pressure on local/state budgets or fundraising needs.
The bill’s narrow, named definitions and explicit assignment of oversight to the Secretary of the Interior reduce flexibility if the Foundation’s structure or location changes and could centralize decision authority, slowing local decision-making or requiring later statutory fixes.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Official title: Contribute funds and artifacts to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.
Introduced February 20, 2025 by John Hoeven · Last progress June 23, 2026
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide up to $50 million in grants, subject to advance appropriations and conditions, to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation to establish the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Grants are contingent on the Foundation certifying at least $100 million in non‑Federal or State of North Dakota funding; grant funds may not be used for maintenance or operation. The Secretary may also arrange loans of federal artifacts to the Foundation for preservation and exhibition, and the Federal government will not operate the Library except if requested by the non‑Federal operator and as allowed by law.