Sponsors (2)
The bill funds national World War II education and commemoration programs and grants to expand local programming and honor veterans, but increases federal spending and places limits on use of existing education funds and the program's name/insignia.
Students and schools/universities will have increased access to federally supported World War II education programs, expanding history and civic instruction and promoting youth engagement with the subject.
Nonprofit organizations and state/local governments can receive federal grants to expand public programming about the home front, allied contributions, Holocaust remembrance, and nationally significant sites, enabling broader local and national outreach.
World War II veterans and their families will receive public recognition and honor through funded activities that thank and commemorate veterans, POWs, and MIAs.
Taxpayers will face increased federal spending to create and operate the program and to fund grants administered by the Department of Defense.
State governments and students cannot use grant funds for existing secondary education programming and must create new initiatives, which may limit the usefulness of funds for current school curricula.
Nonprofit organizations and state/local governments may be restricted from using the program name and insignia for new local initiatives because the bill grants exclusive use, limiting other groups' ability to adopt the title.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Establishes a DoD-run national WW II education program and authorizes grants to states, localities, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits to fund public remembrance and educational activities.
Creates a Department of Defense program called the Senator Robert J. Dole Greatest Generation Education Program to promote public awareness of World War II achievements and lessons. The Secretary of Defense must design and run the national educational program and may award grants to state and local governments and qualifying nonprofit organizations to fund related public education activities. The program focuses on honoring WWII veterans and families, teaching about military and allied contributions and the home front, remembering the Holocaust and liberators, engaging students, and supporting programming at nationally significant remembrance sites. The Secretary holds exclusive rights to the program name and insignia, with existing lawful rights preserved.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish the Senator Robert J. Dole Greatest Generation Education Program.
Introduced July 20, 2026 by Derek Schmidt · Last progress July 20, 2026