Congress funds war site preservation through 2036

What it does

This bill gives money to help save old war sites. It makes grant rules easier for states, cities, and groups. The bill sets aside $2 million each year through 2036. This money helps people learn about war sites. It tells the Park Service to study French and Indian War sites from 1754–1763. It tells the Park Service to study Mexican-American War sites from 1846–1848. These studies will decide if sites should be protected or become parks.

Who it affects

States, cities, groups, and tribes that save war sites get more grant money and easier rules. People who visit these sites will learn more about the past.

One thing to notice

Private groups can do studies of war sites. They send them for approval within 180 days. If new war sites become parks, the agency will pay to run them for many years. This bill does not set aside that money.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

6 cosponsors: 4 Republicans, 2 Democrats.

• Feb 20, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 20, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• Mar 26, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”
• Apr 21, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Apr 21, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent”
• Jun 2, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”
• Jun 3, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required)…”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 3 reports from Jun 2026 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $325,374 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 24 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 61% of bills with any report.

Jennifer Kiggans, who sponsored the bill, received $1,294,089 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Open Space Institute, Inc. — $155,000 in 1 report
• National Parks Conservation Association — $150,724 in 1 report
• American Battlefield Trust — $19,650 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• grant — money the agency gives to help pay for a project
• Park Service — the agency that runs parks and old sites owned by the agency
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.