HR2377-119

What This Bill Does

The National Garden for America's 250th Anniversary Act is a project-governance bill for the National Garden of American Heroes. The White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday must establish the Garden, handle planning, contracting, design, building, permitting, compliance, land acquisition, and environmental reviews, and try to start construction by July 4, 2026 after the Interior Secretary approves the location. The bill permits establishment in the Reserve notwithstanding normal commemorative works limits, authorizes Interior to acquire nonfederal land by purchase, donation, or exchange, allows the Garden to commemorate any individual or group, requires the Task Force to solicit and accept private contributions, creates a Treasury National Garden Fund, makes fund amounts available to Interior, the Task Force, and the National Park Service, allows visitation fees if the Fund is insufficient for maintenance, and requires progress and maintenance reports every 60 days.

Who Benefits and How

Visitors to the National Garden benefit from a federally directed statuary park planned for the semiquincentennial. Private donors to the Garden benefit from a statutory fund and formal contribution pathway for the project. National Park Service maintenance staff benefit from a dedicated fund source for post-opening maintenance costs. Commemoration advocates benefit because the Garden can honor any individual or group and can be built in the Reserve if approved.

Who Bears the Burden and How

White House task force staff must manage planning, contracting, design, construction, permitting, compliance, acquisition, and 60-day reports. Interior Department officials must approve the location, support administration, and potentially acquire land by purchase, donation, or exchange. National Park Service staff must maintain the Garden after opening and submit recurring maintenance reports. Visitors may pay visitation fees if the National Garden Fund is insufficient to maintain the Garden.

Key Provisions

• Directs the semiquincentennial Task Force to establish the National Garden of American Heroes and try to start construction by July 4, 2026.
• Authorizes the Garden in the Reserve after Interior approval and permits acquisition of nonfederal land.
• Creates the National Garden Fund for private contributions, interest, proceeds, and federal obligations used for establishment and maintenance.
• Authorizes visitation fees only when the Fund is insufficient for maintenance and restricts fee use to maintenance.
• Requires Task Force and National Park Service reports every 60 days on establishment, budget, operations, safety, security, funding, and fees.