HR4268-119

What This Bill Does

The Remembering Our Local Heroes Act establishes a federal memorial grant program within six months of enactment. The Secretary may award grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to construct, restore, renovate, or maintain covered memorials such as statues, monuments, sculptures, plaques, inscriptions, gardens, memorial groves, and other permanent structures or landscape features. Priority goes to projects with strong local support and memorials honoring individuals or groups who contributed exemplary public service to their community or the United States, or who distinguished themselves through acts of bravery that risked their lives. Grants are limited to one per fiscal year per applicant or covered memorial, may not exceed $100,000, require at least a 50 percent nonfederal match including in-kind support, and are authorized at $2 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Who Benefits and How

Local governments maintaining memorials benefit because grants can fund construction, restoration, renovation, and maintenance work. Nonprofit memorial organizations benefit from access to federal grants for permanent public-service and bravery memorials. Families of local heroes benefit when memorial projects honor exemplary public service or acts of bravery. Community heritage groups benefit because in-kind support can count toward the 50 percent nonfederal match.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Secretary administering memorial grants must establish the program, review applications, enforce grant caps, and prioritize qualifying projects. Grant recipients must provide at least a 50 percent nonfederal match and limit funds to covered memorial work. Federal taxpayers fund the $2 million annual authorization from fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Applicants seeking repeated funding are limited by the one-grant-per-fiscal-year rule for each applicant or memorial.

Key Provisions

• Creates a grant program for covered memorial construction, restoration, renovation, and maintenance within six months.
• Limits recipients to local governments and nonprofit organizations with eligible public-service or bravery memorials.
• Caps grants at $100,000, limits awards to one per applicant or memorial per fiscal year, and requires a 50 percent nonfederal match.
• Authorizes $2 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.