I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5318 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 

provide funding for memorials honoring veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 29, 2023 

Ms. TENNEY (for herself and Mr. PAPPAS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant 

program to provide funding for memorials honoring veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Remembering Our 

5 Local Heroes Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR MEMORIALS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall esVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Aug 30, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5318.IH H5318

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1 tablish a grant program to fund construction, restoration, 

2 renovation, and maintenance for covered memorials. 

3 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the Pro5 gram, the Secretary may award grants to units of 

6 local government and nonprofit organizations. 

7 (2) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant 

8 under the Program, a unit of local government or 

9 nonprofit organization shall submit to the Secretary 

10 an application at such time, in such manner, and 

11 containing such information as the Secretary may 

12 require. 

13 (3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under the 

14 Program, the Secretary shall give priority to grants 

15 that will fund projects— 

16 (A) for which strong support is dem17 onstrated from the local community; and 

18 (B) that memorialize individuals or groups, 

19 living or deceased— 

20 (i) who are broadly viewed to have 

21 contributed positively, in a manner dem22 onstrating exemplary public service, to 

23 their community or to the United States; 

24 or 


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1 (ii) who distinguished themselves 

2 through acts of bravery in which they 

3 risked their lives. 

4 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds awarded under the 

5 Program may only be used for construction, restoration, 

6 renovation, or maintenance for covered memorials. 

7 (d) LIMITATION ON GRANTS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may not 

9 award more than 1 grant in a fiscal year with re10 spect to any single— 

11 (A) unit of local government or nonprofit 

12 organization; or 

13 (B) covered memorial. 

14 (2) AMOUNT.—No grant awarded under the 

15 Program may exceed $100,000. 

16 (e) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The recipient of a grant 

18 under the Program shall provide non-Federal match19 ing funds equal to not less than 50 percent of the 

20 grant. 

21 (2) IN-KIND SUPPORT.—The non-Federal 

22 matching funds described in paragraph (1) may in23 clude in-kind support. 


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1 (f) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap2 propriated to the Secretary to carry out the Program 

3 $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 

4 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

5 (1) COVERED MEMORIAL.— 

6 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘covered me7 morial’’ means any statue, monument, sculp8 ture, memorial, plaque, inscription, or other 

9 structure or landscape feature, including a gar10 den or memorial grove that is— 

11 (i) owned or administered by a unit of 

12 local government or nonprofit organization; 

13 and 

14 (ii) designed to perpetuate in a per15 manent manner the memory of individuals 

16 or groups, living or deceased, who— 

17 (I) are veterans of the Armed 

18 Forces who served on or after April 6, 

19 1917; 

20 (II) are members of the Armed 

21 Forces killed while on active duty as 

22 a result of injuries incurred in the line 

23 of duty on or after April 6, 1917; 

24 (III) have served as law enforce25 ment officers; or 


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1 (IV) have served as firefighters. 

2 (B) EXCEPTION.—The term ‘‘covered me3 morial’’ does not include any item listed in sub4 paragraph (A) that is located within the inte5 rior of a structure or a structure which is pri6 marily used for other purposes. 

7 (2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 

8 the grant program established under this section. 

9 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of the Interior. 

11 (4) UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—The term 

12 ‘‘unit of local government’’ means— 

13 (A) a unit of general government below the 

14 State level, including a city, county, munici15 pality, town, township, or village; 

16 (B) the government of the District of Co17 lumbia; 

18 (C) the government of, or a unit of general 

19 government within, American Samoa, Guam, 

20 the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is21 lands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 

22 Virgin Islands of the United States, and any 

23 other territory or possession of the United 

24 States; or 


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1 (D) the Tribal Government of a federally 

2 recognized Indian Tribe. 

Æ 


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