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 offi-
cers, 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 vet-
erans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Remembering Our 
Local Heroes Act’’. 
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR MEMORIALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es-
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tablish a grant program to fund construction, restoration, 
renovation, and maintenance for covered memorials. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out the Pro-
gram, the Secretary may award grants to units of 
local government and nonprofit organizations. 
(2) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant 
under the Program, a unit of local government or 
nonprofit organization shall submit to the Secretary 
an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. 
(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under the 
Program, the Secretary shall give priority to grants 
that will fund projects— 
(A) for which strong support is dem-
onstrated from the local community; and 
(B) that memorialize individuals or groups, 
living or deceased— 
(i) who are broadly viewed to have 
contributed positively, in a manner dem-
onstrating exemplary public service, to 
their community or to the United States; 
or 
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(ii) 
who 
distinguished 
themselves 
through acts of bravery in which they 
risked their lives. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds awarded under the 
Program may only be used for construction, restoration, 
renovation, or maintenance for covered memorials. 
(d) LIMITATION ON GRANTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may not 
award more than 1 grant in a fiscal year with re-
spect to any single— 
(A) unit of local government or nonprofit 
organization; or 
(B) covered memorial. 
(2) AMOUNT.—No grant awarded under the 
Program may exceed $100,000. 
(e) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The recipient of a grant 
under the Program shall provide non-Federal match-
ing funds equal to not less than 50 percent of the 
grant. 
(2) 
IN-KIND
SUPPORT.—The 
non-Federal 
matching funds described in paragraph (1) may in-
clude in-kind support. 
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(f) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Secretary to carry out the Program 
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED MEMORIAL.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘covered me-
morial’’ means any statue, monument, sculp-
ture, memorial, plaque, inscription, or other 
structure or landscape feature, including a gar-
den or memorial grove that is— 
(i) owned or administered by a unit of 
local government or nonprofit organization; 
and 
(ii) designed to perpetuate in a per-
manent manner the memory of individuals 
or groups, living or deceased, who— 
(I) are veterans of the Armed 
Forces who served on or after April 6, 
1917; 
(II) are members of the Armed 
Forces killed while on active duty as 
a result of injuries incurred in the line 
of duty on or after April 6, 1917; 
(III) have served as law enforce-
ment officers; or 
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(IV) have served as firefighters. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—The term ‘‘covered me-
morial’’ does not include any item listed in sub-
paragraph (A) that is located within the inte-
rior of a structure or a structure which is pri-
marily used for other purposes. 
(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the grant program established under this section. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(4) UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—The term 
‘‘unit of local government’’ means— 
(A) a unit of general government below the 
State level, including a city, county, munici-
pality, town, township, or village; 
(B) the government of the District of Co-
lumbia; 
(C) the government of, or a unit of general 
government within, American Samoa, Guam, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands of the United States, and any 
other territory or possession of the United 
States; or 
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