Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act

Bill: 119-s-2369
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Introduced: 2025-07-22
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Latest action: action_date: 2025-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2369 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 22, 2025 Mr. Van Hollen introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To direct the Secretary of the Interior to remove or permanently conceal the name of Francis Newlands on the grounds of the memorial fountain located at Chevy Chase Circle in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act . 2. Removal of Plaque and Concrete from Memorial Fountain Grounds (a) In general The Secretary of the Interior shall— (1) remove the brass plaque bearing the name Senator Francis G. Newlands from the grounds of the memorial fountain; (2) remove from the south end of the memorial fountain’s face, the stone, tablet-like projection bearing the name of Francis Griffith Newlands and a related inscription; (3) remove or permanently conceal the name Newlands carved into the upper face of the memorial fountain’s coping stones; and (4) offer the items removed pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) to the descendants of Francis Griffith Newlands for a period of 60 days, and if not claimed within that period, direct the items removed pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) to be maintained by the National Park Service as Federal property and accessioned into the Rock Creek Park museum collection. (b) Memorial fountain For the purposes of this section, the term memorial fountain means the memorial fountain located at Chevy Chase Circle, Connecticut Avenue and Western Avenue NW, in the District of Columbia.