119-hr2377

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2377 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2377

To authorize the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th 
 Birthday to establish the National Garden of American Heroes, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 26, 2025

 Mr. Mast introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To authorize the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th 
 Birthday to establish the National Garden of American Heroes, and for 
 other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``National Garden for America's 250th 
Anniversary Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL GARDEN OF AMERICAN HEROES.

    (a) Establishment.--The Task Force shall--

    (1) establish the Garden in accordance with this Act; and

    (2) in establishing the Garden, be responsible for any 
 planning, contracting, implementation of plans, designing, 
 building, permitting, compliance, and land acquisition or 
 environmental reviews related to such establishment.

    (b) Timeline for Construction of Garden.--

    (1) Deadline for commencement.--To the maximum extent 
 practicable and subject to paragraph

    (2) , the Task Force shall 
 commence construction of the Garden by not later than July 4, 
 2026.

    (2) Limitation on construction pending approval.--The Task 
 Force may only commence construction of the Garden after the 
 Secretary of the Interior approves the location of the Garden.
            (c) Location of Garden.--

    (1) Authorization of establishment in reserve.--
 Notwithstanding 

section 8908
            (c) of title 40, United States 
 Code, the Task Force may establish the Garden in the Reserve.

    (2) Authorization of land acquisition.--If the Garden is 
 not established on Federal land, the Secretary of the Interior 
 may acquire through purchase, donation, or exchange from a 
 State, local government, Tribal Government, or private 
 landowner land on which to establish the Garden.
            (d) Individuals Honored.--Notwithstanding 

section 8903
            (c) of title 
40, United States Code, the Garden may commemorate any individual or 
group of individuals.

    (e) Private Contributions.--The Task Force shall solicit and accept 
private contributions for the Garden.

    (f) National Garden Fund.--

    (1) In general.--There is hereby established in the 
 Treasury a fund, to be known as the ``National Garden Fund'', 
 for the expenses of establishing and maintaining the Garden.

    (2) Deposits and credits; obligations.--
        (A) In general.--The National Garden Fund shall 
 consist of--
            (i) amounts deposited, and interest and 
 proceeds credited, under subparagraph
        (B) ; and
            (ii) obligations obtained under 
 subparagraph
            (C) .
        (B) Deposits and credits.--The Chair of the Task 
 Force shall deposit in the National Garden Fund the 
 amounts accepted as contributions under subsection

    (e) . 
 The Secretary of the Treasury shall credit to the 
 National Garden Fund the interest on, and the proceeds 
 from sale or redemption of, obligations held in the 
 National Garden Fund.
            (C) Obligations.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
 shall invest any portion of the National Garden Fund 
 that, as determined by the Chair of the Task Force, is 
 not required to meet current expenses. Each investment 
 shall be made in an interest-bearing obligation of the 
 United States or an obligation guaranteed as to 
 principal and interest by the United States that, as 
 determined by the Chair of the Task Force, has a 
 maturity suitable for the National Garden Fund.

    (3) Availability of funds.--Such amounts as are necessary 
 shall be made available from the National Garden Fund to--
        (A) the Secretary of the Interior, for the 
 Secretary to provide administrative support for the 
 establishment of the Garden;
        (B) the Task Force, for the Task Force to establish 
 the Garden; and
            (C) the Director of the National Park Service, 
 beginning on the date on which the Garden opens to the 
 public, for the Director to maintain the Garden.

    (g) Visitation Fee.--

    (1) In general.--The Director may charge a visitation fee 
 for the Garden if the Director determines that the funds of the 
 National Garden Fund are insufficient to maintain the Garden.

    (2) Use of fee.--Any fees collected under paragraph

    (1) may 
 only be used for the maintenance of the Garden.

    (h) Reports to Congress.--

    (1) Report on establishment of garden.--
        (A) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the 
 date of enactment of this section, and every 60 days 
 thereafter until the date that is 1 day before the date 
 on which the Garden opens to the public, the Task Force 
 shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
 committees a report on the establishment of the Garden, 
 which shall include information regarding--
            (i) prior to the commencement of 
 construction of the Garden, any proposed 
 location for the Garden, or a final decision 
 about such location;
            (ii) any plan for the design of the Garden, 
 and any implementation or planned 
 implementation of such plan;
            (iii) an up-to-date timeline for 
 establishment of the Garden, including--
            (I) prior to the commencement of 
 construction of the Garden, any 
 recommendations or initiatives 
 implemented to enable such commencement 
 by not later than July 4, 2026; and
            (II) after the commencement of 
 construction of the Garden, a date on 
 which the Garden plans to open to the 
 public, recommendations, and any 
 initiatives related to such date on 
 which the Garden plans to open to the 
 public; and
            (iv) a detailed and up-to-date budget for 
 establishing the Garden, including information 
 on any funds in the National Garden Fund, and 
 how such funds are used.
        (B) Contingency.--If the Task Force determines that 
 commencement of construction of the Garden by July 4, 
 2026, is not feasible, then the Task Force shall, not 
 later than July 4, 2026, submit to Congress a revised 
 timeline for establishment of the Garden, including a 
 date on which the Garden plans to open to the public.

    (2) Report on maintenance of garden.--Not later than 60 
 days after the date on which the Garden opens to the public, 
 and every 60 days thereafter, the Director shall submit to the 
 appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
 maintenance of the Garden, which shall include information 
 regarding--
        (A) the staffing and operations of the Garden;
        (B) the conservation and resource management of the 
 Garden;
            (C) visitations to the Garden;
            (D) the safety of the public at the Garden;
        (E) any security threats or challenges to the 
 Garden;
        (F) any funds in the National Garden Fund, and how 
 such funds are used; and
        (G) any visitation fees collected under 
 subparagraph

    (g) , and how such fees are used.
            (i) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
 ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on 
 Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

    (2) Garden.--The term ``Garden'' means the statuary park, 
 to be known as the National Garden of American Heroes, 
 described in Executive Order 14189 (90 Fed. Reg. 8849; relating 
 to celebrating America's 250th birthday) and prior Executive 
 Orders 13934 (85 Fed. Reg. 41165; relating to building and 
 rebuilding monuments to American heroes) and 13978 (86 Fed. 
 Reg. 6809; relating to building the Garden).

    (3) Reserve.--The term ``Reserve'' has the meaning given 
 such term in 

section 8902 of title 40, United States Code.

    (4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such 
 term in 

section 6501 of title 31, United States Code.

    (5) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the White 
 House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday 
 established under Executive Order 14189 (90 Fed. Reg. 8849; 
 relating to celebrating America's 250th birthday) and prior 
 Executive Orders 13934 (85 Fed. Reg. 41165; relating to 
 building and rebuilding monuments to American heroes) and 13978 
 (86 Fed. Reg. 6809; relating to building the Garden) to 
 establish the Garden.

    (6) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal Government'' has 
 the meaning given such term in 

section 421 of the Congressional 
 Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 658).
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