119-hr5510

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5510 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5510

 To co-designate the Arlington Memorial Bridge as the ``United States-
Mexican War Memorial'', to authorize limited interpretive enhancements, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 19, 2025

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To co-designate the Arlington Memorial Bridge as the ``United States-
Mexican War Memorial'', to authorize limited interpretive enhancements, 
 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 ``United States-Mexican War Memorial 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress finds the following:

    (1) The United States-Mexican War (1846-1848) concluded 
 with the signing of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 
 1848, reshaping the territorial contours of the United States 
 and Mexico and establishing a durable peace through treaty.

    (2) The war profoundly influenced American military, 
 political, and civic life and is a significant chapter in the 
 Nation's history that merits national-level recognition.

    (3) Administered by the National Park Service, Arlington 
 Memorial Bridge spans the Potomac River to connect the Lincoln 
 Memorial with Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, 
 making it an appropriate site for a co-designation that 
 reflects national reunion after the Civil War and the United 
 States east-west expansion to a continental, industrial power.

    (4) As the Nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its 
 independence in 2026, Congress seeks to elevate under-
 recognized chapters of American history and advance historical 
 literacy through prudent, low-cost commemorative actions on 
 existing Federal sites.

    (5) There is no national memorial established by Congress 
 on Federal land in the National Capital region dedicated to the 
 United States-Mexican War; a co-designation of an existing 
 federally owned commemorative setting provides a practical 
 means to establish a national focus for commemoration without 
 affecting transportation operations.

    (b) 

=== Purpose ===
-The purpose of this Act is to establish a national 
commemorative focus on the United States-Mexican War through a co-
designation of an existing federally owned commemorative setting, with 
minimal physical alterations and no effect on transportation functions.

SEC. 3. CO-DESIGNATION OF ARLINGTON MEMORIAL BRIDGE.

    (a) Co-Designation.--Arlington Memorial Bridge, spanning the 
Potomac River between the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of 
Virginia, is hereby co-designated as the ``United States-Mexican War 
Memorial'' (in this Act referred to as the ``Memorial'').

    (b) Administration.--The Secretary of the Interior (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the National Park 
Service, shall administer the co-designation established by subsection

    (a) .
            (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to--

    (1) change the official name of Arlington Memorial Bridge;

    (2) alter or impede the bridge's transportation or safety 
 functions;

    (3) modify existing jurisdictional responsibilities 
 regarding the operation, maintenance, or repair of the bridge; 
 or

    (4) create any right or cause of action.

SEC. 4. CEREMONIES AND PUBLIC OBSERVANCES.

 The Secretary may plan, develop, and execute ceremonies and public 
observances to recognize the co-designation made by 

section 3.

SEC. 5. LIMITED COMMEMORATIVE ENHANCEMENTS.

    (a) Authority.--To further honor the service and sacrifice of 
participants in the United States-Mexican War and to interpret the 
war's causes, course, and consequences (including the Treaty of 
Guadalupe Hidalgo), the Secretary may install at, on, or immediately 
adjacent to Arlington Memorial Bridge appropriate commemorative 
elements limited to interpretive signage, plaques, and landscaping.

    (b) Limitations.--Commemorative elements authorized under 
subsection

    (a) --

    (1) shall be consistent with division A of subtitle III of 
 title 54, United States Code (commonly known as the ``National 
 Historic Preservation Act'') and the National Environmental 
 Policy Act;

    (2) shall not materially alter the historic character, 
 architectural features, or structural integrity of Arlington 
 Memorial Bridge; and

    (3) shall not interfere with or encroach upon any existing 
 commemorative work.

SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY OF THE COMMEMORATIVE WORKS ACT; WAIVERS.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection

    (b) , chapter 89 
of title 40, United States Code (commonly known as the ``Commemorative 
Works Act''), applies to commemorative enhancements authorized by 

section 5.

    (b) Waivers.--

    (1) Site selection.--

Section 8905 of title 40, United 
 States Code, shall not apply with respect to the selection of 
 the site for the Memorial by reason of the co-designation 
 effected by 

section 3.

    (2) Certain conditions.--

Section 8908

    (b) of title 40, 
 United States Code, shall not apply to the designations or 
 commemorative enhancements authorized by this Act.

SEC. 7. FUNDING; DONATIONS; EXCESS FUNDS.

    (a) No Federal Funds for Enhancements.--No Federal funds may be 
obligated or expended for the design, procurement, preparation, 
installation, or maintenance of commemorative elements authorized under 

section 5.

    (b) Donations.--The Secretary may accept and expend contributions 
of non-Federal funds and in-kind donations for the purposes of this 
Act.
            (c) Maintenance Amount.--Amounts received for commemorative 
elements shall include the maintenance and preservation amount required 
by 

section 8906

    (b)

    (1) of title 40, United States Code.
            (d) Excess Funds.--If, after payment of all expenses (including the 
amount required by 

section 8906

    (b)

    (1) of such title), there remains a 
balance of funds received for the purposes of this Act, the Secretary 
shall deposit such balance with the National Park Foundation in a 
separate account to be available to the Secretary in accordance with 

section 8906

    (b)

    (4) of such title.

    (e) No Effect on Transportation Funding.--Nothing in this Act 
prohibits the use of Federal-aid highway, National Park Service, or 
other Federal funds for the operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, 
repair, safety improvements, or replacement of Arlington Memorial 
Bridge or its approaches, except with respect to the commemorative 
elements authorized by 

section 5.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Commemorative work.--The term ``commemorative work'' 
 has the meaning given that term in 

section 8902 of title 40, 
 United States Code.

    (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior.
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