This bill would codify Executive Order 14253. It states findings that some people have tried to rewrite U.S. history and that certain museums and sites have promoted what the bill calls divisive or ideology-driven narratives. The bill sets a policy to restore federal history sites and museums as uplifting places that celebrate American achievement.
The bill directs the Vice President to use the Vice President's role on the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents to seek removal of material the bill says violates its policy or divides Americans based on race. The Vice President must also recommend actions to the President and may work with congressional leaders to seek Board appointments that support the bill's policy.
The Vice President and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are to work with Congress so future Smithsonian appropriations prohibit spending on exhibits or programs that the bill says degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs inconsistent with the bill or federal civil rights laws. The bill lists specific restrictions for the American Women's History Museum, including prohibiting material that recognizes men as women, promotes biological males competing in women's sports, or promotes gender-affirming medicine for minors.
The Secretary of the Interior must provide sufficient funding, as available, to improve Independence National Historical Park with work to be complete by July 4, 2026. The Secretary must also review whether, since January 1, 2020, any Department of the Interior monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties were removed or changed in ways the bill describes (for example, to "perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history" or that "divide Americans based on race"). The Secretary is to take action to reinstate pre-existing items and to ensure Department properties do not contain content that inappropriately disparages Americans, divides Americans based on race, or recognizes men as women, and instead focus on achievements or natural beauty, consistent with existing law.
The bill says it does not change agencies' legal authorities or create enforceable rights against the United States.
If enacted, the bill would require the Vice President, OMB, and the Interior Department to review and act on museum exhibits, Smithsonian programming, and Interior Department monuments under the standards in the bill. It would require funding, as available, for repairs or improvements at Independence National Historical Park to be finished by July 4, 2026. The bill would direct federal officials to seek limits on future Smithsonian spending for exhibits or programs the bill lists as prohibited.
No publicly available information on total costs or budget estimates is included in the bill text. The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide sufficient funding, "as available," for Independence National Historical Park improvements to be complete by July 4, 2026. The bill also directs the Vice President and OMB to work with Congress on future appropriations language restricting certain Smithsonian expenditures.
The bill's findings and policy statements say supporters want to stop what they call a revisionist movement that replaces objective facts with ideology. Supporters say museums and federal sites should be uplifting, not ideologically driven, and that the Smithsonian should inspire pride and highlight American achievements. The bill frames its actions as restoring historical accuracy and protecting shared American values.
No publicly available information.