S. 3568Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act of 2024

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 1:57 PM UTC

The American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act of 2024 updates federal law to strengthen how the United States protects historic battlefields. It expands the types of organizations that can receive preservation and restoration assistance, clarifies which sites qualify for grants, and adds a requirement for regular reporting on battlefield conditions. The changes affect the Secretary of the Interior’s battlefield program, state and tribal governments, local authorities, educational institutions, nonprofit groups, and the historic battlefields themselves.

Key Provisions

Defines “Secretary” as the Secretary acting through the American Battlefield Protection Program and specifies the two key “Battlefield Reports” that guide the program.
Expands preservation assistance eligibility to include federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.
Refines the definition of an “eligible site” for acquisition grants to focus on sites identified in the Battlefield Reports and excludes associated historic sites.
Broadens grant eligibility for acquisition and restoration programs to states, tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations.
Creates a battlefield restoration grant program that can fund projects restoring day‑of‑battle conditions on eligible lands owned by the expanded list of entities.
Requires the Secretary to submit updated Battlefield Reports to Congress within two years of enactment and every ten years thereafter, covering preservation activities and condition changes.
Updates the table of sections to reflect the new definitions and reporting provision.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.

National Parks Subcommittee

May 15, 2024

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 10, 2024

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S75)

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

January 10, 2024

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.

National Parks Subcommittee

May 15, 2024

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 3568 on the floor

1 Democrat

Sen. Tim KaineD-VA · Jan 10, 2024

Madam President, today I am introducing bipartisan legislation to protect America's historic battlefields. Specifically, the bill would make updates to strengthen the American Battlefield Protection…

Sen. Tim KaineD-VA · Jan 10, 2024

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued January 10, 2024

118th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3568

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 10, 2024

Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Warner, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To amend chapter 3081 of title 54, United States Code, to enhance the protection and preservation of America’s battlefields.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act of 2024.

American battlefield protection program improvements

(a)

Definitions

Section 308101 of title 54, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

308101.

Definitions

In this chapter:

(1)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary, acting through the American Battlefield Protection Program.

(2)

Battlefield Reports

The term Battlefield Reports means, collectively—

(A)

the document entitled Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields, prepared by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, and dated July 1993; and

(B)

the document entitled Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States, prepared by the National Park Service, and dated September 2007.

(b)

Preservation assistance

Section 308102(a) of title 54, United States Code, is amended by striking Federal and all that follows through organizations and inserting Federal agencies, States, Tribes, local governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

(c)

Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants Improvements

Section 308103 of title 54, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

(a)

Eligible site defined

In this section, the term eligible site—

(1)

means a site that—

(A)

is not within the exterior boundaries of a unit of the National Park System; and

(B)

is identified in the Battlefield Reports as a battlefield; and

(2)

excludes sites identified in the Battlefield Reports as associated historic sites.

;

(2)

in subsection (b), by striking State and local governments and inserting States, Tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations;

(3)

in subsection (c), by striking State or local government and inserting State, Tribe, or local government; and

(4)

in subsection (e), by striking under this section and inserting under this section, including by States, Tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations,.

(d)

Battlefield Restoration Grants Improvements

Section 308105 of title 54, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

(a)

Establishment

The Secretary shall establish a battlefield restoration grant program (referred to in this section as the program) under which the Secretary may provide grants to States, Tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations for projects that restore day-of-battle conditions on—

(1)

land preserved and protected under the battlefield acquisition grant program established under section 308103(b); or

(2)

battlefield land that is—

(A)

owned by a State, Tribe, local government, or nonprofit organization; and

(B)

referred to in the Battlefield Reports.

; and

(2)

by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

(b)

Eligible sites

The Secretary may make grants under this section for Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield sites—

(1)

eligible for assistance under the battlefield acquisition grant program established under section 308103(b); or

(2)

on battlefield land that is—

(A)

owned by a State, Tribe, local government, or nonprofit organization; and

(B)

referred to in the Battlefield Reports.

(e)

Updates and improvements

Chapter 3081 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

308106.

Updates and improvements to Battlefield Reports

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, and every 10 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that updates the Battlefield Reports to reflect—

(1)

preservation activities carried out at the battlefields in the period since the publication of the most recent Battlefield Reports update;

(2)

changes in the condition, including core and study areas, of the battlefields during that period; and

(3)

any other relevant developments relating to the battlefields during that period.

(f)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections for chapter 3081 of title 54, United States Code, is amended as follows:

(1)

By amending the item relating to section 308101 to read as follows:

308101. Definitions.

(2)

By adding at the end the following:

308106. Updates and improvements to Battlefield Reports.