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H.R. 9902House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Federal Naming Standards Act

Sponsored by Bill FosterRep. Bill Foster (D-IL)
Introduced July 23, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 30, 2026 at 11:12 AM UTC

The Federal Naming Standards Act stops federal buildings, facilities, and programs from being named after current elected officials or political appointees, and keeps that restriction in place for ten years after they leave office. The ban can be extended for anyone who makes over $1 million a year from commercial use of their name or likeness. Exceptions include deceased people, names already in place before the law, and cases where the person wasn’t using their name commercially at the time of naming. The law also requires agency inspectors general to investigate and report any violations.

Key Provisions

  • Federal buildings, facilities, or programs cannot be named after a current elected official or political appointee, and cannot be named after them for ten years after they leave office.
  • If a former official earns more than $1 million a year from commercial use of their name, image, or likeness, the naming ban stays in place until they fall below that threshold.
  • The ban does not apply to deceased individuals, names that were already in place before the law takes effect, or cases where the person was not using their name commercially at the time of naming.
  • Each agency’s Inspector General must investigate any alleged violations and report the findings to the agency head and Congress within 90 days.
  • Incidental uses of a person’s name or likeness in museums, historical displays, educational materials, or government reports are allowed as long as they are not the formal name or primary branding of a federal site or program.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

July 23, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 23, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

July 23, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 23, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 9902

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 23, 2026

Mr. Foster (for himself, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. Correa, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. García of Illinois, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, Mr. Liccardo, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. McGarvey, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Norcross, Ms. Norton, Mr. Ruiz, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Veasey, and Ms. Wasserman Schultz) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To prohibit the naming of any Federal building, facility, or program after any elected official or political appointee for a certain period or while using their name commercially, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Federal Naming Standards Act.

2.

Prohibition on renaming Federal buildings, facilities, or programs

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal building, facility, or program may be named, renamed, designated, or redesignated in the name or likeness of any elected official or political appointee for the period described in subsection (b).

(b)

Covered period

(1)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the period described in this subsection shall be the period from the time the individual began holding office as an elected official or political appointee until the date that is 10 years after the date on which such individual last held office or appointment.

(2)

Extension for certain individuals

With respect to any individual who generates more than $1,000,000 (adjusted annually for inflation to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor) annually from commercial purposes for the use of their name, image, or likeness, the period described in this subsection shall be extended until the date on which such individual no longer meets such threshold.

(c)

Applicability

The prohibition under subsection (a) shall not apply to—

(1)

the name or likeness of an individual who is deceased;

(2)

any naming, renaming, designation, or redesignation before the date of enactment of this Act; and

(3)

any building, facility, or program named, renamed, designated, or redesignated for an individual who was not using their name or likeness for commercial purposes at the time of the naming, renaming, designation, or redesignation but subsequently has used their name or likeness for commercial purposes.

(d)

Inspector general investigation

The inspector general of each Federal agency shall investigate complaints alleging violations of this Act within the respective agency of such inspector general and report the findings of any investigation, within 90 days of the beginning of any such investigation, to the head of the respective agency and Congress.

(e)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the incidental use of an individual’s name and likeness in museum exhibits, archival collections, historical displays, educational materials, or documentary content produced or funded by the Federal Government or official reports, press releases, or other informational materials as long as such use does not constitute the formal name or principal branding of a Federal site or Federal program.

(f)

Commercial purposes defined

In this section, the term commercial purposes means the use of an individual’s name or likeness in connection with the advertising, promotion, or sale of goods or services or licensing.