# 119-hr-9597: Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act

119-hr-9597, Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9597
- As of: 2026-07-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-9597
- Congress: 119
- Title: Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-07-06
- Sponsor: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-17

## Summary

**Would create the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park to protect, interpret, and expand the capital’s Civil War fortifications and related sites.** The bill centers preservation and public education about the forts, batteries, trenches, and roads that defended Washington and connects that story to the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Homeowner protections and voluntary sales: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary could buy eligible non-Federal properties only from willing sellers and only if donated funds or Congress provides money. The Secretary would need the owner's written consent before including private property in the park. The Secretary would be barred from using eminent do…
- Local site partnerships and donations: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary could enter cooperative agreements to affiliate privately or locally owned Civil War sites with the park. The Secretary could provide technical help, allow visitor services and nearby facilities, and mark historic sites with owner consent. The Secretary could accept gifts,…
- New Civil War National Park: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would redesignate the Civil War defenses of Washington as the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park. It would place specific federally owned forts and related areas under National Park Service administration. Maps kept by the Secretary would show the exact p…
- Study and report on Civil War history: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary would study creative, cost‑effective ways to present Civil War history, including the defenses of Washington and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. The Secretary would seek help from historians, organizations, and donors and consider reuse of sites and donated funding…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act
- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-9597 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9597)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8870)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421)
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9597 (as of 2026-07-17).