H.R. 3448 would expand and clarify who is eligible to receive grants under the American Battlefield Preservation Program, which is administered by the National Park Service (NPS). Under current law, a total of $20 million is authorized to be appropriated through 2028 and $3 million is permanently authorized for that program That program is primarily for battlefield land acquisition grants to protect sites related to the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Because the bill would not change the authorized amounts or significantly change the scope of the program, CBO has not estimated any additional costs stemming from those changes. We expect that the specified authorization is sufficient to cover the costs of implementing those sections of the bill. In 2022, the NPS allocated about $20 million for those activities.
Within 2 years of enactment and every 10 years thereafter, the bill also would require the NPS to submit updated battlefield reports to the Congress. Using the cost of similar reports, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3448 would have an insignificant cost. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The cost of that report is not covered under the existing authorization of appropriations.
