H.R. 5510 — United States–Mexican War Memorial Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings concerning the historical significance of the United States-Mexican War (1846-1848), which concluded with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848; the suitability of Arlington Memorial Bridge—spanning the Potomac River between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial—for commemoration; the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in 2026; and the absence of a national memorial to the war in the National Capital region. It declares the purpose of the Act to establish a national commemorative focus for the war through co-designation of an existing federally owned commemorative setting, with minimal physical alterations and no effect on transportation functions.

This section co-designates Arlington Memorial Bridge, spanning the Potomac River between the District of Columbia and Virginia, as the “United States–Mexican War Memorial.” The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the National Park Service, administers the co-designation, and nothing in the Act changes the bridge’s official name, alters or impedes its transportation or safety functions, modifies existing jurisdictional responsibilities for its operation, maintenance, or repair, or creates any right or cause of action.

This section authorizes the Secretary to install interpretive signage, plaques, and landscaping at, on, or immediately adjacent to Arlington Memorial Bridge to honor participants in the United States–Mexican War and interpret the war’s causes, course, and consequences (including the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo). Such commemorative elements must (1) comply with division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code (National Historic Preservation Act), and the National Environmental Policy Act; (2) not materially alter the bridge’s historic character, architectural features, or structural integrity; and (3) not interfere with or encroach upon existing commemorative works.

This section applies the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. ch. 89)—which governs the authorization, site selection, design approval, construction, and maintenance of commemorative works (e.g., memorials) in the District of Columbia and environs—to commemorative enhancements authorized by section 5, with two waivers: (1) site selection and design consultation requirements under 40 U.S.C. 8905, due to the site's co-designation under section 3; and (2) conditions under 40 U.S.C. 8908(b) (requiring sponsors to fund site maintenance for up to 30 years and prohibiting construction until such funding is provided), for designations and enhancements authorized by this Act.

This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of federal funds for the design, procurement, preparation, installation, or maintenance of commemorative elements authorized under section 5. It authorizes the Secretary to accept and expend non-federal funds and in-kind donations for purposes of the Act, requires amounts received for commemorative elements to include the maintenance and preservation amount required by 40 U.S.C. § 8906(b)(1), and directs deposit of any excess funds—after all expenses—with the National Park Foundation in a separate account available per 40 U.S.C. § 8906(b)(4). The section specifies that nothing in the Act affects the use of federal-aid highway, National Park Service, or other federal funds for operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, repair, safety improvements, or replacement of Arlington Memorial Bridge or its approaches, except for the commemorative elements.

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, (1) commemorative work as having the meaning given the term in 40 U.S.C. §8902 (i.e., any statue, monument, sculpture, memorial, plaque, inscription, or other structure or landscape feature designed to perpetuate the memory of an individual, group, event, or other significant element of American history, excluding items within the interior of a structure or a structure primarily used for other purposes); and (2) Secretary as the Secretary of the Interior.