What This Bill Does
This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide up to $50 million in federal grants to help establish the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, but only after the project has secured at least $100 million from North Dakota or other nonfederal sources. It also allows the Department of the Interior to loan historic, educational, artistic, and natural-history artifacts from federal agencies to the library within 180 days after enactment. The bill bars the federal grant money from being used to maintain or operate the library, and it says the federal government would not run the facility. In plain terms, it is a targeted federal partnership for a specific presidential library project, not a broad cultural funding program.
- Authorizes up to $50,000,000 in federal grants for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
- Requires at least $100,000,000 from North Dakota or other nonfederal sources before any grant is made.
- Forbids grant money from being used for the library’s maintenance or operation.
- Allows federal agencies, including the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, to loan artifacts within 180 days of enactment.
- Says the federal government has no role in operating the library except at the request of the non-federal operator.
Who This Bill Affects
If you are an ordinary taxpayer, the bill could affect you indirectly by authorizing up to $50 million in federal grants, though only after the foundation secures at least $100 million from state or private sources. If you live in or visit North Dakota, it could also increase access to a new Theodore Roosevelt museum and educational site in Medora, with federal artifacts potentially being loaned for display. The bill does not change eligibility for benefits or create a nationwide program, so its direct effect on most people is limited to federal spending and any cultural or tourism value the library creates.
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- Bill
- S 675
- Congress
- 119th Congress
- Official title
- Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act
- Policy area
- Government & Elections
- Latest action
- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (June 22, 2026)
- Last updated
- June 23, 2026
Who Supports & Opposes This
- presidential history supporters They are likely to argue that the bill helps preserve and share historically significant materials about Theodore Roosevelt and gives the public better educational access to them. The matching-funds requirement also ensures the project is substantially supported outside the federal treasury.
- North Dakota tourism and civic leaders They may view the library as a way to draw visitors to Medora, strengthen local tourism, and build a major educational attraction tied to a nationally recognized figure. Federal artifact loans could improve the quality and credibility of the exhibits.
- museum and preservation advocates They are likely to support the loan authority for artifacts and objects because it can place underused federal holdings on public display. The preservation language in the bill helps protect the items while expanding access.
- fiscal conservatives They may object to committing up to $50 million in federal grants for a single named institution, especially when the project is already expected to raise $100 million from other sources. They could see it as preferential funding for one local project rather than a broadly shared federal need.
- taxpayers skeptical of cultural earmarks They may argue that the federal government should not subsidize the establishment of a presidential library when the main benefits are regional or symbolic. The project could be seen as using national funds for a relatively narrow cultural purpose.
- advocates for lower federal cultural spending They may support preservation in principle but oppose federal involvement because the bill still places the Department of the Interior in a funding and artifact-loan role. Even without operating the library, the federal government would be helping finance and furnish it.
Key Implications
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““the Secretary may provide to the Foundation grants in an amount not to exceed... $50,000,000””
This is the bill’s main federal funding commitment. It sets a ceiling on direct public support for building or establishing the library, but only if future appropriations acts provide the money.
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““has received an amount equal to not less than $100,000,000””
The federal grant is conditional on the project raising at least twice as much from nonfederal or state sources. That makes the library a matching-funds project and reduces the chance that federal money would be the sole financing source.
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““may not be used for the maintenance or operation of the Library””
Federal dollars could help create the institution, but they cannot pay for its day-to-day running costs. That means the library would need separate funding for staffing, utilities, programming, and upkeep.
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““not later than 180 days after the date of enactment””
This deadline gives the Secretary authority to arrange artifact loans relatively quickly after enactment. It signals that exhibit planning and federal cooperation are meant to begin soon, not years later.
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““shall have no involvement in the operation of the Library””
The federal government is kept out of management decisions. The library would be operated by a non-federal entity, limiting federal control even though federal money and objects may be involved.
Latest Status
June 22, 2026
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
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