S 3490: National Historical Park and National Historic Landmark Establishment and Boundary Adjustments Act of 2025

S 3490 in plain English: This bill is early in the legislative process and detailed text is not yet available. Sponsor: Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R) · Status: Held at the desk.

Stated purpose

This bill creates a new national historical park at Fort Ontario in New York to honor the 982 World War II refugees sheltered there from 1944 to 1946, and officially designates America's National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri as a National Historic Landmark.

Arguments supporters make

• Preserving Fort Ontario as a national park ensures that the stories of nearly 1,000 WWII refugees are not forgotten and are taught to future generations.
• Giving the Churchill Museum a National Historic Landmark designation recognizes its national significance and helps secure resources to protect and share its historical collections.
• Federal recognition and potential funding for both sites can boost heritage tourism and economic activity in the local communities they serve.

Arguments opponents make

• Creating a new national park unit and landmark designation commits federal dollars and National Park Service resources at a time when the agency already faces maintenance backlogs at existing parks.
• The bill limits the federal government's ability to acquire state-owned land at Fort Ontario to donation only, which could slow or complicate the park's establishment if the state is unwilling to donate.
• Critics may question whether designating a museum at a private college as a National Historic Landmark is an appropriate use of federal recognition typically reserved for sites of broader national significance.

Tradeoffs

Establishing new federally managed historic sites preserves important history and expands public access, but requires spending federal funds and NPS capacity that could otherwise support existing park units. State land at Fort Ontario is protected from involuntary federal acquisition, which respects state control but may limit the park's eventual size and viability.

Current status in Congress: Passed Senate.

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