H.R. 1718 (119th)Bill Overview

Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2025

Public Lands and Natural Resources|Educational facilities and institutionsHistoric sites and heritage areas
Cosponsors
Support
Lean Democratic
Introduced
Feb 27, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Plain-English summaryWhat this bill actually does

The bill establishes the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in Baltimore, Maryland, as an affiliated area of the National Park System centered on Public School 103 (1315 Division Street). The property remains owned and managed by the Beloved Community Services Corporation; the Secretary of the Interior may provide technical and financial assistance under an agreed management arrangement, but may not acquire the property or assume overall financial responsibility.

Why people may split

Progressives emphasize civil-rights preservation and programming

Watch point

Narrow, noncontroversial memorial bill with clear local sponsor and limited fiscal impact; typically moves easily in the House.

The bill establishes the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site in Baltimore, Maryland, as an affiliated area of the National Park System centered on Public School 103 (1315 Division Street).

The property remains owned and managed by the Beloved Community Services Corporation; the Secretary of the Interior may provide technical and financial assistance under an agreed management arrangement, but may not acquire the property or assume overall financial responsibility.

The Act authorizes appropriations as necessary to carry out its purposes.

Passage75/100

Short, noncontroversial historic-site bill with strong built-in compromises and minimal cost exposure, making enactment likely if scheduled.

CredibilityPartial

How solid the drafting looks.

Contention50/100

Progressives emphasize civil-rights preservation and programming

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Federal agencies · Local governmentsFederal agencies · Local governments

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • Federal agenciesProvides formal federal recognition and preserves a site tied to Thurgood Marshall’s early life and contributions.
  • Federal agenciesEnables federal technical and cooperative support for interpretation, preservation, and marketing activities.
  • Local governmentsMay increase heritage tourism and related local economic activity and jobs in Baltimore.
Likely burdened
  • Federal agenciesAuthorized appropriations "as necessary" could lead to future federal spending obligations of unclear size.
  • Local governmentsThe nonprofit owner retains operational and capital responsibilities, potentially creating a sustained local financial…
  • Potential burdenApplication of National Park Service standards could impose regulatory or compliance costs on the management entity.
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Progressives emphasize civil-rights preservation and programming
Progressive95%

This persona will generally welcome federal recognition and preservation of Thurgood Marshall’s elementary school as a national historic site.

They will emphasize civil-rights educational value and that local ownership preserves community control, while wanting adequate federal support for programming and access.

Leans supportive
Centrist80%

A pragmatic centrist will likely support the bill as a targeted, locally managed preservation measure with limited federal obligations.

They will value the NPS standards and local partnership but want clearer cost controls and accountability for any federal assistance.

Leans supportive
Conservative40%

Mainstream conservatives will be cautious about any new federal recognition or spending, but may accept this bill because ownership remains local and the Secretary cannot acquire the property.

They will press for strict limits on federal funding and guard against precedent for more federal involvement.

Split reaction
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood75/100

Short, noncontroversial historic-site bill with strong built-in compromises and minimal cost exposure, making enactment likely if scheduled.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • No cost estimate or CBO score included
  • Map and precise boundary details not in bill text
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Progressives emphasize civil-rights preservation and programming

Short, noncontroversial historic-site bill with strong built-in compromises and minimal cost exposure, making enactment likely if scheduled.

Unlocked analysis

Pro readers get the full perspective split, passage barriers, legislative design review, stakeholder impact map, and lens-based policy tradeoff analysis for Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site Establishment…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
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