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HR 8539
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Truth in National Parks Act

To amend title 54, United States Code, to ensure historically accurate exhibits at National Park Service sites, and for other purposes.

Introduced Apr 28, 2026

Latest action (Apr 28, 2026) Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Summary

This bill amends National Park Service law to require that all interpretive and educational materials at park sites be historically and culturally accurate. It prohibits the Secretary of Interior from removing, editing, or obscuring materials that are historically accurate and consistent with park purposes, except to update information or accommodate new exhibits. When making changes, the Secretary must consult with relevant stakeholders, including Indian Tribes when appropriate. The bill requires that any historically accurate interpretive materials removed between January 20, 2025 and the bill's enactment be restored within 180 days. It also directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on co-stewardship agreements between Indigenous communities and federal agencies.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Sharice Davids’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • NULL $243,550
  • UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS $13,893
  • DENTONS US LLP $12,650
  • BYRNE PELOFSKY + ASSOCIATES LLC $11,350
  • BARKLEY $10,700

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Sharice Davids → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

  1. Apr 28, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. · house
  2. Apr 28, 2026 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 28, 2026

Ms. Davids of Kansas (for herself and Mr. Goldman of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To amend title 54, United States Code, to ensure historically accurate exhibits at National Park Service sites, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Truth in National Parks Act”.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS.

(a) Interpretation and Education Evaluation and Quality Improvement.—Section 100803 of title 54, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (3), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(2) in paragraph (4), by striking “analysis.” and inserting “analysis; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(5) are historically and culturally accurate.”.

(b) Editing and Removing Information.—Chapter 1008 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “Sec. 100805. Removal or editing of interpretive or educational materials

“(a) Availability of Materials.—

“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), in carrying out this chapter, the Secretary shall not remove, obscure, edit, or otherwise alter interpretive or educational materials at a System unit if such interpretive or educational materials are—

“(A) historically and culturally accurate; and

“(B) consistent with the purposes and foundational documents of the System unit.

“(2) Exception.—The Secretary may take such steps as are necessary (including removing, obscuring, editing, or altering interpretive or educational materials) to—

“(A) update historically and culturally accurate information on public display at a System unit; or

“(B) accommodate new historically and culturally accurate public exhibits and displays at a System unit.

“(b) Consultation.—In updating information or accommodating new public exhibits and displays under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall consult with relevant constituencies, including Indian Tribes when appropriate, to determine if removing, obscuring, editing, or otherwise altering interpretive or educational materials is appropriate.

“(c) Interpretive or Educational Materials Defined.—In this section, the term ‘interpretive or educational materials’ means interpretation and education program materials on public display at a System unit, including—

“(1) signs, plaques, flags, and other exhibits; and

“(2) online materials related to such System unit.”.

(c) Conforming Amendment.—The table of contents for chapter 1008 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“100805. Removal or editing of interpretive and educational materials.”.

(d) Replacement of Removed Materials.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall replace or restore, as applicable, at each unit of the National Park System, any historically and culturally accurate interpretive or educational materials removed, obscured, edited, or otherwise altered during the period beginning on January 20, 2025, and ending on the date of the enactment is this Act.

SEC. 3. CO-STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT REPORT.

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Indian Affairs and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the status of co-stewardship agreements between Indigenous communities (including Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations) and Federal agencies, including recommendations on how to improve co-stewardship agreement processes to meet Federal trust obligations with respect to such Indigenous communities. <all>

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